Project Background
The latest measurement of sophistication of eGovernment services in Macedonia and its comparison to EU countries has shown that the level of sophistication of student enrolment benchmark in Macedonia is estimated to value 1, while most of the EU countries have reached values of 5 (maximum value). This means that about student enrolment there is only information on the web, there is no form downloading, there is no possibility to fill and submit the form, no possibility to realize complete transaction and no possibility for pro-active and customized solution.
Extensive research on the needs and requirements of University management shows high priority to the student information system. According to Bologna process, the integration of universities was realized from January 1st, 2009, with a lot of obstacles and problems. This process is now in the situation where isolated faculties are unified under one umbrella, but still most of the university management is distributed to faculties with a lot of diversity. The highest priority in this process is the student information system, where all students’ data will be integrated into one university environment.
The typical situation at the most of the Universities is the following:
· The university issues a booklet to each student called Index where all student activities are noted, signed and stamped by the administration
· Students wait in queues for all activities to register for new semester, to approve completed courses, to note assessment grades, approx. 1/4h per day on average
· Each student activity is also written on special application forms (papers) signed and stamped by administration, then by professors and once again collected by administration
· There is no automated tracking system for student activities and everything is double checked by administration looking at papers, signatures and stamps.
· There is no access control to university resources
· A big number of administration is checking all documents and keeping track of student files in bug archives
Within this project we design a new system with usage of sophisticated IT technology, innovation and knowledge management and change paper and handwork by electronic services, interoperable for future upgrades. The system will maintain not only to change the paper work and reduce the queues and students waiting, but also will offer innovations and possibility to upgrade the system with more and more functionalities.
Several TEMPUS projects helped realization of University Management like
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TEMPUS TACIS UM JEP 15032-2000 Administration et gestion des universités dans l'Ancienne République yougoslave de Macédoine, AGU, 2000-2003
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TEMPUS CARDS SCM C009 B05-2005, Sustainable Multicultural InteroperabiLity Environment SMILE, 2006-2007 (smile.ii.edu.mk)
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TEMPUS CARDS UM JEP 40045-2005, Workflow and Document Management Infrastructure towards Integrated University WODOMI, 2006-2009 (wodomi.ii.edu.mk)
The project AGU addressed student records, project SMILE addressed realization of register of higher education institutions and project WODOMI addressed workflow and document management system.
In meantime the technology has changed and the student record information system has to be updated to cope with new approach defined in the workflow and document management systems capable to be realized as web services and accessed by Internet.
The goals set within this project will be to design eStudent Management Information System for enrolment process, registration of students’ courses and electives, tracking student activities, authorisation to access university resources and services, integration of assessment, issuing certificates and following other European initiatives.
The realisation of web application and web services design will address the following modules:
· Establishing electronic version of student personal file
· Authentication, authorisation and access control to University resources
· Accounting of usage of University services
· EuropassCV, ECTS and Diploma supplement initiatives
It will also allow the following interoperability issues:
· Exchange to University Learning Management Systems (LMS)
· Exchange to University Financing System
· Exchange to University Workflow and Document Management System
· Exchange with Ministry of Education and register of high education institutions
The overall goal is not just change of paper work by electronic means, but to make business process re-design of university management in order to cope with establishment of new Integrated University environment.
The results obtained within this project are relevant to the higher education reforms as specified by EU modernization agenda and the Bologna process. It will not only produce changes in the institution – it will also make progress to the overall high education system enabling also the government to use information and make more appropriate analyses of the educational system. The impact in the system will have a lot of dimensions, it will also increase the eGovernment benchmark of Republic of Macedonia and it will enable progress towards Information Society – by simply letting the students using sophisticated electronic services and implementing similar ideas at their future working environments.
Finally, why this project was not realized earlier and why there is high demand. Integrated University process tried to make collection of faculties, but now there is essential demand to unify all faculties and related information systems with legacy problems into one integrated solution. Recently the government has started with promotion of “education is power” by opening new faculties and face towards new upcoming Information Society. They also have high demand to extract knowledge and understanding out of updated information of existing demands and opened new higher education institutions. There is essential need of expertise and knowledge management in solving this high priority problem.