moving to the paperless admissions office€¦ · moving to the paperless admissions office ......
TRANSCRIPT
Moving to the Paperless
Admissions Office
Presented by: Mike Burke, Harvard University
Erika McDonald, Harvard University
John Nordmeyer, Middlebury College
Tuesday, April 1, 2014, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Session ID 1946
AACRAO - Denver 2014 Session ID: 1946
Session Rules of Etiquette
• Please turn off your cell phone/pager
• If you must leave the session early, please do so as
discreetly as possible
• Please avoid side conversation during the session
• Please complete the session evaluation
Thank you for your cooperation!
IntroductionConsiderations for moving to a paperless
admissions office
• Why bother?
• Benefits & Challenges
• Financial Aspects
• Technology
• Experiences at two schools:
• Middlebury College
• Harvard Kennedy School of Government
AACRAO - Denver 2014 Session ID: 1946
Learning Outcomes of this session:
• Hear about the rationale for going paperless
• Understand cultural implications of doing so
• Gain an overview of the vendor landscape
• Learn the organizational and technological impact on
resources
• Discover pitfalls
• Get more information
3/28/2014
Middlebury College
John NordmeyerManager of Admissions Information Systems
A Global Liberal Arts Institution for the 21st Century
AACRAO - Denver 2014 Session ID: 1946
Paperless Admissions• PAPER
• Where does it come from?
• Where do we put it?
• WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE PAPER?
• Application readers note and record
• WHERE DOES THE PAPER GO??
AACRAO - Denver 2014 Session ID: 1946
PAPER• The world is already becoming paperless
• 2011: More than ½ of the documents already electronic
• 2014: 90% of documents received are electronic
• How/where to store this paper?• Many vendors in the marketplace
• Nolij/Perceptive/ImageNow
• How will this affect those who use the paper?• 2 monitors
• Workstation changes
AACRAO - Denver 2014 Session ID: 1946
What do we do with the paper?• File
• In a specific order
• Write notes
• With specific codes/colors
• Reader Card
• A project within a project
AACRAO - Denver 2014 Session ID: 1946
Imaging Software (Nolij)• Common App delivering 90% of documents
• Teacher recs recently included
• Encourage submission of electronic documents• Reduce/discourage faxed documents
• General mailbox for e-mailed documents
• Train readers on Nolij• Workstations/monitors already in place
• User acceptance very high
AACRAO - Denver 2014 Session ID: 1946
Where does the paper go?• Critical step that should be mapped out in advance
• Needs executive level support
• Mini-crisis for Middlebury
• Department-level administrators need to be on board
• They need to be using it at the beginning of our cycle
• Who gets what?
• On many campuses, this is not clearly defined
AACRAO - Denver 2014 Session ID: 1946
Project Timeline• 2009: Admissions decides to go paperless
• General plan spec’d out
• 2010: RFP/Vendor selection gets bogged down
• Admissions: Do the reader card now
• 2011: NolijWeb software purchasedReader Card replacement implemented
• 2012: NolijWeb Live in admissions
• Computers/monitors already in place
• 2013-14: Waiting on Workflow!
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Harvard Kennedy School
Mike BurkeRegistrar of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Erika McDonaldAssociate Registrar of the Faculty of Arts and
Science
- Both formerly of Harvard Kennedy School
One of ten professional schools at Harvard University
AACRAO - Denver 2014 Session ID: 1946
Does this look familiar?• Tripping over
mail bins
• Paper cuts
• Data entry
• Carrying folders home
• Lost folders
AACRAO - Denver 2014 Session ID: 1946
Rationale
Efficiency
Cost
Self service
Convenience
Expectations
AACRAO - Denver 2014 Session ID: 1946
Evolution; not Revolution
Electronic Data Upload
Test scores Applicant data
Supporting Documents
Recommendations Transcripts
Online Application
Also paper apps Manual data entry
AACRAO - Denver 2014 Session ID: 1946
Evolution; not Revolution
Scanned All Paper Documents
Scanned Shredded
Decision Emails
Started with paper & email Then only admits
Paper Application Discontinued
No longer printed Did not accept old ones
AACRAO - Denver 2014 Session ID: 1946
Evolution; not Revolution
Online Review and Ratings
Ratings Review
Discontinued Paper Applicant Files
No more printing/filing Printed students only
Discouraged Paper Documents
Instructions Suggested priority
Prospect ManagementBefore
• Prospect cards-data entry
• Lack of applicant
“lifecycle” tracking
• No way to evaluate
effectiveness of
recruitment
After
• Online form feeds
electronic mailing list
• Inquiries stored in Access
database
• Way after: inquiry
tracking feature in app
management system
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ApplicationBefore
• Preliminary data sheet
• Accepted online and
paper versions of
application
• Lots of manual data entry
After
• No more preliminary data
sheet
• Online application only!
• Data upload: sophisticated
and all encompassing
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Supplemental Materials
Before
• Paper, paper, and more
paper!
• Slow evolution
• Essaysrecommendations
test scorestranscripts
After
• Technology began to match
needs: ETS; Scrip-Safe
• No paper alternative
• Applicants encouraged
when guaranteed speedier
processing speed
3/28/2014
(Transcripts, recommendations, scores, essays)
Application ProcessingBefore
• 10-15 min per application
• Many, many bins of mail
• Complicated paper filing systems
• Lots of data entry
• Multiple locations for missing materials
• Paper processing checklists
• Antiquated applicant & recommender communication methods
After
• 5-8 min per application
• Minimal mail processing
• No paper=no filing systems
• Improved data upload
• Everything uploaded together
• Electronic checklist in SIS
• Communication via online applicant portal
• Recommender receive confirmation instantly
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Review ProcessBefore
• Paper files with complicated
tracking system
• “Bin”-based pick-up/drop-
off committee process
• Ratings tracked on
spreadsheets and manually
entered into SIS
After
• Complete applications swept
into online review system
• Files assigned and ratings
submitted electronically
• Ratings and comments stored
in system and uploaded into
SIS
3/28/2014
Decisions and ResponsesBefore
• Paper letters for all
• Increased room for error
with manual labeling and
envelope stuffing
• Paper admit packets
• Paper response forms
• Difficult for many admits to
pay the deposit via check
After
• Emailed decisions; paper letter for admits
• Accurate decision lists merged from SIS
• New admit web portal
• Responses through the application vendor
• Pay by credit card
3/28/2014
ArchivingBefore
• Constantly shifting files
around office to make room
• Prepping files for archives
• Separate storage of rating
sheets and files
• Time lag in obtaining files
After
• Files archived on shared
drive
• Easily accessible and
comprehensive
• No more consulting old
spreadsheets to find a file
3/28/2014
AACRAO - Denver 2014 Session ID: 1946
Resources Needed
People
• Fewer people
• Different skills
Software
• Scanning software
• Document management
Equipment
• Scanners, monitors,
• Database and file servers
AACRAO - Denver 2014 Session ID: 1946
Resources Needed
IT Partners
• Joint planning and decision-making
• Partnership
• Trust
Money
• Equipment
• Development
• Infrastructure
• Fewer staff; higher skilled
AACRAO - Denver 2014 Session ID: 1946
Culture
• Admission Committees
• Staff skills and reluctance
• IT relationships, expectations, decision-making
Customer Service
• Self service environment; help expectations
• Knowledge base; self help vs. direct support
Vendors
• New development
• Uptime requirements
• Who helps applicants and recommenders?
Beware the Pitfalls!
AACRAO - Denver 2014 Session ID: 1946
Vendor landscape
• Started in 1999 with application vendor—weak on prospect management, no review tool
• What made us choose Embark? Processing of fees?
• Trade-offs—prospect management not critical; built review tool in house
• Many vendors focused on one component, few comprehensive products that tied it all together
• Challenge of making all components talk to one another—SIS, online review system, applicant portal
• Problems with reporting directly from app system—difficult to make updates to data, so it became stale.
Back then…
AACRAO - Denver 2014 Session ID: 1946
Vendor landscape
• More comprehensive products that span entire process
• Nice to have method to communicate directly with applicants in real time
• Increased awareness in vendor landscape of the need for “soup-to-nuts” product
• Still come to game really good at a couple of things, but in development in other areas
• Ex: excellent review product, but wanted us to pilot the online application system and reporting tools
Now…
AACRAO - Denver 2014 Session ID: 1946
Vendor landscape
• College Net
• Slate Technolutions
• Embark
• Hobson’s Apply Yourself
• Banner
• Matchbox
Example Vendors…
AACRAO - Denver 2014 Session ID: 1946
Vendor landscape
• Does the company cater to a university with your
needs? Size? Population? Structure?
• What’s most important to you? Willing to be a
pioneer in certain areas? Build in-house systems?
• How well does the out-of-the-box product fit
you? Are they willing to customize? How well?
Considerations…
AACRAO - Denver 2014 Session ID: 1946
Summary• Can be time, labor, and cost efficient
• Evolution or revolution
• Vendor landscape is narrow but growing
• Need people with right skills, attitude, and commitment
• Depending on scale, may only need modest investment; savings over time
• Know thyself and thy school’s culture
AACRAO - Denver 2014 Session ID: 1946
Thank You!Mike Burke, [email protected]
Erika McDonald, [email protected]
John Nordmeyer, [email protected]
Please complete the session evaluation form using the AACRAO Mobile App or the paper form provided in
your conference bag.
Session ID 1946