Kuali Student: A Next Generation Administrative System Educause Live! Webcast July 22, 2008 Richard Spencer Executive Director IT University of British Columbia

Opportunities and challenges for new administrative systems 2 How universities work Students and faculty are the key resource –teaching and learning –scholarship and research –community service Product –learning, knowledge and educated people –we don’t sell it, it doesn’t generate revenue Staff –support these activities Everybody –does a lot of tedious administrative stuff Money and time are limited –it is hard to come up with a high margin, best selling, product

Opportunities and challenges for new administrative systems 3 1st generation: make information accessible and usable –no paper forms or files –systems of record are all online 2nd generation: run core business processes –support processes that cross departments –highly scalable Next generation: help people do what they need to do –easy to use –intelligent Key objective: support end users –make it easier to learn, teach and do research –make it easier for people to help people Systems in a university

Opportunities and challenges for new administrative systems 4 eliminate paper forms and files –scan any incoming paper and work with images support processes end-to-end –run across departmental boundaries complete transactions in real time handle routine transactions, alert staff to the exceptions, use rules and workflow to automate approvals –lowest possible personal intervention in each process scalable –low incremental cost for additional transactions enable change and innovation –no logic or process flow in application code Systems that improve processes

Opportunities and challenges for new administrative systems 5 Systems that help staff allow customers to complete processes online –staff don’t have time for extra work information is accessible to authorized users –let people see what they need to see - no more or less customers and staff see the same information –“you will always get the lowest fare at ual.com” give staff the information they need to help customers –prior transactions, rules, options etc. allow staff to override rules when appropriate –make in-person approval simple and flexible no training to do what you know how to do

Opportunities and challenges for new administrative systems 6 Systems that help end users use the information we already have simple interface –no training to do what we know how to do present options and alternatives –provide immediate, helpful, feedback and response explain the rules –but only when necessary let users work on tasks over time –keep copies and develop scenarios –leave and return later trust the user –audit later if necessary

Opportunities and challenges for new administrative systems 7 Students, faculty and staff are the key to productivity in universities System and process change in any organization is only successful if people embrace it The goal is not to reduce the number of people - it is to give them tools to let them do more People make universities work

Opportunities and challenges for new administrative systems 8 Kuali Student

Opportunities and challenges for new administrative systems 9 Goals for Kuali Student support a wide range of users and activities –eliminate unnecessary constraints support a wide range of business processes –“customization is good” –“your processes, not someone else’s best practices” make it easier to change business processes –implement new processes more quickly and economically deliver scalable processes –all information is online and updated in real time enhance human interactions –great interface design, tools for staff delivering service internationalization –usable in many regions and countries Support the end user

Opportunities and challenges for new administrative systems 10 High level entities Use entity models that allow flexibility: person time learning units –courses, sections, lectures, student contributions, non-credit.. resources –learning spaces rooms –collections of rooms, parts of rooms outdoor spaces online resources assumptions should not restrict what you can do

Opportunities and challenges for new administrative systems 11 Concierge use what we know about: –the person, the rules, the experience of others suggest valid choices –don’t make the user wade through choices that don’t apply apply and explain the relevant rules –don’t expect the user to read and understand the regulations anticipate peoples needs –these courses meet your requirements and match your interests integrate processes to make things easier –do you want to apply your tuition credit to your child’s registration? implement using rules and workflow support the end user! no training required for things we know how to do

Opportunities and challenges for new administrative systems 12 Concierge Institutional Information Requirements Personal Information Information about the experiences of others Possibilities We should use: to support users Options Record Status Goals Pitfalls

Opportunities and challenges for new administrative systems 13 Using workflow and rules engines: processes are represented using workflow, not coded into the system rules are represented in rules engines, making them easier to review and change responsibility for processes and rules is separated from technical issues rules and policies govern access to information workflow and rules engine technology is reusable and scalable a configuration application will be provided process change is easier Rules and workflow...somewhat

Opportunities and challenges for new administrative systems 14 Access to information To ensure users and systems have access to information: abstract data from systems –information is often common to more than one application data must be current and correct –one primary data store, no information stored on paper data should be maintained and provided by services –applications don’t need to know how or where data is stored manage access to data services –identity management for people and applications apply rules and policies within the service –check that information to be returned is appropriate rules and policies should be known and explicit

Opportunities and challenges for new administrative systems 15 Service oriented architecture break business processes down into “services” which are: –reusable –autonomous –agnostic –stateless –loosely coupled define services by: –service contracts (what they do) –service interface definitions (how they communicate) applications are built from reusable components, using: –modular design –loosely coupled components –workflow and rules engines (services)

Opportunities and challenges for new administrative systems 16 Implementing SOA Web services simplicity platform neutrality standards –including SOAP, WSDL, XML Standards use open standards wherever possible (e.g. WS*, PESC) Configuration simplify administration of rules and workflow Governance Separate governance of service contracts from technical decisions

Opportunities and challenges for new administrative systems 17 Component abstraction SOA allows abstraction of components into layers presentation layer –portal applications - “owned” by departments –business services –use rules engines and workflow to abstract logic and process flow process agnostic services –infrastructure services are used by multiple business processes data services –applications don’t have to understand the data structure service bus –provides communication services, ensures integrity

Opportunities and challenges for new administrative systems 18 ContactAdmission Enrolment Identity services Evaluation service Awards assignment Person data academic history awards Conceptual system architecture Rules services Workflow services Learning plan service Business services Process agnostic services Infrastructure services Presentation layer Data services Concierge Portal Concierge Service bus

Opportunities and challenges for new administrative systems 19 Systems can provide a comparative advantage staff have tools and time to do more and help more people the support we give students and faculty helps define us great systems can help us attract and keep the best people

Opportunities and challenges for new administrative systems 20 Community Source Development

Opportunities and challenges for new administrative systems 21 Community source development Institutions formally partner to develop systems systems are created specifically for higher education shared resources spread the cost of development upgrades and enhancements contributed by the community lower the cost of software maintenance and enhancement flexible architecture supports community source, vendor supplied and home grown components. commercial installation and support is encouraged

Opportunities and challenges for new administrative systems 22 Open source applications SOA systems can be implemented: using open source development tools using open source infrastructure components using open standards by building open source applications Benefits: code is open and can be modified by the institution other institutions can develop modules you can use applications may be more reliable support and development can be assured Risks: support and development may not be assured

Opportunities and challenges for new administrative systems 23 Kuali Student founder & partners Founders University of British Columbia University of California, Berkeley University of Maryland, College Park Florida State University San Joaquin Delta College University of Southern California Partners MIT Cambridge University Also Andrew Mellon Foundation Kuali Foundation AACRAO, NITLE

Opportunities and challenges for new administrative systems 24 Information on Kuali Student