AACRAO technology conference highlights
As the University of Minnesota heads towards the
goal of
having 60 percent of students graduate in four years, technology will
play a
key role. This month, employees from around Academic Support Resources
(ASR) had
the opportunity to learn about the latest technology to improved
student
services at the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and
Admissions
Officers’ (AACRAO) Technology Conference in downtown Minneapolis.
The
conference included a combination of speakers, workshops, and sessions
in order
to showcase the latest ways technology can improve how universities
serve their
students. This year some of these sessions were lead by employees from
ASR who are
pioneering new techniques to improve higher education.
One Stop
Student Services Associate Director Julie Selander and Systems Analyst
Ken
Kiehm led one of the sessions. Their session, “Check Your Financial
Status: An
Interactive Tool for Students,” demonstrated how the University is
leading the
way in online financial aid services. Right now, the University is
using a six
step online process for students to determine where they stand in their
financial aid progression, according to Selander. At the AACRAO
Technology
Conference both Selander and Kiehm showed attendees how they can use
this same
step-by-step online tool for more than just financial aid.
Also
presenting along with Kiehm was One Stop Student Services Manager Vicki
Larson.
The pair discussed how the University’s online parent/guest access is
ahead of
other schools when it comes to third party account access. Under the
University’s current system students can grant a third party view only
access
to their: grades, classes, holds, financial aid status, financial aid
information,
or student account, according to Larson. The next step in the third
party
access process, Larson says, is combining this current system with the
other
online tool that allows a third party to pay a student’s tuition bill.
As the
University works towards a 60 percent four-year graduation rate,
Business
Analyst Aileen Lively is helping students receive their degrees with an
online
degree clearance program, a program she presented about at this year’s
conference. Online degree clearance is designed to eliminate the paper
process
that used to bog down both the Office of the Registrar and individual
colleges,
according to Lively. Now, undergraduates can receive their degrees even
faster,
and this is just a sign of things to come.
“What
this is leading to, is once we have this information we could
automatically
post degrees online,” Lively says.
This
online program isn’t just saving time, it’s also saving money,
Associate
Registrar Vickie Roberts says. The program is saving the University an
estimated $100,000 in paper processing and data input per year,
according the
2004-05 Office of Enrolled Student Services Annual Report.
These time and money saving techniques are just a few examples of why organizations like AACRAO continue to have ASR employees show how the University of Minnesota is breaking new ground in higher education.
August RAC meeting
Don't forget to attend the August meeting of the
Registrar's Advisory Committee (RAC) on Monday, August 6 from 9:00 a.m.
to noon in 155 Nicholson Hall. If you would like a copy of the agenda,
please contact Ingrid Nuttall at ingridn@umn.edu.
This month in the year...
1983: The new fee for official transcripts increased
to $2 for current and former students, colleges, and departments. The
current fee is $5.
2006: The Office of Enrolled Student Services officially changed their name to Academic Support Resources to better reflect the mission of the unit.