Herding Cats

A Practical Guide to Managing Large Numbers of Applications Across Varying Schools in Radius

Presented by Jess Gleason, MLIS Simmons College

•  Presentation Accomplishments •  Give a background on Simmons’s environment •  Show Simmons’s growth through challenges •  Demonstrate and give examples on constructive

thinking & sharing data •  Give advice and answer questions

Introduction to Simmons College Graduate Schools

•  5 Graduate Schools •  Graduate Studies •  School of Library and Information Science •  School of Management •  School of Nursing and Health Sciences •  School of Social Work

•  3000 Total Students •  Radius Users Since 2010

•  Gradual Release of Radius •  Colleague Ellucian School

Program Based Acceptance

• Individual Needs of Programs • Application to a specific program • Academic Codes • Flexible Applications • Dual Degree Programs

So what does that really mean?

Challenge Accepted!

Challenge: Five Schools

Solution: Take it one school at a time.

Challenge: Many Programs

•  Would applicants be able to distinguish between programs easily?

•  Do these programs share all of the same requirements?

•  Do these programs share the same number of recommenders?

•  Will we be able to set a condition in our integration to pass the correct academic program code?

Solution: Condense Iterations

Challenge: Differing Requirement

Solution: Many Iterations

•  Cloning Iterations and Application Forms by Year •  Distinct term based applications •  New Iterations and Application Forms for every

year •  Monitoring Programs for changes

•  Tracking historical changes •  Changing back to previous forms if newer

updates do not test well

Image source: http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/A_Golden_Crown

Challenges: Campus Locations Dependent on School and Program

Review Status Differing by School Decisions Individual By School

Solution: Establish Naming Conventions

Solution: Field Dependencies

•  CAS - Dual Degree •  CAS - Education •  CAS - Liberal Arts •  CAS - Masters BHV MPP •  CAS - Non Degree •  CAS - Offsite •  CAS - PHD

SNHS 1st Reader 2nd Reader 3rd Reader Deferred from a previous term Faculty Review On Hold-Open Case- Change App Status Out for Vote-Admission Committee Out for Vote-Director/Assistant Dean Reviewed-Admission Committee Reviewed-Director/Assistant Dean

SLIS Deferred from a previous term On Hold-Open Case- Change App Status Out for Vote-Admission Committee Out for Vote-Director/Assistant Dean Reviewed-Admission Committee Reviewed-Director/Assistant Dean

Challenge: Passing Information to Colleague

Solution: Integrations

Make clear and easy to read charts!

Charts save lives.

Challenge: Program Acceptance

Solution: Custom Views and Dynamic Views

•  Sharing View with Groups •  Filtering Registrations •  Requirements and Attachments • View and the Application Process

Challenge: Maintaining Stability

Solution: Monthly Meetings

Single point of contact for issues

•  Monthly Meeting •  Assess needs of all participants •  Note when they conflict

•  Single Point of Escalation with Issues •  Notice patterns •  Identify user specific issues from system issues

Solution: Technology Support and Success

•  Customer Service and Support •  Identification of issues •  Escalation of services

•  Trainings and Experience •  Integration Maintenance

Scent of A Woman https://youtu.be/Itr0jcR0S4s?t=1m4s

Review of Accomplishments •  Give a background on Simmons’s environment •  Show Simmons’s growth through challenges •  Demonstrate and give examples on constructive

thinking & sharing data •  Give advice

Questions?

Jess Gleason jess.gleason@simmons.edu

Cat pictures credited to: •  Jann Canero-Conklin •  Amy Diegelman •  Thomas Dunbar •  Matt Kersus •  Alessandra Morgan •  Emily Tate •  Twitter User @vesaldi