Copyright Kent Kuo and Brad Harding 2006.This work is the intellectual property of the authors. Permission is grantedfor this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the authors. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the authors.

Conference:Educause Western RegionalGrand Hyatt, San Francisco

April 26, 2006

Speakers:Kent Kuo

University Registrar & Associate CIO

Brad HardingSIS Manager

Bootstrapping a Digital Campus: Establishing Online Student Services at UC Merced

Fall 2005 - Spring 2006First UC Research One Institution since 1965Undergraduate/Graduate ProgramsNumber of Students: 875Number of Faculty/Staff: ~450Number of Existing Buildings: 7Number of New Buildings in Process: 2+On Campus Residential Housing for ~600 studentsAdding another ~400 student housing for Fall 2007

U.C. Merced’s Characteristics

Opened: September 6, 2005

U.C. Merced Estimated Growth Chart

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

Academic Year

Nu

mb

er o

f S

tud

ents

We Are The Bobcats!!

Mighty, Mighty Bobcats!!

IBM PC

Macintosh

UCD CentralAccount Management

DevelopmentTransactionProcessing

DSS

Web Server

Citrix Winframe Servers (8)

Development

Production

DSS Web Server

DSS DevelopmentDSS Production

Citrix Winframe Servers (2)

Development

Production

DSS

RSVP TouchtoneRegistration

Payroll System

CorporateDatabases

UC Office of the President

Citrix Winframe Server (1)

EmailServers

Web Servers AFS Servers

DNSServers

DepartmentalLAN

Internet

Proposed AlumniDevelopment

System

Payroll/PersonnelSystem

Banner StudentInformation

System

DaFIS

Instructional Workload System

Campus Infrastructure Systems

Data Steward: Student Affairs Offices

Developed by: IT/SCT Corp.Maintained by: IT

Data Steward: Payroll/A&FSDeveloped by: UCOP/ITMaintained by: UCOP/IT

Data Steward: P&BDeveloped by: P&BMaintained by: P&B

Data Steward: University Relations

Developed by: Legacy system developed by UR; Proposed system developed by UR/contractor, project mgmt by IT

Maintained by: IT

Data Steward: Accounting & Financial Svcs

Developed by: AMS & A&FSMaintained by: A&FS

Application Systems Architecture

Internet Server

Production

as of June 22, 1998

Legend:AFS: Andrew File SystemDNS: Domain Name ServiceDSS: Decision Support System

: Database Server

Initial Reaction

11th Commandment

Thou Shalt Simplify!!

Start with One System

Student Information System• Mission critical application (Tier 1)• Function rich with modules in admissions,

registration, grades, financial aid, accounting, etc.

• Web-based access to review and update data

• Important integration links to other systems

Start with One System

Online Self Service (All Real Time Functions)• Checking Admissions Requirements &

Status• Financial Aid Requirements & Awards• Registration• Grades• Updating Addresses, Email, Emergency

Contacts• Graduate Application

Best in Class

Housing Management System• Tier 2 application – is fed from or feeds a

Tier 1 mission critical application• Has the best match of functionality and

technological innovation• The process is time sensitive• Ensure central biodemo feeds are

consistent

Identity Management

• Key to integration architecture• Enabled our authentication architecture• Came up in phases during 2005• Built all of our application systems to utilize

IDM

Banner SIS

Identity Management

Payroll/PersonnelSystem (UCLA)

Other Systems of Record

IdentityManagement

1) Create a single repository containing users and their roles

FacultyStaffStudentApplicantAffiliateAlumni

Banner SIS

Identity Management

Payroll/PersonnelSystem (UCLA)

Other Systems of Record

IdentityManagement

Other ApplicationsRequiring User

Information

Campus Card

2) Enable UC Merced systems and applications to acquire criticalinformation about users

Banner SIS

Identity Management

Payroll/PersonnelSystem (UCLA)

Other Systems of Record

Other ApplicationsRequiring Authentication

IdentityManagement

Other ApplicationsRequiring User

Information

LDAPDirectory

Student Self Service site

Portal

Campus Card

3) Provide all UC Merced users with a single username and passwordthat can be used for authentication and authorization

Identity Management

Benefits from Student Systems perspective:

• Eliminates the need to create multiple point-to-point interfaces between SIS and other systems that need student information

• Provides a single username/password for accessing all online student services

Cashiering System

• Implemented by UCM Business and Finance Dept.

• Added homegrown web interfaces for students• EPay – Online payment site for students• EBill – Online bill for students• SIS integration – payments made in Cashiering

need to be posted to SIS

Cashiering/SIS Integration

EPay SIS

Applicant paysSIR deposit Post of payment

via daily batch file

Studentrecord created

Three day timeframe to post payments, creates excessive delaysfor new students to access to online student services such as:

• Course registration• Housing application• Portal access

3 day delay

Cashiering/SIS Integration

Post of payment via

HTTP request/response

Explored the real-time posting of payment to reduce delay factor• Initially tried web services approach• Encountered interoperability problems• Platform differences: EPay NET-based, SIS J2EE-based• Settled on simpler approach: HTTP request/response

EPay SIS

Applicant paysSIR deposit

Studentrecord created

Real-Time Update

Cashiering/SIS Integration

Improvement• Enabled immediate capability to register for

courses when committed to the institution

Outstanding• Did not eliminate downstream delays in

communicating new status to other systems like Identity Management, Housing, Campus Card

Single Campus Card Project (CatCard)

Multi-function card:

• Building/Room Access• Student ID card• Campus dining• Library card• Copy card/Computer lab printing• Washer/Dryers• Vending machines• Bookstore charges• Off-campus charges (Taco Bell,

McDonalds, etc).

RFID & Privacy in the Information Age

RFID Size/Scope

Library

Classroom Building

Thermal Plant

Recreation & Wellness Center

Engineering Building

Lake Yosemite Park

Housing & Dining

RFID & Privacy in the Information Age

Campus (Cat) Card SystemCampus Card Application Framework

Tier 1 Systems:Banner SIS, Payroll

Identity Management System

Campus CatCard System

LibrarySystem

Bookstore POSServers

Cashier

Outside Campus Network

Micros POSServers

Non-MicrosPOS CashRegisters

MicrosPOS CashRegisters

Encrypted XML

Inside Campus Network

Washer/Dryers

VendingMachines

Copiers/Printers

• UC Merced: Member Institution• Went LIVE: September 6, 2005• Utilized Course Management System functionality• Deployed grade posting/harvesting• Added mid-semester grade posting• Accessible through campus portal

Sakai @ UC Merced

Sakai/SIS Integration• Integration is via database views between the

Sakai and SIS databases.• SIS supplies Sakai with course and roster

information.• Sakai provides grade information to the SIS

system.

Sakai @ UC Merced

Where we are:• Database Links/Views• Point to Point (https request/response)

Real-Time Integration Approaches

Where we are going:• Web Services• Message Broker

Success Factors

• Start with one mission critical application• Buy “Best of Class” solutions • Implement Identity Management/LDAP

authentication• Exploit the Portal• Focus on key integrations that improve the

student experience

Q&A

Kent KuoUniversity Registrar & Associate CIO

University of California, Mercedkkuo@ucmerced.edu

Brad HardingStudent Information Systems Manager

University of California, Mercedbharding@ucmerced.edu