Thank You for Your Assistance in This Matter

Needs Analysis

For Selecting a Student Information System

This needs analysis form isintended to guide your colleagues to think and talk about their department’s current operation (e. g., what works, what needs improvement, what added capabilities would be beneficial, etc.). Respondents should be encouraged to rate the importance of functions and facilities to allow for prioritization.

The format is provided to you as a Word format so you can modify it to meet your specific needs. Rather than lay out a laundry list of potential features, many questions are generally open-ended to encourage creativity and thought about the process and the operation of each department. No matter what student information system the college chooses, this will be a useful step toward a successful evaluation and implementation.

This document has two parts. The first two pages are general questions for the institution and each department. The subsequent pages ask about the specifics of the various departments and functions. Senior officials responsible for the college as a whole should use the first section. Other respondents should fill out the first section and the relevant pages from the second section.

Performing needs analysis can be lengthy and confusing. The needs analysis survey is broken into two parts to guide you in determining the best student information system software solution for your institution. Part one offers general questions for the institution as a whole and part two offers questions designed to determine the specific needs of various departments and functions.

General Questions for Each Department:

Identify three of the most time consuming processes in your current system.

Identify three items your department feels are unique to your institution.

Identify three things that you are not doing today, but you want to do with a new system.

What is your biggest concern with your current system?

Are there any concerns with installing or using a new administrative system?

What represents a successful new system to you (please be specific)?

Is there information that you need in your management reports that your current system does not provide?

What report(s) do you need, but do not have available at this time?

Do you use an automated workflow system for sequential tasks?

What month is best for your department to implement and train on a new system?

On a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high), how computer literate is your staff?

Are there any other issues that you would like to discuss or know more about?

What issues are most critical to your department?

Please provide copies of key forms, reports or other printed matter that you commonly use in your department.

Thank you for your effort on completing this needs analysis survey. Please list any additional comments, questions and/or concerns that you have regarding the implementation of a new student information system.

Admissions:

What recruitment efforts are most successful for your institution?

Do you employ online applications and inquiry cards? If so, please describe the process of verifying and capturing the information.

How many different ‘tracks’ do prospects follow? Do tracks branch for specific criteria?

Do you currently use a mail flow and document tracking process?

Which sources do you use to purchase prospect names (ex; ACT, SAT, etc.)?

Please comment on prospect interest, activity, and other non-academic data that you currently maintain or that you would like to have in a new system.

Do you requirepersonalmedical data as part of admissions? (e.g., immunizations)

Do you use a rating service like Noel Levitz?

Do you use an imaging or document management system?

What is your process for period-over-period funnel analysis?

Please provide copies of inquiry cards, applications, key forms, reports or other printed matter that you commonly use in your department.

Financial Aid and Work-Study Student Payroll:

From what source do you receive your ISIR downloads?

Do other departments offer scholarships and/or loans?

List the different type of loans and grants that you offer.

Do you split your awards by term or by year?

Student Payroll (Federal and Institution Work Study Programs): Do you cut checks to students or apply amount directly to their student account?

Are you a Clearinghouse member institution?

What source supplies the majority of your student loans?

Please provide copies of key forms, reports or other printed matter that you commonly use in your department.

Student Billing:

What are you currently using as an accounts receivable system?

Does your current A/R system interface with Registration, Financial Aid and other departments?

What non-tuition charges does the college assess and collect?

How does the interface work with your current General Ledger system?

Do you send out estimated pre-bills?

What is your typical billing cycle?

What is the length and format of your General Ledger account numbers?

Do you have an internet merchant account for accepting payments via the Internet?

Do you outsource your receivables to an outside receivables management firm?

What other receivables do you manage?(e.g., catering, facility rental, etc.)

Please provide a copy of your student statement(s).

Student Records / Registration and Degree Audit:

Do counselors and/or advisors have access to student transcripts and/or degree audits and/or register students for classes?

Do faculty members enter their own grades in your current system?

How do you handle transfer course equivalencies?

How does your current registration process operate? (e.g., student group registration, core course set registration, other processes)

Does the registrar’s office handle administration for non-credit or CEU programs?

Do you currently track course attendance or hours of attendance? If so, who enters that data into your system?

Describe your policies for Internet access for students. (e.g., registration, receive/review grades, review course schedules, update personal information, etc.)

Describe the college’s tuition and course fee policies? (e.g., block tuition, upper/lower division, section charges, etc.)

Describe the college’s grading system and policies.

Is there anything that you would note as unique to your institution’s policies or programs?

Please provide copies of transcripts, key forms, reports or other printed matter that you commonly use in your department.

Student Housing:

At what point in the process do you become aware of a student’s housing needs/plans?

What is the process for roommate requests and preferences?

What are your timelines during the year for housing registration?

Do upper class students receive priority housing assignments?

How do you handle damage charges?

How many different meal plans do you offer?

How do you prorate charges?

Do you manage student life programs like clubs, intramural sports and activities? Do these go on a co-curricular transcript?

Please provide copies of key forms, reports or other printed matter that you commonly use in your department.

Protective Services (Campus Security):

Other than UCR reporting, are there any other campus specific reports?

Do you issue parking stickers and/or tickets?

Do you control key inventories and/or student ID cards?

Do you assess other types of ‘disciplinary fines’ or ‘demerits’ on students?

Can you describe your student judiciary process?

What sort of badge system do you use? Do you retain photos of students?

Please provide copies of key forms, reports or other printed matter that you commonly use in your department.

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