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Interview with Sharon Cramer
Author, Student Information Systems: A Guide to Implementation Success

Memberlink : Hi Sharon , thanks for talking to me today about your book, Student Information Systems: A Guide to Implementation Success . First, I'd like to start off with a simple question and ask why you decided to write the book?

Sharon : The Buffalo State College campus, where I have been since 1985, had been using a homegrown system to do all of their registration and student services. That system had been in place, with minor updates, for a very long time. When we decided to move to a new, web-based system, it gave our campus an opportunity to really look at the services offered and make sure that, in our move to the new system, we would be doing all the things we needed to do for students.

When I was asked to lead the implementation project on my campus, I looked for other resources that really spoke to the realities of such an undertaking. Other than a few articles or editorials, I couldn't find anything other than highly technical resources. There was nothing that met the practical needs of what we as a campus were about to undertake.

When I finished my work on the project, I decided to reflect on our work. My goal was to prepare the sort of resource I wanted to have at the start of our implementation. I thought it would be helpful to other people starting the process.

Memberlink : Your book is about student information system (SIS) implementations. Could you explain a bit more about what that means, and clarify how the book is meant to be used?

Sharon : An SIS is a technology solution for capturing information on a campus, updating it, and sharing it with the people who need access to it. One of the biggest changes – and challenges – for an institution is to move from a situation where only staff members have access to student data to a system where students have access to their own information and can monitor the accuracy of it. Considering the options institutions have in terms of making an SIS accessible to different people and encouraging a decision-making process that explores new access is one of the real opportunities that an implementation triggers.

When a campus considers a major upgrade or switching to a new product, it is a perfect time to think about what kinds of documentation and services are needed and available. For example, consider how your distance education students will use the system, as well as the needs and concerns of other non-traditional students. Implementations offer an opportunity to think about how your campus is doing business. My experience in writing and using this book is that it will be of value both to institutions in the preliminary stages of an implementation and for those already in the process – particularly if they are kind of stuck.

I met with members of the enrollment management units at a campus a few years ago, and they had just started thinking about their implementation plans. They hadn't even decided what new product they would be using. They bought copies of the book for their entire student enrollment management team to start discussions about their goals and options.

Memberlink : What kinds of research did you rely on when writing the book?

Sharon : One of the things I wanted to ensure was that it wasn't just written from my campus' perspective. I thought perhaps our experience was unique in many ways due to the nature of the product we were using – which was still in development. So I incorporated two studies into my work.

The first study was a set of 10 questions sent from AACRAO to all college registrars and AACRAO members. Their input helped clarify some of the options people have when undertaking an implementation and some recommendations that come from people who have “been there, done that.” This detail was captured in Appendix A – one of the parts of the book I like the best.

The second study involved 10 volunteer campuses at different stages of implementation. I combined an on-line survey with in-depth phone conversations with 71 people from 10 different campuses. Their views are incorporated into the book. I think these two approaches helped highlight the real-life experiences of implementations. By including quotations from the research, as well as my own experience, readers get a sense of the intense experiences from the vantage point of enrollment management and IT staff members at many different institutions. They can also explore the different strategies used by their colleagues to make the implementation process effective.

Memberlink : Was there one piece of advice that really resonated with you? One thing that you wished you'd known before going through your implementation?

Sharon : The consistent message I heard from other campuses was that you have to agree on how the many different team members will work together – both technically and functionally. The teams have to learn how to compromise and have fun together. On some campuses, this worked very well. When it didn't happen, problems led to both interpersonal difficulties and stress in the implementation.

I wish I had known how critical that component was to a successful implementation. We had separate technical and functional teams on my campus. If I knew then what I know now, I would have pushed harder to create a team that had representatives from both technical and functional groups.

Memberlink : You mentioned how it can change the culture on a campus? How can an implementation help create a climate of collaboration?

Sharon : Culture is an aspect of the process that people don't think about when they are discussing student information systems. They only focus on the system and making sure it works. Initially, that's what we did on my campus, and what a number of other campuses reported. However, we found ourselves needing to think beyond the system, and consider our campus as a whole.

During my interviews, it was amazing to me that several of the people I interviewed from different campuses spontaneously used the idea of “changing the campus culture” so explicitly. We all came to view the implementation as an opportunity to look at how to help students, and to make the campus more respectful of students' needs. We found that the implementation was really woven into the life of the faculty, staff and students. I was amazed at how intertwined the implementations became with the needs of each campus as a whole.

Memberlink : Why would your book be of interest to AACRAO readers?

Sharon : From looking at the survey results in Chapter One and from my other discussions, nearly all institutions will go through a major upgrade or change products in the next few years. This book can help members of a campus analyze their situation in advance of launching an implementation. Other institutions are in the process of an implementation right now and are dealing with communication challenges that influence how team members work with each other, as well as with others on campus. This book includes very practical suggestions for those thinking about getting started as well as those whose implementation is currently taking place.

Memberlink : Some of the ideas in the book were about how to maintain perspective. As you were researching the book, what were some of the successful strategies that you heard helped people maintain perspective?

Sharon : One of the ideas we used that worked very well was to have a team of people involved who were members of our campus, but not directly engaged in the implementation activities. We called them our “eyes and ears.” As we were implementing, we met with those people regularly and heard what some of the concerns were around campus. This helped us figure out what kind of information we needed to get out there and how effective our communication had been.

Generally, those who are directly involved in the implementation can lose perspective because by the time the implementation takes place, they are so ready for the transition to the new system that all its new features seem very normal to them. They understand the rationale behind every change that has been made. But a lot of people on campus don't really tune into the switch until they are already in the process. So keeping other people in the loop is very important.

Also, it's important to have strong support from the campus administration. When the president endorses the system, it really facilitates progress.

Memberlink : How did you work with faculty in the implementation process?

Sharon : Faculty generally do not get involved in the early stages of training, because they think they will be able to learn what they need without preparation. They give meaning to the phrase “Just-in-time” training. So we had to anticipate some of the issues and make sure help was available. For example, when we first introduced online grading, the system was available from 6 a.m. – 8 p.m. and we made sure that we had phone and e-mail support during those hours. We also asked each department to identify a “grading guru” who would come to the training we offered, and learn the essentials (including where our documentation was posted on-line and available in hard copy). This way each department had one “go-to” person.

Memberlink : And how's the system working on your campus now? Are you happy with the outcome?

Sharon : We were very pleased with our transition from “in-line” to “on-line.” This semester, our campus is moving to a new, more comprehensive system. What I've noticed is how quiet it is and how peaceful people have been during this whole process. Four years ago, when we were moving from paper to online, there was a lot of paranoia and tension and fear. This implementation has gone very smoothly.

Memberlink : Your book came out in 2005 -- is it still relevant to people?

Sharon : I still see it as very relevant. If you look at the literature out in the field, there is still nothing like this that would help faculty, staff, and students to look at their processes and anticipate some of the challenges. This book was written for enrollment management specialists, and others on campus, who will be on the front lines of a student information system implementation. Incorporating principles of project management, with examples of campus experiences, this is the book I wish I'd had when we were starting our implementation.

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To learn more about Sharon Cramer, visit: www.sharoncramer.com

Read the reviews of Student Information Systems: A Guide to Implementation Success:

EDUCAUSE Quarterly (May 2006):
http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eqm06211.pdf

College & University (Volume 81, #3, 2006):
http://www.aacrao.org/publications/members_only/CUJ8103.pdf

Order the book online at www.aacrao.org/publications/new.cfm
Student Information Systems: A Guide to Implementation Success
$95 Nonmembers/$70 Members; 2005; Dr. Sharon F. Cramer; Item #0108