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News

University gets software upgrade

PeopleSoft 8.9 will improve various online services, 
add new capabilities, project directors say

by KIM THAI 
The Daily Cougar

The student administration portion of UH's upgrade to the new self-service software PeopleSoft 8.9 finished March 15, and project leaders say the switch will offer new services as students prepare to register for Fall 2007 classes.

The software was changed to better improve service for students, faculty and staff regarding University processes and procedures, project director Craig Ness said. 

"We want to help reduce frustration. … You have a lot of information (and) things that you want to do that you can't do with your old system," he said. "We needed new systems, so we made a studied decision and took a long time planning this."

The new software will allow students to complete more tasks electronically that weren't possible to do before, including requesting transcripts, dropping courses, handling financial aid matters and being able to upload reference letters from high school for initial admission, Ness said. 

During the enrollment process, the new system will also have the capability for students to have a "shopping cart" while they browse for courses, Sandra Frieden, executive director of the project, said. Classes added to the shopping cart will not hold a spot in a course for students, but the tool adds a level of convenience so students can simply "checkout" with their chosen sections when their sign-up period comes, she said. 

Two other substantial changes with the new enrollment system are that registration order will now be determined by hours completed instead of the previous Social Security number system, and a blackout period will no longer exist, Frieden said. 

PeopleSoft 8.9 will also allow faculty to easily browse through past records and databases for needed documents or student information, she said.

PeopleSoft 8.9 is a "platform for new innovation" and will be constantly improving, Ness said. 

The next utility that will be available for students is an adaptable academic audit that would indicate the requirements, financial impact and other factors from decisions such as changing a major, he said.

Even though the new version is active, the rest of the Spring and Summer 2007 semesters will run on the old applications to avoid disrupting the school year and to finalize data conversions. Any documentation needed for Fall 2007 will be done in PeopleSoft 8.9. 

Starting with fall services, students will continue to have an HA number, but their PeopleSoft ID number will replace all of its functions and incoming students will only be assigned numbers for the new system.

New PeopleSoft 8.9 IDs can be retrieved from Enrollment Services Online and will remain active even after graduation, such as for post-baccalaureate work or even as a UH faculty member, Frieden said.

Frieden and Ness encourage staff, faculty and students to utilize the online training to be more comfortable with the upgrade.

"There are folks that have been here for years and have been used to the old system," Ness said. "These people are paid to do a good job for the students and the University, and we need to make sure that they do."

Although the new system has garnered some complaints, Ness said he believes everyone will be "pleased eventually" when they get used to the new system. 

"We ask people to work with us. I hope that everyone understands that with every new endeavor that there's going to be some rough stops," Ness said. 

Changes have already been made from student, faculty and staff recommendations, and the PeopleSoft project team wants the University to be involved in the process so that the system will suit everyone's needs, Friedmen said.

Before the new software, the system was separated into three different applications. Human resources and finance were under older versions of PeopleSoft applications, and student administration was under the UH-written application ADMIN. 

"We have to plan the most optimal way to use our resources. It's difficult to do that if you're dealing with data from three different programs that were written for three different purposes in three different languages," Ness said. "What we're doing is trying to come up with the most common system we can and integrating it that way."

PeopleSoft 8.9 has integrated those three areas into the same application so that each department can effectively access any necessary information or data.

The total annual allocation for the upgraded software, including implementation and ongoing operations, is $6.3 million. 

The decision to upgrade was made 10 years ago, and data conversion began in early Fall 2006.

Although innovations could have been implemented on the old system, Ness said the upgrade was the best option.

"It wouldn't have been elegant," Ness said. "This system is designed for that." 

For more information, visit www.uh.edu/peoplesoft. 

For help with passwords or technical issues, call the Information Technology Help Desk at (713) 743-1441. For questions about PeopleSoft, call (713) 743-0356.

New ID number required for class registration

Starting Friday with early registration for the Fall 2007 semester, all UH students will need a PeopleSoft identification number to enroll in classes.

Student numbers can be retrieved from Enrollment Services Online at www.uh.edu/enrollonline.

The PeopleSoft Self Service, where students can register for classes during designated times and view academic records, can be accessed with a PeopleSoft ID at www.uh.edu/myPeopleSoft.

For questions regarding PeopleSoft, call (713) 743-0356. For issues regarding passwords or technical issues, call the Information Technology Help Desk at (713) 743-1441.

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