The University of Otago is part-way through a $21 million
project to replace its "ageing" student management system,
with a new streamlined system allowing students to fill out
more forms online.
The university's student management system is the main
information technology (IT) system it uses to manage
administrative processes throughout "the student life cycle"
- from enrolments through to examinations and graduation.
Otago University director of academic services John Price
said the $21 million project would replace its "ageing" and
largely in-house-developed system with a more streamlined
"off-the-shelf" system.
International information technology company Tribal, which
was used by many of the world's most prestigious
universities, had been chosen as the supplier of the new
system, Mr Price said.
Asked why the cost of the cost of the project was so high, he
said: "The level of investment is in line with national and
international experience for this type of project.
"The student management system project involves a significant
investment in software, hardware and resources to scope,
configure and implement significant IT and business changes
across the university, over a number of years."
The new system would be able to meet the growing expectation
from students that services should be available online.
"Looking to the future, it will also provide us with the
platform to allow services to be delivered using other
communication methods, such as mobile devices," he said.
There would also be "significant" benefits for university
staff.
"It will provide staff with the tools and information they
need to do their jobs more effectively, with less duplication
of effort and data. It will also give them a 360-degree view
of their students and their progress," he said.
Stage one, which involved the installation of new software
and hardware to replace existing paper and online application
forms with a single online application process, was completed
in August.
It was hoped the entire project, to be completed over four
main stages, would be finished within the next year and
a-half.
- vaughan.elder@odt.co.nz
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