Implementing a Paperless Admission SystemPhase #2

Thomas Skottene & Nancy Walsh

Office of Undergraduate AdmissionsUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Agenda• Intro• Modules

• Document Management• Processing• Review• Post Review• Reports

• Applicant Experience• Framework Functionality• Q & A

Timeline & Resources

• Largest Office of Undergraduate Admissions (OUA) project since the ERP (Banner) implementation in 2003

• eAdmitTM went live in August 2011 for the 2012 admissions cycle

• Some parts will complete in fall 2011 and spring 2012

Scope & Benefits

• Goal: – Replace our previous paper docket

process with an electronic web based workflow and document delivery system

• Benefits:– Do more with less, through

• Increased automation• Improved transparency• Improved workflow

Development

• Built by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions (OUA) with in-house resources– Browser Based Program– We can change it over time as we see

the need

• Banner interfaces– Daily import job– Some instant Banner updates

High Level Process Flow

BannerLess than 5% of OUA

activity

Online Web Application Form

eAdmitTM

95% of all OUA work100% of College work

Scanned Documents &

PDF Transcripts

Self Reported Academic RecordTM

Daily import At 5:30AM

Goal: Get the Banner data we need and make Banner look like it did before eAdmitTM

Some data flows instantly, most flow once a day

DARwinNo Change

Keep as paper process for nowChange Forms

Test Scores

eAdmitTM

Modules

Opening Screen

• eAdmitTM users have the same opening or splash screen after logging in

• Goal: – Make sure users are cognizant of our current

application numbers

• Data elements:– # of Scanned Documents– # of Applications– # of Decisions

Opening Screen

• Screenshot

eAdmitTM

Document ManagementOr DocQ

Document Management

• Purpose– Receive, prep, index, match, and route

incoming documents, electronic and paper

• Non-eAdmitTM steps– Receive, open, and sort mail– Filter out materials that will not be

scanned• E.g. letters of recommendation, CD of piano

recital, certificate of health club membership, etc.

Scanning, Indexing & Uploading

• All relevant incoming documents will be scanned – unless they are already in an electronic

format we can use

• All documents will be indexed/uploaded– Add identifying information such as

name and DOB– Indentify what kind of document it is

• Transcript (+ institution, if available), passport copy, fee waiver, etc.

Automated Matching

• eAdmitTM will try to match a new document based on the known data to either a student or an applicant

• A nightly job runs to match any new applications or students against existing uploaded documents in eAdmitTM

• Success depends on the accuracy of the meta-data added

Manual Matching Component

• For single matches a DM staff member will manually verify that eAdmitTM made a valid match by comparing:– Scanned Document– Banner Data– Indexed Data

• If not, the staff member can exclude the match, leave the document, or search for another match

• For zero or multiple matches a DM staff member can – Search for new matches– Narrow down existing matches– Provides tools

• Partial or fragmented fields• Switch first/last name, etc

– Manage applicant vs. student search

Document Search

• DocQ allows searches for any document by available meta-data:– Name– DOB– Document Type– UIN (University Identification Number)– Document ID (internal reference number)

• Handy for routing of un-matched documents

– Institution• Handy if you need to find a transcript you know came

from a specific school, but must have been mismatched

eAdmitTM

Processing

Processing

• Automated– Process steps that only require error

reports and spot checks– Self-Reported Academic Record (SRARTM)

• Semi-Automated– Steps that require limited human

intervention

• Manual– Steps that still require human

intervention

SRARTM

• Self-Reported Academic Record– Inspired by University of California system,

Georgia Tech, Rutgers, and others– Freshman applicants self report their academic

record– Self-reported data is used to review application

& make decision– Once applicants accept their offer, we check

the final transcripts for discrepancies– Large administrative savings

• 7,000 vs. 28,000 transcripts, automation possibilities

Fully Automated Steps

• Matching online forms – like the SRARTM, appeals, etc. based on their

application ID• Academic calculations• Pattern analysis• English proficiency• Essay check

Semi Automated Steps

• Dedicated screens for analyzing applicant responses- First Generation

- Educational Goal

Manual Steps

• Transfer Processing– Long list of manual tasks

• Initial Validation• High School Work• College Work

– eAdmitTM will only keep track of status and manage the workflow

Processing Summary

• Automation where possible

• Very large savings in time and effort– In theory, a freshman could apply at 5PM and be

available for review by 8AM the next morning!

• All wins come at a price – Some issues might not be discovered until they reach

review

eAdmitTM

Review

Worklists

• Review, like most work in eAdmitTM, is organized into Work Lists

• Work Lists are chunks of work waiting to be done

• Work Lists can be sorted or prioritized according to need

• Work Lists can be assigned according to need

Review• Organization

– All workflow is managed by worklists and committees – An applicant will show in a worklist based on their status

which includes• Committee membership (most often program code)• Referral status• Number of reads and who did these reads• Decision status• College status• Special requirements status

These will open as PDFs

Transfer Review

• Same application data as for freshmen

• Different review sheet • Different worklists• Different committees

Other Reviews

• We also have some processing and review that does not fall neatly into our common procedures:– Non-degree– Dual Admission– Etc

eAdmitTM

Framework Functionality

Person Search & Summary Page

• eAdmitTM has a search feature that allows user to search by UIN or last name/partial name

• Find status – Checklist items

• Find documents– Receive dates

• The results will take you to the summary page which will allow users to access any and all information we have about the applicant or the student

Reports

• eAdmitTM has several types of reports:– Troubleshooting/Error/”Black Hole” reports

• E.g. Compare how many applications we have in Banner vs. eAdmitTM

• Check that the Banner decisions are the same as in eAdmitTM

– Operational/Manager reports• E.g. who worked First Generation yesterday and how

many did they do each• How many reviews did so and so do last month

– Strategy reports• Opening page• Where are we this year compared to last

Post-Review

• Some processes have been recently added or are still being worked on

• These include:– I-20 processing and document gathering– Final transcript processing and

document gathering– Scholarships– Archiving

Applicant Experience• eAdmitTM has several forms and pages exposed to the Applicant

– SRARTM

– Change Forms• Bio/Demo change• Term/Program Change• Course Change form

– Appeal forms• Freshman • Transfer

– Request for Delayed Admission– Ability to view and download NOA and other letters– I-20 application

• Allows international students to upload their passport copy and financial documentation online

– Applicants use their WebID and PIN to access these forms which means they are auto-matched

Questions & Answers

Thomas Skottenetskotten@illinois.edu

Nancy Walshnjwalsh@illinois.edu