Watch our 29 February SIS Open Forum recording.
29 February SIS Open Forum
- Video transcript
Kate O’Riordan: My name is Kate O'Riordan, I'm the Pro Vice Chancellor for Education and Students, and I'm the University Project Executive for the Student Information System. That basically means that I'm the University Executive level sponsor for the project. I chair the Steering Group and I update Council on the progress of the project.
Kate O’Riordan: The people that do the real work, some of whom are in the room, are the project team. Jayne Aldridge, Director for the Student Experience, is the Senior Responsible Owner of the portfolio as a whole and of this project. Jo Corbett is the Deputy Senior Responsible Owner. Both Jayne and Jo are here today and may well be able to speak to some of the detail of the project more than I can.
Kate O’Riordan: So, I'm going to go through the agenda for today. Shall we get straight on to that? While that's coming up, Sam, do you mind moving the slides?
Samuel Cox: Yeah, I'm just trying to do that, Kate.
Kate O’Riordan: Great. So, welcome to everyone and thank you for being here. I'll go through the leadership team when we get to that slide. So – a quick recap, project scope, project structure, the leadership team, an updated plan, and what's happening next. We'll also talk a bit about Change Ambassadors, and how to stay up to date with the project. There will be time for questions towards the end. Also, if you've got any questions about the project at any time going forward, please do get in contact. We're happy to also come and talk to particular groups, or put on bespoke versions of this, or just direct Q&As with groups across the campus as relevant. So, if you have other teams or contact with other people who would like to hear about it, we're really happy to do as much communication around this as works for people.
Kate O’Riordan: Okay, so shall we go on to a quick recap?
Kate O’Riordan: So, the Student Information System is a student information system - it's a modern one, it's a secure information system, and it will impact on almost all processes to do with the student life cycle and student experience. So it's a student records system, as opposed to an HR system or a staff system or another thing.
Kate O’Riordan: It's an underpinning student record. Why it's more modern and secure than what we've got currently is largely because we don't have an underpinning student records system. We have a number of different systems that speak to each other in different ways, of different ages, different forms of technology. This puts all of those systems of record together into one information system. That, as an underpinning record, will increase efficiency across everything we do. It will make data more available, it will provide process improvement, and that will lead to an improved staff, and therefore student, experience.
Kate O’Riordan: It is very much an underpinning process piece. So it's all about the navigation and spreadsheets, yellow screens, email, different systems - trying to minimise and get rid of that and have one underpinning system that puts those things together where everyone can see everything in the same place.
Kate O’Riordan: So, it also reduces risks around systems breaking down or different upgrades not integrating well and therefore causing disruption. Also, in relation to cyber security and the secureness of data. So, security and resilience for us all I suppose. So, all of that contributes to helping us meet strategic objectives and delivery, and our administration and compliance obligations more smoothly.
Kate O’Riordan: We expect to go fully live from September 2024. There will still be elements of the system that play through into the following year, but in terms of most things starting to operate fully - September 2024 is where the line is. There's some stuff that will come on board earlier than that as well.
Kate O’Riordan: The system will be launched in relation to its different capabilities at different times, with support and training for all users, which will happen at different stages depending on the parts of the system that are going live. That will also be then played out over time to everybody, whoever encounters that system.
Kate O’Riordan: So, I think that's the broad recap. I would say, in relation to that recap, that this is probably one of the most significant projects for the University at the moment. We've got a lot of different projects running, and I know some of the capital projects are bigger. But in terms of complexity, of reach across the University and the amount of processes that this touches, it's a University-wide project essentially. It's about all of us, and it's really crucial for us in terms of having an underpinning system of record that works and that we can work with.
Kate O’Riordan: So, it's hugely important and it's both a kind of honour and slightly terrifying to be responsible for it on that basis.
Kate O’Riordan: So, things that it does deal with: direct entry, UCAS entry and DFE course applications. So, essentially all of our taught course application elements that go into that. It doesn't deal with the Medical School, but we don't deal with the Medical School applications currently. All of the functions that are related to admissions like confirmations, clearing, registration, managing modules, managing anything to do with courses and modules across the piece. Then that relates also to assessments and results, and underpinning that - tuition fees, scholarships, bursaries, visas, and all of our statutory reporting requirements. For example, reporting to HESA, reporting to the OfS, etc.
Kate O’Riordan: So, it doesn't do a bunch of things on the right. [The right-hand side of the slide reads: Out of scope: BSMS Administration; Alumni; Curriculum Approval; Graduation; Placements; Timetabling; HR and staff details; Finance – Unit 4; Attendance monitoring; Exceptional circumstances].
Kate O’Riordan: It doesn't replace the finance system, for example. It doesn't replace the HR system. It doesn't do timetabling; it integrates with timetabling. It doesn't do placements, and graduation and alumni are out of scope at the far end of the student journey, although it will link to those systems.
Kate O’Riordan: So, I think the in-scope thing is probably the thing to stick with in terms of focus. So, everything from the student journey, from application through to entry and to registration, courses and modules, to the end point, at which point graduation and alumni move into different systems.
Kate O’Riordan: Thank you. Okay, so it's structured in relation to those workstreams. So, admissions, as we would expect. Enrolment, registration, student administration - so a data administration underpinning that - student finance, curriculum management... all of the things that I've listed. Scholarships and bursaries, assessment and progression. And the statutory reporting. There are also 5 workstreams that underpin and enable all of the core work screens, sorry, workstreams, which might think about capability areas.
Kate O’Riordan: So the enabling work streams that need to happen across everything is that data needs to migrate. Integration needs to happen. Information needs to be managed. Change needs to be managed. Communications need to happen. And we need to do a lot of testing as we build the system, but also then deliver the system. So that ends up with thinking about user testing at the end, moving into release.
Kate O’Riordan: The leadership team - myself - I've already introduced myself as University Project Executive. Jayne Aldridge is the Senior Responsible Owner - Officer, sorry - and is so for the whole of the portfolio in Education and Students. Jo Corbett is operationally, our operational lead Senior Responsible Officer on the project, which also fits with the role as a Director of Student Systems. We have a Senior Business Architect, Sarah Kirkbright. The Solution Architect, Aaron Filsell. You can see then the kind of technical, change and senior supplier configurations. So, Spencer, Karen and Jason in that configuration. Denise Cooper is one of the Senior Users. If you think about Denise's role in relation to curriculum, assessment, all of those kind of components. Claire Brookes is a Senior User, that relates to all components relating to admissions. Steve Law is the Senior User in relation to all of the components that relate to finance. So Senior Users also relate to the kind of what we've already mapped out as the architecture of the project in terms of the different capability areas. There's a project management team which Riz Moid and Ben Clayton are part of that. Excuse me. There's an Ellucian Project Manager. So Ellucian are the company essentially that we're buying the platform from and the services from. There's an Ellucian Project Manager who works for the Project Management Team, Shaun Patterson, and they also have a Solution Architect on their side, Matt Finney.
Kate O’Riordan: So, there's a multi-organisation partnership working across this team. So, we've got the University of Sussex, Deloitte and Ellucian all working together as a team on the project, and then within the Sussex component you've got different divisions also working on the project in different ways. Almost all of the divisions are involved in that, with more significant investment across those 3 areas represented by the Senior Users. But when you think about all of the technical integrations, data migration, ITS side as well, you can see that ITS are very significant component in supporting the project as a whole. It's a big project. It's got a complex structure and quite a lot of people involved in it.
Kate O’Riordan: So, there's an updated plan at the moment, so we're looking at how we readjust our original plan. And we've got work streams starting at kind of different points. We've had work streams flowing through into the project for a year now and we've got different works streams coming on at different times. We've now got more work streams operating in parallel. So, the kind of work streams around assessment, progression and award came in in January, with looking at then the kind of visa sign off point and thinking about the curriculum data, through to different points where we are now in March, looking at syllabus validation.
Kate O’Riordan: So, prior to that there was lots of work on looking at the admissions capability and dimensions of that. And then we've got different kinds of sign offs through this structure of the plan, if you like. So, we're looking at where you sign off on statuary reporting, the finance dimensions, looking at where testing is continuing through the different areas and looking at where migration is happening through the different areas.
Kate O’Riordan: So, you've got sign off of each area, and migration and management and testing happening in relation to all of those capabilities that we listed. And then you've got a point in September, which is around the UCAS download, where that is essentially putting things into the system from the front end if you like, having constructed the back end of the system, leading up to that point.
Kate O’Riordan: So, I think that's probably enough on that one.
Kate O’Riordan: Okay, so where we are now. Admissions...lots of work around admissions, looking at UKVI processes and looking particularly around direct application. So, we're looking at going live with the direct applications that come in from International Study Group, which is a direct entry into the University. So that's one of our key admission points. So, we've got direct entry, we've got UCAS, and we've got DFE as our 3 different ways of thinking about admissions, as well as thinking about undergraduate admissions and postgraduate admissions.
Kate O’Riordan: So also looking at the UCAS review screens and looking at the UCAS component, which will come later in the year. Curriculum management, similarly data mapping, syllabus rules, data imports. A lot that is complete and it's at the stage of being checked. And in enrolment and registration, looking at demoing sessions, data mapping, and looking at what the student-facing screens will look like.
Kate O’Riordan: So, they're in development at the moment. And then we are moving into next stages, thinking about gathering requirements for different parts of the admissions component, particularly the agent portal, which is a significant part of our admissions process, mainly internationally facing.
Kate O’Riordan: So, at each stage there, you've got things about confirming the specification required, looking at the actual operable points - so what does an offer letter look like in the new system, for example? And what do different kinds of application forms look like for both staff and students in that admissions component? And then with curriculum management, you're kind of more moving into testing. And with enrolment and registration, still data cleansing and mapping happening, as well as reviewing what will happen on the student-facing side of that, because obviously enrolment and registration is the key interface with students using the system as they're coming into the University.
Kate O’Riordan: Okay. Student administration and student finance, scholarships and bursaries - also in a kind of 'what's happening now' and 'what's coming next'. Again, data mapping and processes being signed off, looking at different kind of rules of the system in relation to completion, and looking at data in relation to each of the functions.
Kate O’Riordan: So, similar sorts of patterns, slightly different stages across the different areas of the project. Where you're, for example, in student administration, you can see the process kind of flowing through where you've met the data and sign off the processes.
Kate O’Riordan: You're then looking at reviewing and validating what's being signed off. So that kind of gives you a flavour, I think, of some of the ways in which the workstreams are both discrete capabilities, but also have kind of underpinning functions that happen across all of them.
Kate O’Riordan: So signing off on a capability area, validating that, building, checking, testing, and moving into different phases.
Kate O’Riordan: So, we've got a third screen of that, which is looking at assessment and progression, completion and award, and statutory reporting. So, assessment and progression - we've had workshops completed on that last week with a demonstration of the screens and the processes. And we've got then the kind of system that's set up in relation to that, to track action and look at questions coming in. So, a question log created in relation to that, and then moving into data mapping. Completion and award - still in the timeline for the workstream to begin. So, all of the workstreams have started at slightly different points in the project, and are at slightly different stages in terms of their development across the project. Some workstreams are longer than others. So, some workstreams stretch across the project and some are at discrete points in the project. And the replan at this stage has looked at more of those workstreams, as I said, operating in parallel.
Kate O’Riordan: Okay. So, Change Ambassadors. So, I mentioned Karen Lund already in the looking at the leadership team. Karen, working with Sam who's helping with communications for the project, have looked at creating a network of Change Ambassadors to support the project. To receive updates and move information into teams, and make sure that there's a flow of information through this project. This project is very fundamentally about communications and people and change. So, putting in an underpinning system across all of our processes, although in the longer term that will improve everything for everybody, in the stage of bringing the project into the University it is also potentially disruptive and confusing for a lot of people. So, making sure that people understand what the project is, how it's working, making sure the right information is getting to people, and that we're able to respond to people's queries and questions about the project is really core to the project. So, it is as much about communication, people understanding the project and being able to talk about it and understand the changes, as much as it is about the technology itself, to put it like that. So, thinking about Change Ambassadors is kind of key to that.
Kate O’Riordan: And that's crucial across all areas of the project, but also all areas of the community across Sussex which the project will eventually connect to. So, we're using that network to bring updates out, to cascade information, but also to take feedback and to come and to understand how people are understanding that information and communication.
Kate O’Riordan: We're also using that network to play out demonstrations of the system. And as I said, also providing positive and negative feedback to the project team. And it also gives us a link between the project team and end users, by which we potentially mean everybody in the University at some point, and certainly significant user groups across most divisions and Schools. As almost 80% of what we do in this institution is about students, a student record system has some potential connection to almost everyone's work. If we think about the overlap between postgraduate research and postgraduate students, you can see ways in which a student record system also taps into areas that we might not think as directly about educational students, such as research. And then across whole divisions like finance.
Kate O’Riordan: Okay, so the Change Ambassador Network has been launched and we're working with that. So in terms of staying up to date, between next month and the end of the project, we'll be keeping all of the directly impacted colleagues up to date largely via line management.
Kate O’Riordan: People can stay informed by signing up to the monthly Transforming Sussex Capital Programme newsletter, which includes the Student Information System and also many other projects across the Transforming Sussex area. So just a kind of word about the projects, I guess: we have a Project Office, we have the Project Management System, we have project portfolios across the whole University, and projects tend to be significant elements of change within the University.
Kate O’Riordan: So there's the capital programmes, there's buildings, there's a network replacement component. All of that sits under Transforming Sussex and the Capital Programme. And within that, there is an Education and Students set of projects. And those are the projects that I'm mostly involved in and mostly looking at. And they're the projects that Jayne also has senior responsible oversight of. So when I'm thinking about Transforming Sussex, I'm mostly thinking about the Education and Students projects that sit within that.
Kate O’Riordan: But of course we're all, also all touched by the projects across the whole of the portfolio in the Capital Programme. One of the really important things about the thinking about the projects broadly and thinking about Transforming Sussex, is to enable the Project Office to keep an eye on the interdependencies and the connections between different projects, and to think about how all of the projects across the University are working together and are connected in different ways. So there are other projects that the Student Information System project is connected to, and keeping an eye on those elements is also important. So Transforming Sussex gives you a sense of all of the pieces but features the Student Information System.
Kate O’Riordan: We also have the team specifically looking at the Student Information System, and we also have a Viva Engage community for this project specifically. So if you're looking at engaging with this project particularly you can look at the information on our webpage which is just about SIS, and you can contact people directly. I hope that makes sense.
Kate O’Riordan: Okay, that was a bit whirlwind. It's a big project. It's really complex.
Kate O’Riordan: Many of you are probably involved in parts of it already. We've tried to leave as much time as possible to think about people's questions and feedback, and I'm happy to go back into any of the parts of the presentation that I've rapidly taken us through. Also, of course, sharing the slides is an option as well.
Kate O’Riordan: Okay. Is there anything - Jo, I'm looking at you because you're next to me on the screen. Anything I've missed or you'd like to add?
Jo Corbett: No, I don't think so. I think just to reinforce the message that Karen and our training colleagues as well have started to come out to meet you in your teams, so there's quite a lot of work going on there. But if you've got particular teams that it'd be useful for myself or Karen or the training team to come and talk to then please do let us know. The email address is on the previous slide. You can email us there [that section of the slide reads ‘Or contact the team directly at: studentinformationsystem@sussex.ac.uk’]. It will get picked up and we'll organise to come and see you.
Kate O’Riordan: Great. Thank you, Jo. Jayne, is there anything you'd like to add that I've not mentioned?
Jayne Aldridge: No, other than say many thanks for everyone for their continued engagement and future engagement. We recognise the challenges and complexity of this and we really appreciate everyone working with us to bring this to fruition. Thank you.
Jo Corbett: Yeah, I think that's a really important point to make, Jayne, because we've had such fantastic engagement from colleagues across the University so far. There's a lot of enthusiasm for finding out what's going on, and obviously as more information comes out. I think it's felt like probably not that much information has come out so far, but we're in such a busy period now that that information will really start to ramp up. So just bear that in mind, but yeah, really appreciate all your engagement so far. We had really brilliant attendance at some of the assessment and progression workshops last week. It was great to see so many colleagues there. So yeah, thank you for that.
Kate O’Riordan : Thank you. Questions, queries, comments. Anything you'd like me to go back over?
Samuel Cox: So we've got, Carol has raised a hand here. Okay.
Carol Shergold: Thanks very much. Well, thank you so much for the overview and I really appreciate what a massive project it is for the University. So, yeah, wishing everybody all the best with it really. But I just had two questions that came to mind when I was listening. One of them was that looking at the timeline, the testing was happening quite over the summer, not that long before the go-live, and I was just wondering where the training actually fitted in within that structure? Is that something - I don't know who would be able to?
Kate O’Riordan: Yeah, I'm sure Jo can speak to that in more detail. I would just add that some testing has already happened, if you see what I mean? So there's the thing I said before about different components kind of working through. So for example in the admissions space there's been a huge amount of testing around the UCAS download, for example, even though that won't flow through until the autumn, if you see what I mean? But, I think Jo is probably the best person to answer the question.
Jo Corbett: Yeah, I mean, that's absolutely right. So in each capability, we have testing of the functionality within that that capability workstream. But we do have a period of end to end testing over the summer. You're absolutely right. So once we've got all the configuration completed, we've done the in capability testing and signed all that off. It's testing that full applicant to student journey right to the end of their journey, and making sure that we're able to make those connections between the capabilities and they're all working okay. So that's what that relates to.
Jo Corbett: We're currently developing the test plan based on when those different parts will be ready. And more information about that will be coming out very soon, Carol. Our training team and Karen are working really hard on putting some of that training together. There will be more available, more information available on our website as we move forward. So just plotting that in at the moment into the sort of, you know, the dates around the academic year. Obviously it is a very tight timescale and we all know in summer there's lots going on and colleagues in different teams aren't available for some of it.
Jo Corbett: So just fitting around all that is what the team are working on at the moment.
Carol Shergold: Brilliant, thank you. I did have a second question if there aren't loads of other questions but I don't want to dominate the questions if there's other people waiting. So Sam, what do you think?
Samuel Cox: Yeah, that's fine I think, Carol.
Carol Shergold: Is it? Okay, great, thank you. Well, I noticed that, attendance recording was out of scope. Presumably because it's not something that Ellucian's offering us, but presumably it's got to be in scope for the project? I just wondered what was happening with that?
Jo Corbett: Yeah so, it's not part of the scope of this project. So Ellucian may well have a product that addresses attendance monitoring, I'm not sure about that. But it's not something that we've purchased as part of the this project. What is in scope of course is integration with our current systems and processes. So where those happen, and apologies because I'm not familiar with the detail of attendance monitoring systems at the moment, and our technical team and our architecture team will have much better understanding. But the integration with those other processes are what's in scope of this project.
Kate O’Riordan: Does that make sense?
Carol Shergold: Oh, it does make sense. Although it
Kate O’Riordan: I think we'll be using, we'll continue to use the app and the PIN method in terms of... so I guess there's a question here about process and product, to put it like that. So we'll still use the app and the PIN, we’ll still use registers in effect. But there are our internal process will also need to be integrated with a new system. Does that make sense?
Carol Shergold: It does, although it might also involve, presumably I don't know, but it could also involve some actual additional changes to make it still work, despite the data structure presumably being different. Well, yeah. Okay, no that's fine. So I get, I get that. So it actually falls into, you're sort of seeing it as falling into an integration workstream rather than a workstream of its own. Yeah, okay. Thanks ever so much. That's helpful. Cheers.
Samuel Cox: And we've got Linda, Linda Rothwell as well. Just let me unmute you.
Linda Rothwell: Yeah, hi, I was actually just going to almost reply to Carol's query in that, we've got a new attendance recording thing in Sussex mobile, which is going to link with Oracle because that's where the timetable is going to be published at the moment, and in time can be changed to link to other timetabling systems. So that is being improved, planned for release this summer. So hopefully that's all going to be fine. And reduces the - hopefully will help the project a little bit, because it will reduce our reliance on Sussex Direct and Oracle for all that attendance recording.
Carol Shergold: Great. Thanks, Linda. Cheers.
Samuel Cox: I can't see any more messages coming through. If you didn't want to ask your question directly, please feel free to drop it in the chat. And if not, we'll give it another couple seconds.
Jayne Aldridge: I can see a message in the chat. There's one just come through from Emma.
Samuel Cox: Ah, fantastic.
Jayne Aldridge: So, Emma, do you want to ask or would you like me to ask? So the question is, thanks Emma. Postgrad research log, attendance, engagement in Sussex Direct, and we run reports from there. Will that still be possible? Jo, do you want to take that one?
Jo Corbett: It's quite a detailed question for me to know off the top of my head, but yeah, very happy to follow that one up and come back to you, Emma.
Jayne Aldridge: Thanks, very much for that question, Emma. Kate.
Kate O’Riordan: I was just going to say that in principle, in relation to all of the workstreams, reporting itself is a function within the workstreams, let's put it like that. So someone, hopefully will know.
Samuel Cox: Okay, we've got another question coming in from Michael Nickson. I'll just unmute you, Michael.
Michael Nickson: That's right. I think, I just, actually, was just going to qualify some of this. So the attendance side of things. Yes, there's a structural piece of work going on with Aaron the architect, as there currently isn't a solution for that. And actually it ties in very much with the timetabling solution requirement as well, because that's missing as well. They kind of are one thing. In terms of reporting the aspiration, yes, the aspiration is to keep the data where it is. So the reporting doesn't get affected. But there is quite an architectural challenge going on with those 2 things at the moment, which is in flight as part of the project.
Kate O’Riordan: Thank you.
Samuel Cox: Thanks, Michael. Jayne, I wonder if you might be able to have a quick check in the chat? I think there are another couple of questions that have come in there or at least one possibly.
Jayne Aldridge: Yeah, fine. So, Emma Ransley, apologies if I'm pronouncing your name incorrectly, would be interested in the answer to the previous Emma's question around PGRs and attendance and engagement. So we'll make sure we post the answer to some of those questions on the website, but also we've got your name so we can come back directly out of the project as well. And if it's helpful on that, we can put some information via Vanessa and Susanna and colleagues to make sure all of that goes through and across through colleagues in RES, if that's helpful as well.
Jo Corbett: I think just to add that we have a regular slot at the PGR forum as well, myself and Karen. So, if there are items around PGR student journey that you'd like specifically to focus on, we're very happy to do that.
Samuel Cox: Great. Thanks both. Any more, any more questions? Obviously this is not the final time you'll have an opportunity to ask questions. So, yeah, but you'll have seen earlier the various routes in for questions. So if you do have questions that you don't necessarily come up with immediately, then yeah, there are opportunities and there will be more forum where you can ask your questions.
Samuel Cox: I've got another hand up from Mike.
Mike Pudan: Hiya, yeah, I just wanted to ask about the new Student Information System as a kind of front end in to the other systems. Because it's quite clear that some things won't be being changed - they're out of scope or that people are quite familiar with interacting either via Sussex Direct to kind of input and extract data, or from I guess CMS yellow screens, back into the Oracle database. Will the new system banner, Ellucian's product, kind of synergise some of that?
Mike Pudan: So actually, there is less needing to jump between going into Sussex Direct, putting content, pulling content, going back into yellow screens, pushing, pulling content. Would it be that the product is more of a kind of wrap around? So actually, we're only having to go to one space to make those edits back into those areas of the system.
Mike Pudan: There's something, for example, that changes on Sussex Direct now, will mean that we can stay more than our working day within banner to make those changes. I'm just conscious of quite a few things being out of scope which are day to day operationally quite important for students and staff interactions, meaning that actually it's just another place to go to put content in and out of. Kind of, yeah, probably a tricky question, but.
Kate O’Riordan: Thanks, Mike. I know in most places it should reduce the amount of places you've got to go in and out of. Whether it will do that in all places, it is a pretty difficult question, but I think probably I might ask Jo to come back on that one.
Jo Corbett: Yeah, again I think there's quite a bit of work to do, Mike, looking at actually what that student journey into our different systems looks like from a student perspective. Definitely the, you know, the potential in the self-service portal as part of that product. But I think what's really important here is this will become the master record for lots of areas that are quite dispersed at the moment. Not all of them, as you say. And so I don't think I can give you a direct answer to the specific question you're asking. But again, we'll note that as an FAQ on the website, and as we find out more we'll be able to update you on how that that's going to look for students and stuff.
Mike Pudan: Okay, thanks.
Jayne Aldridge: It's comments on those specific areas that you want more information on, do flag that as a question and we can try and get the specificity across as well as generalisation to you, Mike.
Jo Corbett: Yeah, absolutely. Please do use the email address that's on our project website. It's good, it's useful to gather those as frequently asked questions anyway, that we'll be able to publish on the website.
Samuel Cox: Thank you Mike. Any more questions?
Jayne Aldridge: Just one in the chat, Sam, which says it's from Divna. Will it be easier or the same, more visually pleasing to use as CMS?
Jo Corbett: Well, I hope it will be more visually pleasing. We have a lot of systems, so beyond just CMS and yellow screens. It's not yellow, so that's really good news. There will be more of a kind of web view in for faculty and just, you know, people having to look up student records. There's obviously a back end database behind that, so people are working in the back end database. The banner system looks very much like a database. But it is more visually pleasing and a bit more, certainly more user friendly. I'm not that familiar with yellow screens actually so I'm being a bit unkind to yellow screens and without actually knowing too much about it.
Jo Corbett: There are 2 systems as part of the full solution. CRM recruit, which is the system that we'll be using to manage admissions. And then the banner system, which is the student record system. The CRM recruit system is based on an MS Dynamics platform. So that looks quite different to...very different to yellow screens, but quite different to some of the banner view as well, because it's just it's a platform that works in a very different way.
Jo Corbett: We have got some kind of overview videos of CRM recruit which we're looking to put on our website. So we're just trying to sort that out at the moment, but that'll give you an idea of what that system looks like. We're working on one for the banner system as well. So just give you an overview, you'll be able to see what it looks like.
Jayne Aldridge: And we've got one more question, but I think we'll take that as a type of quiz. Oh, no, Mike's answered it. Anyone know when the current yellow screens were launched? '98?
Priyanka Patel: Yeah, I can tell you that, Jayne.
Jayne Aldridge: Go on, Priyanka.
Priyanka Patel: Because I was there during the launch. It was in late 2003, 2004. Because I was there during the launch.
Jo Corbett: See that doesn't sound that long ago to me. It shows how old I'm getting.
Priyanka Patel: Well, it shows to me how long I've been here. That's the problem.
Jo Corbett: Yeah. It's done a good job. It's done a good job if it's still here 20 years later.
Priyanka Patel: Thanks, Jo. I know I've done a great job of it.
Samuel Cox: Fantastic. Thanks. Thanks, Priyanka. Any more? We've still got a quite a few minutes left if there are any more.
Kate O’Riordan: There's a question about the link to the overview videos.
Jo Corbett: Yeah, so we're just trying to publish... we're just trying to organise a way to put those on our, on the project website. So if you go to the project website, they're not there yet, but we're just working out a way to do that for the CRM recruit one that we've got available. And as I say, we're just working on a banner one at the moment. I think they might be something we can circulate through the Change Champions network as well. I'm kind of putting Karen on the spot here, but I think that's probably something we can do.
Karen Lund: Yeah, that won't be a problem. We've circulated it previously to heads of service and HoPS and things like that. So, hoping that will be cascaded. But yeah, absolutely. We can send a copy of that to the Change Ambassadors and ask them to circulate as well. Not a problem.
Kate O’Riordan: Great, thank you. Yeah, Karen, I should have asked you as well if there's anything I've missed, or if there's anything you'd like to plug. Particularly about the Change Ambassador Network or any other part of this.
Karen Lund: It's really just to say - they're there to help. So make sure that you're engaging with your Change Ambassadors, because they've got updates and information, and obviously the information we give them will progress as we move through. So do make sure you're talking to them. They should make themselves known if they haven't already. And do give them feedback as well. So if you've got any concerns or comments or questions, pass those to your Change Ambassadors and they will be able to get them to us and give you some more specific answers, rather than the general updates.
Karen Lund: Linda, we do have a list of Change Ambassadors. I'm not sure where we stand on publishing that list, but I can definitely get in touch with you directly and let you know who might be the best person for you to speak with.
Jayne Aldridge: Thanks. Matt or Matthew has asked a question: do you have a timeline for applicants to pre-sessional English and language short courses to be in banner? I know that's a that's a point quite close to Kate's heart, because we've had conversations over a while. Jo, can you speak to that one, please?
Jo Corbett: So the target is for all admissions to be live from September/October this year. I mean, obviously we are looking at what is deliverable. That timeline is, you know, is quite a challenging timeline. So that's the target at the moment. Any changes to that we will let you know.
Kate O’Riordan: There's also a question about reporting. Will people be able to get the same kinds of data that they can now in terms of reporting?
Jo Corbett: The short answer is yes, but there's also a discovery piece of work going on at enterprise, at University level looking at the kind of report. I can see Mike's put a message in the chat about the reporting solution. So the reporting solution itself isn't part of this project, but obviously the provision of data to inform the reporting is. So yes, you should be able to get the same data that you can now. How you get that might depend on what the outcome of that discovery piece is.
Samuel Cox: Thank you, Jo. I can't see any more hands up at the moment, or anything more in the chat. So I guess at this point, unless anyone is going to drop in with the last minute question, it might be good time to wrap up, Kate.
Kate O’Riordan: Yeah, great. Thank you. So I think next steps are that we'll use the questions in this meeting to help inform frequently asked questions, and also respond back to individuals. And we, I think as Karen sort of flagged, are identifying the Changer Ambassadors in your area. Also using the email to send back any specific questions so we can be in contact. We will essentially be continuing to roll out both town hall communications pieces like this, but also smaller interventions in specific areas. The Change Ambassador Network will also help us do that.
Kate O’Riordan: Is there anything you want to add on next steps, Sam or Karen, in relation to communications about the project?
Samuel Cox: I would only say on our side, and that we are working on a cascade pack, which we will be using for people who are more directly impacted by the project. So that should be ready soon. But I think it was outlined in the slides, there are lots of other channels that we'll be putting information out on, more of a high level. Just to make sure that everybody has that drumbeat of information coming through and is up to date as we're moving towards September. That's it from me, I think.
Kate O’Riordan: Great. Okay. Thank you very much. Yeah, thank you to everybody for giving up your time and coming to this session. And thanks to everybody who's working in the project in whatever way, and indeed everyone who will be connected to the project in the future. I think as I said at the top, this is this is a really important project for us and I really, really appreciate everyone's help I getting us to the kind of point of delivery and use in the community. So many, many thanks. Please stay in touch and let us know about your questions and concerns. Thank you.
Jo Corbett: Thank you, everyone. Great to see so many people here. Thanks.
Jayne Aldridge: Thanks everyone. Take care. See you soon.