Student administration update: Dawn of the ‘PeopleSoft’ era
'Empowering students is a key part of this project. Whether it’s the ability to order a transcript remotely, chose a specific class, or update a mailing address at 1 a.m., we are providing students more flexible and convenient service,' said Melissa Pool, University Registrar.
From admission to graduation, from class registration to transcripts, a student’s path through McMaster inevitably requires interaction with Master’s student administration systems.
This fall, as part of Mosaic, McMaster will begin a three-phase transition from a student information system that is nearly 30-years-old to a modern, state-of-the-art system: PeopleSoft Campus Solutions.
“Our ultimate goal, is to improve the student experience. Anything we can do to make the process of applying, registering and ultimately convocating smoother is a win for everyone. Classes and labs should challenge students, registering for courses or getting transcripts shouldn’t,” said Melissa Pool, University Registrar.
The new student administration system will be introduced in three distinct phases in November, December of 2014 and March 2015.
In November, the new admissions, transfer credit and campus community modules will launch, followed by the course catalogue and class scheduling in December. Both these launches will largely impact staff members who perform student administration tasks and new applicants.
In March, the final and largest portion of the project will launch, including registration, academic advisement, student records, financial aid and student financials. This final phase will impact all faculty, all students and many staff.
The new system will significantly change many student processes, such as registration and transcripts. Notably, students will no longer face a midnight rush on course registration day. Rather individuals within a cohort will be randomly assigned a registration window when they can select their classes. Students will also choose the specific class they want to enrol in (e.g. Math 1A03 with Prof. Smith at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesdays) rather than being assigned to a course.
“Empowering students is a key part of this project. Whether it’s the ability to order a transcript remotely, chose a specific class, or update a mailing address at 1 a.m., we are providing students more flexible and convenient service,” said Pool.
Faculty members will get an online “Faculty Centre” where they will be able to to view real-time, class lists (rosters), submit grades online and review their exam schedules, including regular, deferred and accommodated exams.
More detailed descriptions of the new system and its functionality will be provided in the coming months. Training materials and courses for impacted users will be available approximately a month before each phase launches.
About Mosaic
Mosaic is McMaster’s project to modernize its business and administrative processes and replace its current business systems with an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. Mosaic will replace the current systems used for student administration, finance, research administration, and human resources. Replacing all of these systems at once provides a rare opportunity to modernize the University’s business processes.
