Put Some Wind in Your Sails: Tools to Successfully Implement Electronic Transcript Exchange AACRAO Technology Conference 2012 American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers Sunday, July 1 st, 2012 Crystal Room Session 151

Agenda Getting Started Options to Consider Benefit Analysis Cost Factors Security & Ferpa Compliance Checklists & Resources Q & A

Getting Started  Problem to Be Solved  Quick Hits  Medium Term Goals  Long Term Goals  Tactical vs. Strategic Implementation  Phased Approach  Your Environment vs. Industry Project PlanStrategy

Options to Consider With dozens of vendors who should you pick?  What processes do they support? (ordering, sending, receiving, reporting)  What flexibility can they offer for various methods of transcript exchange (PDF, EDI, XML)?  Do they use a proprietary format or the PESC Standard?  Do they send their transactions through the Texas Server or a private network?  Are you required to pay a fee to send or receive transcripts?  Are you required to sign a contract to receive member institution transcripts?  Are they willing to send transactions through the Texas Server?  Is the solution they are pitching live in production or under development?  Are they compatible with your desired trading partners?  Who is on their list of active senders and receivers?  Will their member institutions accept your orders and transcripts, and send you transcripts (even out of state)?

Options to Consider Watch out here comes some multiple methods of exchange EDI XML PDF Embedded PDF

Benefit Analysis Sending Paper generally at least twice as costly as electronic Staffing efficiency is proportionate to % sent electronically Increased security Requesting & Receiving Staffing efficiency is proportionate to % requested and received electronically and level of data integration Cycle time drastically reduced General Expectations 25-35% savings for sending 65-75% savings for receiving (impacted by amount of automation upon receipt)

Cost Factors ELECTRONIC COSTSPAPER COSTS Computer hardware / software Technical expertise with programming & networking Printer / toner Functional expertise with mapping dataSchool seal Staff trainingStuffing / sorting/collating Altered business processFraud prevention efforts/security paper Trading partners (# can effect ROI)Mailing / postage Printer / paper if you are not fully automated Cost of slower service (rework or student changes mind) Format conversion (PDF, EDI, XML)?Vendor fees if outsourced Import (imaging, SIS, Degree Audit)Staff inefficiencies higher FTE ratio Relationship building (staff position)Increased errors due to manual handling Vendor costs (if applicable)Increased risk of compliance breech PII

Security

Paper System Solutions, Issues, Stabs in the Dark  Security paper  Color background/ foreground  Formatting  Watermarks  University Seal  Signatures (hand-written, stamps, pre-printed)  Security Envelopes  Federal Postal System  Color Printers  Desktop Publishing software  Whose seal?  Digital Scanners  Old –fashioned steam iron  “Black-Hole” Security FeaturesPossible Stab Wounds

Ferpa Compliance FERPA Regulations support electronic exchange of transcripts under the following conditions…  FERPA regulations do not prohibit the use of electronic methods of exchange  The business process really determines if exchanging a request electronically is appropriate  These transactions are compliant as long as they are initiated from a trusted source  Protect your students and institution by having them sign the consent/release form to authorize a request

EDI / XML Research Checklist Electronic Communications  VAN  Internet (ftp, , http)  Vendor fees Operational Integration  Mapping EDI or XML into existing business processes & systems  Content management & business rules  Multiple standards (X12 EDI, XML, proprietary)  Versions Audit / Reporting  Volume  Successful and unsuccessful transmissions User Interface / Access  Tools for users to monitor data  Interface for users to review and process transcripts sending and/or receiving transcripts

Pre-work Research Checklist  Learn what vendor-delivered software tools and programs are available  Build on experience of others (networking from conferences)  Identify experience / knowledge of existing staff  Identify cost share opportunities  Partner institutions  Other groups at your own institution (Records, Admissions, Fin Aid)  State/Regional Initiatives (mandates or grants)

ROI Analysis Checklist Distinguish one-time vs. recurring costs  One-time Mapping Trading partner relationships Integration  Recurring Software license fees Maintenance contracts Staffing

Resources  EDX Primer publication & other AACRAO Technical publications hnology.aspx  Texas SPEEDE Server Documentation, FAQ’s & Software  SPEEDE listserv for questions and answers in the SPEEDE Community AACRAO electronic transcript discussion  Post Secondary Electronic Standards Council electronic exchange community, workgroups, schemas and implementation guides

SPEEDE – A Professional Development Committee of AACRAO American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers

Contacts Rick Skeel Monterey Sims This presentation was brought to you by the AACRAO SPEEDE Committee