News

March 14 – March 25, 2012

Last cycle made some great progress in surfacing our authorizations and combining that with other available person data to give an operational picture. We have a couple more tasks this cycle to further refine person data.

We are beginning to work on our student data. Our current student data model only stores current student status (what is this student doing this quarter) and depends on a complex manual process to import the data. Our goals are to support views and reporting that require data about what a student was doing in past quarters and that updates automatically (and far more frequently). This cycle we are documenting requirements and building a data model that will support the new requirements.

This is short cycle for us due to dev time off.

Work Complete

Courses

• All instructor field in CSV export missing data
• Course release demo on dev site for college leadership demo and feedback

Person

• Person descriptors provide a single short description of who a person is, prioritizing the most visible roles. Summary value of appointment, student, applicant and authorization data.
• Export employee email list
• Person search enhanced for speed and now searches person descriptor field as well as numeric fields (Employee ID, Student Number etc.)
• Root of EDUC project displays current user's authorizations in all systems. Public about page doesn't require UW NetID login and includes information on how to request authorization.

Student

• Catalog reports requested from student database. Use as use cases for redesign data model.
• Plans made for new data model that can support request reporting, database diagram created
• Map of STEP student status to UW SDB values
• Plan for automated updates from SDB created

Infrastructure

• Research and resolve maintenance job errors
• Set up a no login required portal to EDUC project. Support public pages and inter system web service. Move authorization strategies to separate middleware classes.

Work Planned

Courses

• Implement authorization for course release
• All instructor field in CSV export missing data
• Faculty merit report
• Add fee info fields to course offering records

Person

• Authorization plan for persons
• Create Reports in Person (CSV export of current employees)
• Add person input better validation
• My Authorizations screen at root of educ/a/ project
• Add job title as a search parameter in the person database
• Improve person search response time

Students

• Catalog reports requested from student data
• List of statuses that a student can be in at a point in time (enrolled, complete, withdrawn…)
• Outline extraction of student status from EDW / SWS data
• List events that should be logged on a student record
• Plan a data model and make an entity diagram

Infrastructure

• Configure Shibboleth as authentication system (CentOS)

 

Feb 29, 2016 – Mar 11, 2016

This cycle will continue work on the shared Person data and authorization systems. We have person data coming into system from several sources and want the data synchronized coherently. We also want tools to efficiently review who is authorized to use our systems.

Work Complete

Appreview 

• "Admit & scholarship" now included in MyGrad needs update
• Update "OSS Evaluation" in App Review to "Status"

Person

• Unified data structure for storing person information, logging changes to person data, and user authorizations. Different components of Person had been built out with each sub-system and we ended up with similar but incompatible records. Migrated these to a common data structure.
• All changes to Person record go through a common Person update manager which prioritizes conflicting input and detects and logs changes.
• Authorization is stored differently in various systems. Previously we pulled raw authorization values into Person reports and translated into human readable synopsis as page was rendered. Changed this to import and store an authorization summary which allows for more flexible reporting options.
• Record authorization date and user that authorized to all system authorizations. To keep the above authorization cache up to date, we need a mechanism to allow various COE systems to report authorization changes to the Person database. We now have an inter-system web service for authorization change notices. 
• Person view has been updated to give more information about person records. Authorizations are only links to other COE system user edit tools if user is authorized. Added missing systems to authorization views (Appreview, Budgets, Person, Room Booking).
• Person log view shows history of Person record and authorization changes.
• Report of persons with authorizations and no current appointments
• Report by COE info system of who is authorized

Infrastructure

• Add IfModule to pubcookie config in all project .htaccess files

 

Work Planned

Person

• Record authorization date and user that authorized to all system authorizations
• Entity caching system to allow pages to include nested data with indirect relationships efficiently
• Person view to display more detailed authorizations per system
• Add MRBS permissions to person authorization views
• Report by system of who is authorized
• My Authorizations screen at root of educ/a/ project
• System context menu indicate current user authorizations
• Appointment job title as searchable field for Person
• Refine person search taking too long to run, strange results on number searches
• Hide auth links for viewer only roles
• Clean up layout, responsive, fixed top menus, more bootstrap oriented

 

Feb 16, 2016 – Feb 26, 2016

This cycle's goals are to launch the Apply portal for ECFS applications, provide a more flexible buy-out record in Courses, make some adjustments to Appreview to support Apply and the current application review process, and implement Person/User reporting that will help us manage system authorizations.

Work Complete

Apply

• Updates to Apply steps, options, and help text
• Automatic email sent to applicant when application is started and submitted using email templates
• Hard deadline (displayed) and soft deadline (enforced)
• Apply launched to production, ECFS on-campus accepting applications

Appreview

• Link to Apply portal (view application as applicant)
• Apply cycle configuration tool
• Degree view adjusted for Apply required fields
• Mark an application withdrawn
• Display full messages in application log
• Tool to remove an advisor (assignment mistake or change)
• Using report filters no longer breaks enter a decision tool 
• Layout fix where empty coursework box left large empty space above it 
• Implemented download link on Enter Rubric Scores report 
• Ethnicity field moved to its own report taken off general CSV downloads 
• MyGrad deadlines report, auto calculations and edit values tool 

Person

• Centralized person update system that prioritizes input and logs changes
• New implementation of import person data from UW Enterprise Data warehouse for efficiency and consistency. All updates use the shared person update system for logging.
• New implementation of import user data from other information system. Takes user name and limits query to records missing from person for efficiency.
• Weighted name so different name values from multiple data sources do not trigger circular updates

Work Planned

Apply

• Apply admin role in appreview user management
• Link from Apply report to Apply interface
• Add narrative and help text provided by ECFS
• Indicate intent to enroll in program
• Withdraw application option in Apply
• Apply production launch

Appreview

• Application cycle configuration
• Adjust degree view on application detail for optional major/degree values
• Move ethnicity to special report
• Empty coursework box clears past log section in right column
• Deadlines are empty in application detail header
• Method to remove an advisor
• Download link on Enter Rubric Score report

Courses

• Allow faculty buy-out records that are not specifically related to course offering records. Faculty activity report to include information about grants and administrative responsibility.

Person

• Import all current appointments for COE employees
• Revisit person update strategy
• Add MRBS permissions to person authorization views
• Person view to display more detailed authorizations per system
• Record authorization date and user that authorized to all system authorizations
• Report by system of who is authorized
• Create Reports in Person Dbase
• Hide auth links for viewer only roles
• My Authorizations screen at root of educ/a/ project

Infrastructure

• Add IfModule to pubcookie config in all project .htaccess files
• Configure Shibboleth as authentication system
• Fully copy all production projects to sandbox
   

2/1/2016 – 2/12/2016

This cycle's main focus is the Apply portal for ECFS applications. Our goal is to have portal feature complete by the end of this cycle. That gives us some extra time for refinement or early launch before the March 1 deadline.

Work Complete

Apply

• Apply Cycle configuration that allows for different steps per program or time period.
• Authorization scheme that implements row level permissions for applicants. Amy can see her own application, download her own materials, read her own messages but is denied access if she tries to view another applicants material through the Apply interface.
• Refine the page layout. Remove redundant elements. Clean up display for consistency.
• Upload a material to Apply. Ability to replace that uploaded file with a new one.
• Applicant can submit their application. This locks the application for the applicant, but makes the application visible in Appreview.
• Apply step that acknowledges notifications will be sent to UW email address with link to UW-IT forwarding instructions.
• Degree / Transcript step repeats until applicant clicks Done button to allow upload of multiple transcripts.
• Status of application is displayed at top of application page with highlighted information for Submitted, Complete, Admit, and Deny.
• Email sent to application through Appreview are viewable in the Apply portal.
• Events that happen in the Apply portal are recorded in Appreview event log (started, submitted).
• Read-only view of submitted application in Apply accessible by applicant.

Appreview

• Contact section shows either MyGrad contact information or Apply contact information.
• Report that shows applications entered through the Apply portal, including applications that have been started, but not yet submitted.
• Applications that have enrolled field (current UW / transfer) have that displayed at top of Degree section in Appreview.
• Mark an application complete in Appreview. This feature only available on applications entered through Apply portal.
• Un-submit an application in Appreview. This feature only available on applications entered through Apply portal. Allows applicant to make further changes to the application in Apply.
• Ability to send a one-off email message to an applicant from Appreview application detail page.
• Report filter for current UW student or transfer student. Important distinction during ECFS application review and communication.
• Add percentile to UW test scores. Layout self reported and offical score sections similarly so they are easily comparable.
• Handle error adding user to Appreview when there is no person record in Person Database.

Courses

• Display UW Time Schedule comments in Courses
• Online/distance as managed field of a course offering. Workflow for planning, comparing with UWTS, and reconciling.
• Investigate course records created locally, but never added to UW Curriculum.

Students

• Masters in Instructional Leadership pathway change. Add EDUC-18 pathway to STEP program menus. Coded to group EDUCX-18 and EDUC-18 students together.

Tech Support

• Update Help Desk staff photos in ticket footer

Work Planned

Apply

• Add material, replace material for Personal Statement and Resume.
• Submit application.
• Update appreview reports to hide un-submitted applications.
• Report to show application from Apply portal including submitted and un-submitted.
• Read-only view of application and application status feedback (Complete/Incomplete).
• Tool to allow applicants with admit decision to enter intent to enroll.
• Settings tool in appreview to maintain Apply cycle configuration (URLs, labels, open date and deadline).
• Appreview interface to mark an application complete.
• Appreview interface to un-submit and application. Support feature, this will allow the applicant to make changes.
• Appreview report filter for current UW students vs transfer students.
• Refine Apply layout. Merge heading and (empty) top menu. Removed caret graphic indicating UW/COE logo is a menu.

Courses

• Make UW Time Schedule comments visible in the course planner. This will be a read-only field.
• Add an Online/Distance flag for course offerings.

1/18/2016 – 1/29/2016

Focus of this cycle is the Apply project, a portal to accept applications to ECFS programs that will be displayed and reviewed in Appreview.

Work Complete

Apply

• Access Control List configuration for Apply. During development the system will be accessible only to specifically authorized users. When system goes live this rule will be removed and anyone with a UW NetID login will have access.
• Changed strategy so program applied for is indicated by entry URL. No progam selection inputs. Application overview, requirements, date will be provided by program website and link on website will drop applicant into Apply for the appropriate program.
• View for application cycle closed or not found (invalid URL provided).
• Contact information form
• Enrolled form (current UW student or transfer).
• Interests form
• Add degree and transcript form. Multi-step form (1. degree info, 2. upload a transcript) with ability to repeat for multiple transcripts. Ability for degree info to be edited and upload to be replaced. Application restructuring happened to allow for complex sub-steps within an application step.

Appreview

• Added "Interview" as pending decision value and report filter (Decision section). Some programs do interviews as part of the application review process. This mechanism allow selected applicants to be flagged and filtered in the system.
• Added average rubric scores to appropriate CSV export files.
• Reviewed and adjusted website theme for Mac Safari, application had some strange behaviors on that browser.

Courses

• Rooms listed in CSV export of course offering data.
• Added credits and grading system to list view in My Courses. We ask faculty to check this list for accuracy and wanted fields that typically need adjusting exposed at list.
• Fixed a non-breaking, but visible error message on the person list view.

Test Scores

• Test score dashboard has latest test score date by test type on dashboard. This provides indicator of recent imports.

Work Planned

Apply

• Access control configuration for #Apply
• Landing page (No Login) will display the programs that can be applied to using this portal with links back to the public COE site for program information. It will also display application period and deadlines and be based on Apply Cycle configuration.
• Report of applications started, not submitted. Existing appreview views will only display applications where applicant has finished and pressed "Submit". We will provide an additional view to look at application in progress.
• Modify detail view for applications not submitted. Applications that are not yet submitted need to be highlighted appropriately.
• Contact information form, applicant enters address, phone, email.
• Current UW student or Transfer, applicant enters whether they are a currently enrolled UW student or also applying to the UW.
• Interests form, applicant answers interest questions that allow ECFS to place people in T&L pathway.
• Add degree & transcript, applicant describes previous course work and uploads a transcript.
• Replace transcript, applicant can upload a new copy of a transcript.

Infrastructure

• Work on sandbox server