NGSSTown Hall Meeting

October 1, 201410 a.m. - NoonHall of FlagsHouston Hall

Agenda

● Goals of the project

● Project team

● We are building Pennant

● Pennant Accounts components

● Our approach

● Who is affected?

● How will we help you?

● When will this happen?

● Next steps

● Where do I get information?

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Pennant replaces the aging core student information systems that support the operation of the University (Billing, Student Records, and Financial Aid).

Pennant will support academic innovation, improve service and access to all constituencies, and provide the stability and adaptability to advance Penn’s mission well into the future.

Goals of the project

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NGSS Project Team

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We’re Building Pennant

The Next Generation Student Systems (NGSS) team is building Pennant, which will be delivered in phased releases.

● Release 1 (R1), is called Pennant Accounts. This release involves portions of three components of Ellucian’s Banner software, which serves as the foundation of the Pennant suite. It will also include modules built at Penn, tailored to Penn’s unique requirements.

● Pennant Records will include student records, transcripts, course inventory, academic planning, etc.

● Pennant Aid will include financial aid eligibility determination and financial aid awards.

The order of releases beyond Release 1 is still to be determined.

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Pennant Accounts Components

● Banner General – biographic and demographic data for people with active accounts or outstanding financial or collection holds.

● Banner Student – limited to curricular components required to support accounts receivable. The Student Record Systems (SRS) is still the system of record during Release 1.

● Banner Accounts Receivable – manages all student accounts, replacing functionality of Billing and Receivable System (BRS).

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Pennant Accounts Components

● Pennant Accounts Feeder Application – handles all inbound transaction files from schools, centers, and vendors with real-time validation and controls, leveraging web services and a data-bus architecture to handle updates. PennKey-authenticated interface allows users to upload and validate transaction files manually.

● Pennant Graduate Funding – allows Schools to post and manage departmental grants and awards for graduate students.

● Pennant Student Account Summary – consolidates key accounts-receivable information to allow SRFS call center and school repre- sentatives to assist parents and students with billing questions.

● Operational Data Store and Student Accounts Warehouse Collection – supports reporting needs of the community.

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● Phased implementation mitigates risks in a project of this scale and complexity and helps the community adapt successfully.

● Near-vanilla Banner running on Penn infrastructure (not in the cloud) – six instances currently. Vendor-delivered tools and functionality used whenever possible (80% of requirements) to simplify support.

● Custom Java bolt-ons (Penn-built) interact with Banner and existing systems. Prototypes are near completion and initial testing is underway.

● Streamlined integration (from 70 distinct integrations to 19), supported by modern technology (service bus).

What is our approach?

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● Convert account detail at go-live for all active student accounts and supporting student information.

● Two full rounds of conversion tests are completed; more are planned.

● Application-of-payments differences will require one-time adjustments to the General Ledger as part of go-live.

● Existing systems will be integrated with Pennant Accounts.

● SRS remains system of record (through Release 1) for people and curriculum data; Pennant synchronizes to it in real time.

● Pennant Accounts retains current conceptual definitions from SRS. Some changes are required for coding purposes, such as term codes. See Pennant Point No. 3, for example.

What is our approach?

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What is our approach?

● Certain accounts-receivable functions remain on mainframe for now. Tuition Calc / Fee Assessment is coming in a later release. A new eBill vendor will replace Penn.Pay in 2016. As of May, 2014, ADP no longer handles student refunds so we need to identify a new Refund Disbursement vendor.

● Meet with Schools to answer fundamental questions critical to success of later releases, such as “what is a student?”

● Evaluate forthcoming Banner modules that use the new XE interface against Penn’s requirements.

● Project Planning for Pennant Records and Pennant Aid.

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Who is affected by Pennant Accounts?

School and center administrative staff who:

● Manage student accounts.

● Deliver direct customer service regarding student accounts.

● Place charges or credits on student accounts manually or automatically.

● Award and manage graduate funding.

● Report from the student-accounts Data Warehouse collection.

● Use student-accounts data in operational systems.

● Have a strong interest in student data definitions.

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How will we help you get ready?

● Presentations to many affected constituencies.

● Focus groups and consultations with process owners and key stakeholders (ongoing).

● Progress updates and Pennant Points on the NGSS web site.

● Town Hall Meetings for the entire Penn community. Next meeting will be held in Spring 2015.

● Training will begin late spring/summer 2015.

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When’s this happening?…

● Pennant Graduate Funding Prototype review with working group this fall; go-live target

July 2015.

● Pennant AccountsFor Banner and Penn components, go-live target October

2015; training summer 2015.

● Pennant Accounts Feeder ApplicationWorking group review fall 2014; stakeholder testing spring

2015; go- live target October 2015.

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And remember…

● Student records (SRS) and financial aid (SAM) systems will be replaced by later Pennant releases.

● While working on Release 1, we remain mindful of what will be required for later releases.

● The community will be consulted throughout all phases of the project.

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Where do I get more information?

● Project website (www.sfs.upenn.edu/ngss).

● See Pennant Points on the website for concise summaries of important concepts, decisions, and outcomes achieved as NGSS builds Pennant.

● NGSS colleagues mailing list.

● Town hall meetings like this one; next one in spring.

● Presentations to specific constituencies in the interim.

● Contact project managers: ngsspm@upenn.edu .

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Questions

Questions?

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