The Administrative Information Systems (AIS) department provides information technology solutions and services which enhance the administrative operations of The University of Iowa business, collegiate, academic and service units. Our broad range of services includes:

• Application Development – We provide classic analysis, design, programming, and testing spanning a variety of platforms and technologies.
• Application Integration – We provide implementation and integration support for vended applications.
• Database Management and Administration – We provide a full range of DBA support for internal and externally hosted databases.
• Information Access and Decision Support – We provide support for publishing institutional data to the University Data Warehouse.
• Consulting – We provide analysis, design, product selection, architecture, project management, and technology solution consulting.

The administrative systems supported encompass a diverse set of university functions such as academic and financial student records, library automation, central business office functions, human resources, payroll, and personnel services.  Our application portfolio extends from very large mission critical enterprise systems to small departmental applications, and includes both internally developed and vendor supplied applications.  We support applications on a variety of platforms ranging from large IBM enterprise and UNIX servers at the top end, with NT and Novell servers in the mid-range, all the way down to Wintel desktops.  Technologies we support include traditional CICS online transaction processing, PeopleSoft suite of tools, Java web-based development, and data warehouse environment.

The following sections highlight this past year’s significant accomplishments, planned projects, challenges, and our financial summary.

 These are the projects or significant efforts that were completed in 2004.

 Finance and Operations

• Pre-implementation planning for PeopleSoft Financials V8.8 upgrade and General Ledger implementation.
• Enhanced the MARS system to support early student billing process initiative, improved the reporting capabilities and user interface, and implemented transaction archiving and performance optimizations.
• Enhanced and extended the web based e-Procurement system to include workflow enabled e-Vouchers and a contract bidding system.
• Developed a web-based exit interview application for Student Loan Accounting.
• Engaged Business Services customers in discussion about alternatives to current legacy applications.

 Provost’s Office

• Selected Sungard SCT Matrix as the New Student Information System replacement strategy.
• Implemented an electronic grade and attendance entry system that allows direct entry or importing of data.
• Created a proxy login process for ISIS that allows students to authorize parents/guardians access to their student records eliminating the need to send duplicate bills and grades.
• Implemented an ID Card image enabled waiting room tracking application for the Academic Advising Center.
• Implemented a transcript request process with the National Student Clearinghouse.
• Generated University IDs for all students who previously attended the University.
• Converted the Financial Aid System to a relational database.

 Enterprise Applications

• In conjunction with TNS created a network security quarantine application for RESNET.
• Developed a self service application that allows email users to manage their SPAM rejection threshold.
• Began conversion of the data access service to Windows Server and Active Directory Security.
• Optimized the Name and Address database synchronization process.
• Developed a web-based University ID management and administrative application.

 Vice-president for Research

• Implemented HawkIRB, a human subject’s protocol institutional review board tracking application for the Human Subject Office.

Database Administration

• Implemented hardware and software infrastructure upgrades to the enterprise data warehouse which allowed us to publish more PeopleSoft Financials and Academic Revenue Data.

 The following is an annotated list of the key projects that we identified through our cooperative planning efforts that will be initiated in 2005.  A majority of these projects will be completed in 2005 as well.  The PeopleSoft Financials and New Student Information System ERP project are multi-phase due to their complexity and scale, and are expected to be completed over multiple years.

 Finance and Operations

• Complete the PeopleSoft Financials General Ledger Implementation and Accounts Payable, Purchase Order, and Asset Management Version 8.8 Upgrade.  Begin Phase II which will involve Inventory Control Implementation and replacing the reporting environment.
• Provide the database administration and support for the PeopleSoft Human Resources Upgrade.
• Complete MARS Student Billing and Accounts Receivable enhancements for collections account processing and administration, data warehouse reporting capabilities, internal Cashier’s Office and departmental reconciliation processes, faculty, staff, and student self-service features.
• Complete the Facilities Services’ workflow enabled requisition web application.

 Provost Office

• Implement the Department of Education’s mandatory Financial Aid updates including conversion to the new XML based transport protocols.
• Convert the Admission’s score files to accommodate the new entrance exam formats.
• Enhance the ISIS/OSIRIS Student, Faculty and Staff Self-service to include electronic grade change, electronic add/drop, parking services integration, and student notification and alerts.
• Upgrade the Infohawk Library Automation software and infrastructure.  This will include upgrading the ExLibris Aleph software to V17.2 and the implementation of a new reporting environment and electronic resource management system.
• Begin implementation of the New Student Information System.  This project will include a student relationship management system for e-recruiting and marketing, a communications and correspondence management system along with admissions, student records, financial aid, and student billing modules.  As part of this project we will replace the existing degree audit and transfer course articulation systems with the University of Miami’s DARWin product.

Infrastructure Support

• Upgrade the Oracle online transaction processing database environment.
• Upgrade to Oracle 10g database servers.
• Upgrade legacy web applications to utilize the new linux, tomcat, and java application architectures.
• Provide database support for the new ICON course management system.

 The implementation of PeopleSoft General Ledger and the decision to purchase a commercial student information system represents a major shift in the institution’s application portfolio away from mainframe based applications.  This will present many challenges for AIS and our customers.  A structured and timely application migration strategy must be created and implemented for the remaining mainframe-based applications.  AIS staff will need to work with our customers to develop and implement appropriate application migration strategies over the next couple of years.  Some customers are in the process of evaluating commercially available replacements or have begun requirements gathering and analysis in anticipation of developing new web-based replacement applications.  Other customers will need significant support and guidance through the transition process.

 In most instances, AIS Staff will have to transition from a development role to that of application integration, learning new technologies, methodologies, troubleshooting, and support skills.

 AIS has been a campus leader in web-development and specifically Java-based web-development.  With the purchase of the New Student Information System and its dependence upon Microsoft .Net technologies, AIS will now have to support multiple web-development environments.  AIS will have to build our .Net expertise and develop the necessary infrastructure and support mechanisms to become a campus leader in both technology stacks.

Since AIS has been supporting PeopleSoft Technologies since 1997, the addition of the General Ledger and Inventory Control modules to the PeopleSoft Financials suite will not present any real core technology challenges.  We anticipate some minor challenges as we upgrade from the two tier client/server Version 7.52 to web-based Version 8.8 in the added complexity of the web-layer.  There could be some challenges in developing the appropriate support structure with the consolidated Financial suite the University Hospitals and Clinics.  We anticipate that we will likely have to augment our existing PeopleSoft Financials support staff to cover increased support demands.

 AIS serves its mission in a fiscally accountable manner.  We provide high value and are responsible stewards of University resources as we work to improve and enhance the administrative operations of the University.

 AIS is a $4.4M operation.  AIS is budgeted to be a funding-neutral department within ITS.  The majority of AIS revenues (93%) are received from the University General Education Fund.  The remaining revenue is generated from professional services provided to auxiliary units (Facilities Services, Residence Services, Human Subjects Office- Vice-President for Research, Continuing Education, and University Hospitals and Clinics.  AIS major expenses are personnel/benefits (95%), travel/training (2%), and the remaining minimal expenses for office and operating expenses.

 Our primary customers are Finance and Operations and the Office of the Provost (Registrar’s Office, Admission’s Office, Financial Aid Office, Continuing Education, and Library).  We spend over 80% of our effort on supporting their projects.  The remaining effort is spent supporting auxiliary units (Vice-President for Research, Facilities Services, Parking, Residence Services and University Hospitals) and enterprise applications (help desk, directory services, and groupware) and Student Services.  The 44 FTE AIS staff have provided over 70,000 billable hours for the past 5 years.

The second graphic provides a historic perspective of the AIS Staff effort.