Next Up for ERP: the Banner Student Module Admissions Component

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On July 30, Kent State will launch the first component of the expansive Banner Student module with the implementation of a new admissions system for spring 2008 undergraduate, graduate and international admissions.

Security FAQs and Updates Banner implementation has also allowed the university to use “role-based” security measures for our information systems. In this security model, levels of access are determined by employees’ roles at the university. Employees with questions about their level of security access or to request a change in privileges should visit the newly posted Banner Security Frequently Asked Questions page on the Project K.E.Y.S. Web site. Training materials are available on the Project K.E.Y.S. Web site to provide employees with refresher lessons on navigating the Banner environment. New aides are also available, including information about the new Expense Reimbursement workflow. The Project K.E.Y.S. team will also begin scheduling its fall 2007 round of informational meetings. If you would like to have a representative of the project come to your meeting and answer questions about the project, please contact Michael Pfahl at mpfahl@kent.edu.

This upgrade will expand the university’s capabilities in several admissions areas, while streamlining many of the processes already in place.

“This launch represents a year of hard work for many people in the 13 admitting areas across all eight campuses, as well as members of Project K.E.Y.S.,” said Brian Pekarek, associate director of admissions and project lead for the admissions component. “The implementation not only improves some of our current processes, but also gives us the ability to offer expanded and more efficient services to our student applicants in the future.”

Two of the most notable improvements to the upgraded admissions system are (a) the integration of two workflows in the areas of graduate admissions and international student admissions; and (b) an enhanced systemwide online admission application process.

The workflows were designed by the Project K.E.Y.S. Workflow Team according to specific guidance from several admissions representatives. The Banner online admission application process allows for admitting areas to systematically load most online applications, reducing the time-consuming task of manual data entry.

Other improvements/upgrades include:

• Automatic letter-generation capabilities;
• Document-imaging processes in place ;
• Integration into the shared data environment of Banner;

The Admissions Project Team will continue post-implementation activities for a few months after the go-live date, alongside other members of the Student Implementation Team. The focus will switch from admissions to registration, which is scheduled to go live on Oct. 1.

The registration component of the Banner Student module is the largest implementation in the project and represents a comprehensive update to areas such as student registration, the recording of grades and fee assessments. University Registrar Glenn Davis is the project lead for the registration component.

The next major preparation for fall 2007 is the migration of the university’s academic history data to the new Banner environment, including over 11 million records.

For more updates, visit the Project K.E.Y.S. Web site.