LETTER: QUAD issues will be fixed

Editor,

I am writing in response to a few letters regarding the QUAD system and registration. I’m glad that students are speaking out about registration woes.

However, please know that Utah State University has heard you and is implementing a state-of-the-art administrative data system that will resolve most concerns about the QUAD, including use of social security numbers as ID numbers.

Although students may not have noticed, USU has increased capacity on the QUAD in recent years, but such expansion is limited. The main problem lies in an outdated (often described as obsolete) administrative data system with primary components purchased in the mid-80s and early ’90s. Administrators have identified the problem and allocated resources to migrate to SCT Banner, an administrative data system designed for universities like ours. Besides the student information system, the migration involves many other systems including those tracking finance, financial aid, and human resource, that are often unseen by students.

It is a huge project, requiring millions of dollars and several years to implement fully.

Co-managing a program sponsored by Information Technology Services called Student Technology Training, I have had the opportunity to meet some of the professional staff working to make better administrative data processing a reality. I assure you that they are dedicated to providing quality services to USU students. Information about the project is not limited to those actively working on it.

The Utah Statesman has featured a number of articles about SCT Banner Migration. Probably the best source for information on this topic can be accessed via the Internet at www.usu.edu/banner/faq.htm. This page can be accessed by following a link that is located at the bottom of the university’s home page that reads “Information of the Banner Project.”

Such an undertaking takes time; the project will not be completed for a couple of years. In the meantime, I urge fellow students to be patient and flexible. After all, the current system is definitely much better than the way our parents had to register. Their plight involved index cards and long lines. A better way is on it’s way.

Daniel Neeley