A
coalition of Global University divisions joined forces to accomplish
a milestone achievement in the school's history. Their objective:
execute a massive operation designed to depose the Student Tracking
and Records System (STARS), and replace it with another, far simpler
system. Their tool: a new weapon called the Distance Education Student
Information (DESI) database.
Their efforts culminated in a concerted training offensive named
"Operation DESI Storm," which was initiated at 0800 hours,
July 11. Stew VanArsdale, director of Information Services, briefed
staff members, via PowerPoint presentation, to give them some operational
experience.
"DESI Storm was a smashing success," VanArsdale said,
adding that training is ongoing and producing good results. "Current
staff are picking up the new application very quickly."
DESI replaces the system that was in place since 1988. The original
system consisted of one database for students studying in the United
States and a separate database for students in other nations. Such
a weapon of mass distraction had to be removed.
When a merger between Berean School of the Bible and ICI became
apparent, STARS was targeted for termination. Thus, planning for
a new, more efficient and student-friendly system birthed the DESI
concept.
While DESI will greatly decrease the workload of Global University
employees who serve students, the real beneficiaries are the students
themselves. "Their entire program is located on [DESI],"
Jessica Dorn, registrar for Enrollment Services, said. "All
of their enrollments, completions, grades-all their transcript information."
Because of DESI, students will enjoy faster service and more access
to their personal records. "Now we're going to be able to do
everything from just this one program," Dorn adds.
DESI boasts two new conveniences for students. When web-access is
possible, students will be able to view their records on a secure
connection, and an automated ID number-assigning system for new
students was added. This will facilitate faster student service.
"It should help us to service the students more accurately
and efficiently, because it's going to cut down on the length of
time it takes to do each individual function," Dorn said.
The amounts of time, labor, and strategic planning to develop, design,
program and implement DESI were enormous. The coalition that created
DESI is comprised of personnel from Information Services, Student
Services, Enrollment Services, School of Graduate Studies, and Academic
Affairs. "We had a series of meetings for months where we developed
requirements of what the new program needed," Dorn said. "Then
[Information Services] took those requirements and had their programmers
write the code in the C++ system."
More than 50,000 lines of C++ code were written for DESI. When the
U.S. and foreign students' databases were purged of incorrect information
and merged, the process took 14 days (July 3-17) to complete. The
end result consists of over 100 data fields of student profile information
and more than 800 data fields for course and program information.
DESI includes some gigantic record totals: 138,126 students, 736,801
course enrollments and 61,293 program enrollments-all told, almost
4 billion characters.
The operation went off without a hitch, VanArsdale said. He's never
witnessed such a jump in post-operations morale. "In most corporations
if you say, 'System Conversion,' everyone groans," he said.
"Here, the users cheered. In 30 years in the computer field,
I've never seen that happen."
Mopping up exercises continue. With most of the major operations
now over, VanArsdale says the focus is on developing DESI further.
This includes making DESI available to students via the Internet.
However, this feature cannot be added until the online access module
is developed.
