From Soup to Nuts: Automating the Curriculum Proposal System at Bradley University Electronic...

From Soup to Nuts: Automating the Curriculum Proposal System at

Bradley University

Electronic Document Routing Saves Time and Money

Andy Kindler, Associate Registrar Rebecca Snyder, Director App. Dev., Computing ServicesVicky Stoughton, Software Architect

Session 2.16October 27, 2011

Document Routing System Gumbo

DocSoup AND CRCRS?•Two similar requests to automate processes came in at the same time in spring, 2009•User requirements: two different interfaces•Two groups of users for development and testing•. . . and both in a hurry for a solution (by fall)


Really, by Fall . . . ?

Why the hurry?•Economic downturn – directive to save real $.

Controller came to IT for help to make this happen in current budget year.



Why the hurry?•Economic downturn – directive to save real $.

Controller came to IT for help to make this happen in current budget year.•End users overwhelmed with manual processes.



Why the hurry?• Economic downturn – directive to save real $.


• End users overwhelmed with manual processes.• Frustration over lack of a solution for automating

curriculum change management.



Why the hurry?• Economic downturn – directive to save real $.


• End users overwhelmed with manual processes.• Frustration over lack of a solution for automating

curriculum change management.• Digital signature in Adobe .pdf files quit working


How?


How?

• Put our Java training to the test and made a decision on our development direction


How?


• Created focus group with core users


How?


• Created focus group with core users• Talented new hire with Web application

development experience who loves a challenge!


The Solution . . .

• Java-based Web App with forms creation, fill, and routing with authenticated approvals.


The Solution . . .

• Forms creation, fill, and routing with authenticated approvals

• User-determined routing and business rules


The Solution

• Forms creation, fill, and routing with authenticated approvals

• User-determined routing and business rules

• Prototype approved mid-summer; systems rolled out to users by fall.


The Solution

• Forms creation, fill and routing with authenticated approvals

• User-determined routing and buiness rules• Prototype approval mid-summer; systems

rolled out to users by fall.• Piles of paper replaced with web-based

systems accessible from anywhere.


CRCRS: Curriculum and Regulations Committee Routing System

Application developers and steering committee fine-tuned available features:

• Attach supporting documents• Need “notes” to route with documents• Determine how to handle “Action Items”• Create filter for reporting• Create sortable columns for viewing


CRCRS: Packet Creation

Submission of a Course Addition• Log in.• Create a document packet.• Enter the form data and save. • Add supporting material (if required).• Add notes (if required).• Affiliate related documents (if required).• Route.


CRCRS: Routing & Approval

Approval of a Course Addition• Login.• Open Action Items list• Select the document packet from the Action

Items• Add additional supporting material (if needed)• Add notes (if needed)• Add related documents (if needed)• Enter response.


CRCRS: Curriculum Filter

• Select multiple values from multiple parameters.• Select affiliated documents to be included.• Select additional description to be included.• Can sort columns.• Can navigate to and from this report to

document packets. • Can export to an excel file.


CRCRS: Master Course List

Master Course List Update of a Course Addition• Find the course to modify.• Press CRaCkRs button (top right) to link to

system.• Press Merge Button (bottom right). Changes

come across and changed fields are highlighted.• Course prerequisite process is the same.


Lessons Learned

• If you build it, they will come.• . . . and they will want to change it. These were

the first apps our programmers had rolled out to a wide campus audience, which included all faculty. They were in for a surprise!

• Have a plan in place to manage the enhancement process. Thank goodness for our focus groups and steering committees.


Recent Enhancements

• C&R and other committee chairs can select which items will be on meeting agendas. The committee members know exactly what will be on the agenda and can focus only on those packets.

• Course descriptions can be finalized and pulled into Master Course List in SIS.

• Needed improvement in the process of checking for prerequisite requirements. This is currently in testing.


Some Unexpected Results (continued)

• Committee members bring their laptops to follow along and ask question on packets up for approval.

• Provost, faculty, Senate members have started using “CRCRS lingo” – a sure sign of acceptance!

• Some committees are choosing to use the “approval” as a vote for or against a change.


Why it Worked

• The time was right. It wasn’t pushed from either the administrative or the IT sides. It was time for a change.

• Registrar and others worked as true partners with IT – defining business rules, refining processes, and managing enhancements.

• Programming staff were able to do rapid development so users could see changes quickly; system is stable, developed faith in the system.

• System provides enhanced features that improve processes. For instance, instant archiving of all curriculum changes in electronic format.


Where We Are Today • Even the skeptics are on board (well, most of

them). • System is stable. Statistics can be provided,

results are real. User Interface has been tweaked.

• Steering committees are in place to manage changes and will be for the foreseeable future. System users and data/process owners make the decisions.

• Course description and other content is being loaded into Master Course List and Prerequisites defined.


The Future

• Create portions of catalog from the Master Course List.

• Create on-line Schedule of Classes from the Master Course List.


CRCRS: System Administration

Managing delegates, documents and roles • Assign users as delegates.• Assign users to create document packets.• Assign users to roles.• Assign roles to routing.


CRCRS: Deployment

Publishing a new release• “What’s New” link on

the home page.• Release Notes updated

for each publish.

crcrs


CRCRS: Core Java Component Structure/Architecture

Development Environment1. Enterprise: MyEclipse 8.612. Version Control: SVN Subclipse 1.63. Java: JRE Sun JDK 1.6.04. Servlet: J2EE 1.45. Page: JSP & JSTL6. Testing: JUNIT 3.8.27. Database: SQL Anywhere 11


CRCRS: Core Java Component Structure/Architecture:

Package (for each document)1. Business Rule – Class for document properties and

methods to save and delete. (uses Data Access)2. Data Access – Object class to execute Insert, Update,

Delete, and Select stored procedures (uses Sql Scripts)

3. Unit Testing – J-Unit test to ensure Business Rule and Data Access function correctly. (uses Business Rule)

4. SQL Scripts – SQL script file for creating document Table, Insert, Update, Delete, and Select procedures.


CRCRS: Core Java Component Structure/Architecture: (continued)

• Web Servlet– User Interface: HTTPServlet doGet(), do

Post() (uses Business Rule)• Web Root:

– JSP Page: HTML, JSTL, Javascript


For More Information

Andy Kindler, Associate Registrar, Bradley [email protected] Snyder, Director App. Dev., Computing [email protected] Stoughton, Software [email protected]


mailto:[email protected]



From Soup to Nuts: Automating the Curriculum Proposal System at Bradley University Electronic...

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