We are operating more as a team. In the financials and human resources applications, we are starting to map our existing procedures and evaluate how Oracle's applications can help us become more efficient and effective. As we move from planning to design, we will need a great deal of assistance from administrators and systems users. Susan Repine, assistant vice provost for graduate marketing and information systems, said the graduate office hopes to bring the new program on line in December so that it will be available to handle the peak application period from January through March. Repine said that by December the Exeter Student Marketing System should be able to handle the initial query, application, admission and student decision to accept or decline.
Work remains, however, on how to transfer the information to other offices.
Under the old system, there was literally a hand-off of student records. The Computing Center staff will develop the interfaces that will allow a smooth flow of data. The graduate office, which began getting inquiries for fall 1999 last September, has been entering the information in the old system. That information will have to be transferred to the new system when it goes on line. Repine said the implementation will have to be done in steps and pieces of the old system will be maintained.