193 attend open forums on network and SIS
May 12, 2009 - 193 students, faculty and staff participated in two NextGen network and SIS replacement project forums. The May 5 forum drew 60 in person at Baker Center, while an additional 30 participated via the interactive stream. On May 12, 79 attended in person with 24 on the stream.
Chief Information Officer Brice Bible opened each event with a short overview of the two projects. The floor then was opened to questions.
Bible noted that the new SIS will bring students 24/7 access to important services like class registration, Blackboard course materials, financial aid awards and account information, while the network upgrade will bring noticeable improvements in speed and reliability. Behind the scenes, the project also will simplify and speed up access to student data while at the same time securing it in an online vault.
Questions and concerns during the discussion segment covered a wide range of topics, including how the project will be paid for and whether the new SIS might be extended to other schools in the region as a shared service. The portal concept, an online site where students can access all of their information and tasks through a single interface, received high praise from one student member of the audience.
For those who were unable to attend, a second forum is scheduled for May 12 at noon in Baker Center 240.
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