Process Improvement Using DegreeWorks Glenn Munson Associate Registrar University of Memphis

Process Improvement WIIFM? Administrative Process Improvement Project Student Graduation Checkout/Certification Project  Process Improvement  Utilization of DegreeWorks in the project  Introduction of new processes  Successes

The University of Memphis Enrollment (Fall 2011)  Total 22,725 Undergraduate 17,966 Graduate 4,340 Undergraduate Colleges  Arts & Sciences  Business and Economics  Communication and Fine Arts  Education, Health and Human Sciences  Engineering  School of Nursing  University College

Administrative Process Improvement Project Initiated April, 2010 Administrative team selects projects from those submitted by faculty, staff, administration Some Process Improvement Projects already completed  Graduate Assistant Appointment Process  Faculty Summer Compensation Some projects to come  Application for Graduation (in progress)  Degree Completion  Budget Revisions

Student Graduation Checkout/Certification Project Team formed October, 2010  UMdegree (DegreeWorks) went live for staff and advisors, February, 2011; went live for students, September, 2011  Hobson’s Retain went live September, 2010 Members of the team  Academic Advising Office  Graduation analysts from several colleges  Commencement Office  Registrar’s Office  Academic Affairs

Student Graduation Checkout/Certification Project Goals  Review, streamline and improve the process of graduation application, checkout, and certification  Capitalize upon UMdegree (DegreeWorks) and Hobson's Retain implementations  Explore Banner SSB Graduation Application

“As Is” to “To Be” Process Improvement  Taking the process from “As is” to “To be”  “As is” –The actual way a process is currently performed –Not the way it is supposed to be performed  “To be” –The way you want the process to be performed –Only constraints are law, socially acceptable behavior, and available technological capabilities

“As Is” to “To Be” Graduation Checkout/Certification Process  “As is” –Decentralized –Each college certifies its own graduates –Involves graduation analysts in colleges, Registrar’s Office, faculty advisors, Commencement Office –Identify “pains”, bottlenecks, workarounds  “To be” –What do want it to look like? –How do we get there? –How do we use the technology we have?

“As Is” to “To Be”

‘As is’ to ‘To be ’ Note Date

‘As is’ to ‘To be’

Some “As Is” Pains Colleges start the process at different times because of variation in numbers.  Decentralization  Students in different colleges confused by differing messages or lack of messages from their colleges Too many dependent steps in the process  Process dependent on manual reports generated by others  Process dependent on other processes running on a timely basis and with timely, accurate and complete data (e.g. academic advising, transfer credit/transcript updates, final grades).  Many forms manual entry and require keying into system  Most forms paper-based and delivered by hand or fax to recipients

Some “As Is” Pains Degree Requirements Worksheet for students manually prepared in Word or Excel  Each college designed its own form Advisors not consistently using the paper Degree Requirements Worksheet to ensure student is staying on track. List of students who had applied for graduation produced manually

Some “As Is” Pains Graduation analysts not able to correct errors or make changes (e.g. major) in Banner SGASTDN.  Must complete a paper form and print/sign/fax or walk it over to the Registrar’s office to enter the correction  Very time consuming  No timely resolution. Students wait 48hrs for update to appear. Graduation analysts unable to print report displaying only changes since last report. Waste time checking records that did not change.

Some “As Is” Pains Staff has to rely on paper-based lists, with handwritten changes, as the final certified graduation list.  Degree data scattered in Banner.  No access to enter or modify degree data  No way to track changes caused by errors, late grades posted, etc. Duplication of mail lists since Hobson’s Retain is new, has only a campus wide list, and not all are using it.  Most colleges manage their own lists

‘As is’ to ‘To be’ Note Date

“As Is” to “To Be” “To be” is now “As is”  “Relieve the Pains”  Utilization of DegreeWorks –Student degree audits –Get all candidates to 100% –Exceptions processed instead of memos, oral approval, memory –Accuracy of degree/major requirements –Report options and availability  Utilization of Hobson’s Retain s –Standardization of communications –Standardization of timing of messages

Some “To Be” Pain Relievers New Reports from UMdegree (DegreeWorks)  Coded Students 85 Percent Complete with ITG form  Not Coded Students 85 Percent Complete with ITG form  Not Filed and Not Coded Students 85 Percent Complete (without ITG)  Graduation Application date  Banner Graduation Status GR with ITG form  Students with Filed ITG Percent Complete  Graduation Commencement List

Some “To Be” Pain Relievers Online Degree Audit for students and advisors Use of an Academic Program Maintenance form  Used for program changes and change of catalog  Not electronic yet, but it will be Use of Hobson’s Retain for communication  Communications delivered through Hobson’s eliminates the manual distribution of notices to students for various event triggers.  Banner and UMdegree data are used to generate s in a timely manner.

Some “To Be” Pain Relievers Established Graduation Status codes  Graduation Status codes initiate Hobson’s messages –AP approved for graduation (on track for the semester filed) –IE ineligible due to missing requirements for the current semester –DQ disqualified due to grades, incompletes, GPA, etc. Graduation Analysts given access to Banner form “SHAMDEG” for their use to enter degrees  The Banner Mass entry form eliminates having to access each student’s individual record.  Training materials provided by the Registrar’s Office.

Some “To Be” Pain Relievers Creation of commencement proof  Graduation Analysts now create Commencement Proof document needed by the Commencement Office using a report that uses Banner data. Access to Registrar’s preliminary graduation lists and final graduation lists  Graduation Analysts now generate their own lists based on SHADEGR codes using report generator

Hobson’s s Time to File Your Intent: sent at the beginning of the graduation term and again two weeks before ITG deadline Application for Graduation received: sent automatically when a student’s grad status changes to AP Student degree audit for review and confirmation from students that they received the message. Students not eligible to graduate Students disqualified to graduate in the current term: sent automatically when a student’s grad status changed to DQ and graduation term is current term

Successes Taking an intensive manual process to a much more automated one using existing and recently implemented technology Sending individual reminders/notices to students to automated notifications using Hobson’s Retain Checking and verifying candidates/graduates on paper- maintained lists to e-reports generated from UMdegree

Successes Preparing/sending degree audit for each student by hand to using UMdegree and Hobson’s process Student verification of degree audit from paper signature to click-reply via Hobson’s One-by-one manual awarding of degrees to batch process

The Ultimate Goal