Purdue News
Purdue News
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September 24, 1999 Purdue embarks on technology initiativeWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University is embarking on an extensive replacement project for its administrative computing systems for student services. Beginning late fall, the Purdue Trax initiative will ask students, faculty and staff about how they access information. Their responses will become the blueprint for developing the new computing system that will reduce cycle-time, improve access to data, and provide more service on demand from virtually any computer connected to the Internet. "We intend to seek input from users to build a world-class system using current technology that meets today’s requirements and anticipates future needs." said Lee Gordon, director of student services computing. Purdue was one of the first universities to use technology for accessing student data, beginning with the online academic record system developed nearly 30 years ago. "These systems have supported the mission of the university very well, and their legacy is that they were designed to support the growing needs over a long period of time," Gordon said. "We have simply outgrown the adaptability and flexibility of these systems, and the Purdue Trax initiative will allow us to replace them with leading-edge technology that supports the diverse and complex needs of many constituencies." Purdue University students coming to campus this fall got a taste of things to come with Purdue Trax. The Student Services Information Online (SSINFO) system moved to a Web-based platform this summer. SSINFO provides student access to class schedules, grades, financial aid, job postings, off-campus housing, course tutors, and other windows to campus information. "SSINFO is the student's window to their information," Gordon said. "Now that we have improved student access to data, a much larger and comprehensive project is under way to replace the databases that fundamentally support operations serving students, faculty, and staff." The components of Purdue Trax include academic records, individual plans of study, academic monitoring, registration, scheduling, admissions, transfer credit articulation, fee billing and financial aid. The total effort of building new applications and retiring old ones will be a nine-year, $25 million effort. The first application to be replaced is the academic record system, which is a mainframe system built in 1967. "Purdue Trax will be a Web-based system built on an Oracle database", said Laverne Knodle, executive director of management information. "We already have a foundation for the database, using what has been developed with the Student Contact System in the admissions office and SSINFO. We will utilize the expertise gained in developing these applications, both from a technical and business perspective." Thomas Robinson, vice president for student services, said: "I am very supportive of the Purdue Trax initiative for two reasons. First, it will utilize today's technology in building a system that can support the complexity and comprehensiveness of Purdue. Second, it will give us an opportunity for faculty, students and staff to collaboratively decide who, what, when, where and how services should be provided, and design a system that meets those needs. It will fundamentally shape how Purdue conducts its business in the 21st century." CONTACT: Gordon, (765) 494-0246; leegordon@purdue.edu
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