Tools to Successfully Implement Electronic Transcript Exchange American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers Monday February 2 nd, 2015 Location 203B Session M3.08 1:30-2:30

SACRAO Conference Info

Agenda Options to Consider Defining Strategy ROI Getting Started Security & Ferpa Compliance Checklists & Resources Q & A

Top 10 Reasons to be here!

Decisions: EDI, XML or PDF???

EDX Value Proposition  Electronic Commerce is the way we do business  Efficiency for students and institutions  Accuracy for student academic record and transfer credit evaluation  Security in electronic exchange outweighs all other benefits combined

Defining Your Strategy: Homework  Consider Pain Points  Research State Initiatives & Funding Opportunities  Identify Best Practices  Districts with eNetworks Between HS and College  Institutions Using the Newest Technology  Analyze Vendor Distribution  Determine Future Needs  Automate Import of Data  Automation of Evaluations  Enable Self Service

Defining Your Strategy: Building Effective Partnerships

ROI: Benefit Analysis Sending Paper generally at least twice as costly as electronic Staffing efficiency is proportionate to % sent electronically Increased security Requesting & Receiving Staffing efficiency is proportionate to % requested and received electronically and level of data integration Cycle time drastically reduced General Expectations 25-35% savings for sending 65-75% savings for receiving (impacted by amount of automation upon receipt)

ROI: Cost Factors ELECTRONIC COSTSPAPER COSTS Computer hardware / software Technical expertise with programming & networking Printer / toner Functional expertise with mapping dataSchool seal Staff trainingStuffing / sorting/collating Altered business processFraud prevention efforts/security paper Trading partners (# can effect ROI)Mailing / postage Printer / paper if you are not fully automatedCost of slower service (rework or student changes mind) Format conversion (PDF, EDI, XML)?Vendor fees if outsourced Import (imaging, SIS, Degree Audit)Staff inefficiencies higher FTE ratio Relationship building (staff position)Increased errors due to manual handling Vendor costs (if applicable)Increased risk of compliance breech PII

Getting Started: Your Project Charter  Visibility/Sponsorship  Problem Statement  ROI  Milestones  Quick Hits  Medium Term Goals  Long Term Goals  Tactical vs. Strategic Implementation  Phased Approach  Your Environment vs. Industry  How will you measure success Elements of your Project Plan Elements of your Implementation

Getting Started: Questions to Ask Service Providers  What processes do they support? (ordering, sending, receiving, reporting)  What flexibility can they offer for various methods of transcript exchange (PDF, EDI, XML)?  Do they use a proprietary format or the PESC Standard?  Do they send their transactions through the SPEEDE Server or a private network?  Are you required to pay any transaction fees as a sender/receiver? Where do the fees go to the vendor or the institution?  Are there maintenance or licensing fees and what is the frequency?  Are you required to sign a contract? Do they guarantee service levels?

Getting Started: Questions to Ask Service Providers  What security audits has the service provider been through?  Is the solution in production or in development?  What is your implementation timeline?  How many trading partners can you realize (what are their in network institutions)?  Which institutions specifically are active senders, receivers, or both?  Will their member institutions and process fit your operating process and needs?  Can you get several institution contact names for references (senders and receivers).

Getting Started: Trading Partner Agreement Tips  Information provides a valuable starting point to document relationships & guidelines  Provides a common set of expectations prior to full implementation  Communication details for establishing connectivity  An agreement of what is considered official  Testing requirements  Financial agreements  Functions or transactions that are required/optional  Data Clarifications WhyInclude

Security

Paper System Solutions, Issues, Stabs in the Dark  Security paper  Color background/ foreground  Formatting  Watermarks  University Seal  Signatures (hand-written, stamps, pre-printed)  Security Envelopes  Federal Postal System  Color Printers  Desktop Publishing software  Whose seal?  Digital Scanners  Old –fashioned steam iron  “Black-Hole” Security FeaturesPossible Stab Wounds

Electronic Acknowledgements  Notifies sender of delivery  EDI: TS997, TS131, TS147  XML: Functional Acknowledgement, Transcript Acknowledgment, Request Response  Implies recipient has processed transcript  Yes and No  Alerts sender if document sent by someone not authorized  Provides checks on data items to assure complete transmission  Convenient - can be programmed into automated system  Allows for an open system  Another good service to the student

FERPA Compliance FERPA Regulations support electronic exchange of transcripts under the following conditions…  FERPA regulations do not prohibit the use of electronic methods of exchange  The business process really determines if exchanging a request electronically is appropriate  These transactions are compliant as long as they are initiated from a trusted source  Protect your students and institution by having them sign the consent/release form to authorize a request

EDI / XML Research Checklist Electronic Communications  VAN  Internet (ftp, , http)  Vendor fees Operational Integration  Mapping EDI or XML into existing business processes & systems  Content management & business rules  Multiple standards (X12 EDI, XML, proprietary)  Versions Audit / Reporting  Volume  Successful and unsuccessful transmissions User Interface / Access  Tools for users to monitor data  Interface for users to review and process transcripts sending and/or receiving transcripts

Pre-work Research Checklist  Learn what vendor-delivered software tools and programs are available  Build on experience of others (networking from conferences)  Identify experience / knowledge of existing staff  Identify cost share opportunities  Partner institutions  Other groups at your own institution (Records, Admissions, Fin Aid)  State/Regional Initiatives (mandates or grants)

ROI Analysis Checklist Identify one time vs. recurring costs  One-time Mapping Trading partner relationships Integration  Recurring Software license fees Maintenance contracts Staffing

Resources  EDI & XML Technical Resources (IG’s, RIPS) committee/technical-resources  AACRAO SPEEDE Committee Info (members & links to resources) committee  SPEEDE  Who is doing electronic exchange committee/who%27s-doing-speede-

Resources  EDX Primer publication & other AACRAO Technical publications  NSC SPEEDE Server Documentation, FAQ’s & Software  SPEEDE listserv for questions and answers in the SPEEDE Community  P20W Education Standards Council (formerly the Postsecondary Electronic Standards Council) electronic exchange community, workgroups, schemas and implementation guides

SPEEDE – A Professional Development Committee of AACRAO American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers

Contacts Jerald D. Bracken Monterey Sims This presentation was brought to you by the AACRAO SPEEDE Committee