Bucking the Trend: Developing a Centralized, On-Line Student Information System in a Heterogeneous Multi-Campus Environment

The University of Pittsburgh has developed and implemented a comprehensive, online, centralized student information system. The system replaces formerly autonomous systems at the University's five campuses and nineteen schools, and interfaces with local systems designed to meet unique user needs.This presentation reviews the development and implementation of the system, with particular emphasis on the special circumstances faced in delivering centralized administrative services and interfacing with local systems at the University's regional campuses. It focuses on the ingredients contributing to the success of the system, and the foundations established for future growth.Some of the issues addressed in developing the system include attaining senior management support, acquiring critical funding, involving end users, reviewing and revising policies and procedures, establishing a new applications development model, setting development priorities, establishing human and data communications networks, creating software training and testing environments, designing user ad hoc query capabilities, distributing printing, and delivering production services.