Story Author: Kim Kintz, kkintz@iun.edu
Publish Date: May 2004
Source Publication: IUN Northwest News

April/May, 2004 Northwest News- A new web-based computing envi­ronment is ready to take shape as the university enters its final stages of training and beginning stages of implementation of the Human Resource Management System and Student Information System (HRMS/SIS). The SIS project, often referred to as the "PeopleSoft project," is an IU university-wide conversion to a new computing environment for access­ing and managing student information. From class scheduling, to grade report­ing, to changing personal information, the new system combines all facets of student administration into a single, secure, online environment.

As many have seen or used in the kiosks and computer labs around cam­pus, this environment is accessed through a web-portal named OneStart. OneStart replicates the services currently available on Insite and RegWeb, but it also allows students to view transfer credit information and keep a daily calendar or "to do" list. Faculty and staff will also have the same abili­ty on OneStart to customize a home­page, maintain a personal calendar, submit and review free classified list­ings and import Web site books from a PC. Also, unlike before, access to per­sonalized OneStart pages are available from anywhere in the world because it is a part of the Web.

The most important information about SIS that the campus community needs to be aware of, according to Registrar Peter Kesheimer, is that each member of the campus, especially stu­dents, must create an IT account with a user name and password to register for classes and access the SIS system. In the old system, students accessed infor­mation and registered for classes using a student ID number, which was usually the same as their social security number. If a student did not create an IT account to use his or her campus email, assigned during admission to the university, the student could still access grades and other records.

In order to help the for the campus community to better understand the new registration changes currently under way, Kesheimer sent out announcements outlining the changes. He also has a link from the Registrar Web site to a Power Point presentation walking a student through the new reg­istration procedure step-by-step. In addition, IT Training Coordinator Jacquelyn Coven has free OneStart training workshops open to students, faculty and staff. These workshops, which run through April, will explain what the OneStart portal is, how to find out what is in OneStart now and what to expect in the future, how to effective­ly navigate within the program and how to create and edit your own custom content within OneStart.

Other training on the new system has been ongoing since last year for staff and faculty who assist students in advising and course registration. Key staff members in the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business & Economics, Education, Public and Environmental Mfairs, Social Work, Nursing and Health Professions, Continuing Studies and Labor Studies have completed training on the new system. According to SIS Project Team Leader for IU Northwest Kathryn Lantz, training will continue through September for the remaining staff and faculty who have been identified by their deans as needing access to the new system. Faculty and staff will receive e-mail notifications in April ask­ing them to sign-up for training. All training will be conducted on the IU Northwest campus.

To log in to OneStart, simply click the link available on the IU Northwest home­page or visit: http://onestart.iu.edu.