copyright - l. thanasides, 2002 using the right facts can be informative: florida’s statewide...

Copyright - L. Thanasides, 2002

Using the Right FACTS Can Be Informative:

Florida’s Statewide Student Information System

Linda Thanasides Marsha Stickel

Director, FCAAS Asst. Director, FCAAS

Copyright L. Thanasides, 2002. This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.

http://www.facts.org/


How Did It All Start?

• State of Florida was mandated to establish a statewide advising system in 1996 to link 38 public post-secondary institutions for information transfer

• FACTS (Florida Academic Counseling and Tracking for Students) was created

• Just named Florida’s official college advising web site


Why a Statewide System?• 50% projected increase in college-age

students in next 10 years

• Legislative initiatives to accommodate growth– “Out in 4” program– Pay for excess hours– Performance-based budgeting– Reduce degree programs to 120 hours


What is FACTS?

• Distributed, platform independent, web-based delivery system

• Links institutions together with real-time communication

• Interfaces with each institution’s host applications to maintain data integrity


facts.org

INSTITUTION E, F, . . .

INSTITUTION A, B, . . .

Institutional Communication Servers - Applications and Data at Host Sites

Students/Administrators, etc.

AdmissionsAdvisingCareer TrackingFee TransactionsFinancial AidLibraryRegistration

Florida Academic Counseling and Tracking for StudentsData Flow

9/21/98


FACTS Provides Services• Students can

– Retrieve transcripts and academic advising– Perform degree program searches– See what is needed to complete a degree at any

other institution in the system– Construct “what if” scenarios– Make coursework assumptions for educational

planning– Apply for admissions to multiple schools– Link to other sites for college planning


FACTS Provides Services

• Students will soon be able to: -Retrieve Articulated Audit Evaluations– Access Transient Student Process on-line– Maintain a career portfolio from high school

through college to share with prospective employers


FACTS Provides Services

• Administrators can:– Access Paperless Transient Student Process– Retrieve Counseling Manuals– Retrieve and Update Florida Student Handbook

and other manuals– Utilize Statewide licenses


FACTS Provides Information

• For Example:– Admissions– Student records– Registration– Financial Aid– Fee Payments– Student Services– Library Services– Career Counseling– Distance Learning– High Schools– Job Markets


Institutional Benefits

• Utilize knowledge and expertise of Center staff for services - Software packages provided by Center for institutional development if necessary

• Sharing of data and processes previously unavailable

• All institutions can have a web presence• Greater exposure to potential students


Institutional Benefits

• Cost efficiencies are occurring:-Institutions not buying software for services that

FACTS can provide-Postage savings: grades, transcripts, and degree

audits are not being mailed-Staff can handle other tasks due to less student

traffic-Greater number of students can be seen since

less time is spent with advising appointments-students are better prepared by reviewing their data online first


Student Benefits

• One web address to gather information

• Gather information without having to go to several campus offices

• Provide off-campus services to distance learners

• Allow almost 24-hour-a-day access to student information


Student Benefits

• Transfer between institutions is easier

• Interagency agreements make student access to information easier– Common course numbering– Articulation agreements– Common prerequisites

• Students are better informed


State of Florida Benefits

• Interagency sharing of information

• Eliminate duplicity of interagency data

• Save on resources for maintaining and distributing manuals – one point of entry

• Postage saved on mailing manuals

• Improved communication and knowledge among institutions and agencies


Statewide Collaboration• State departments are sharing information

– Division of Colleges and Universities– Division of Community Colleges– High School Districts– State Financial Aid Offices– Division of Labor– Workforce Innovation (job market info)– Scholarships– Private and Independent Colleges and Universities– Vocational/Technical Schools– Department of Motor Vehicles


Impact on Policy

• Hours of business• Distribution of information (online vs mailed)• Processing electronic signatures• Online Forms (residency affidavits, fee

payments, etc.)• Standardizing processes and data• Where data is being stored-appropriate data can

be centralized (manuals, residency guidelines)• Pressure to offer quality services (students,

state legislature, competitive institutions)


VISIT THE SITE!

FACTS.ORG

http://www.facts.org/

copyright - l. thanasides, 2002 using the right facts can be informative: florida’s statewide...

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