Academic Data Management (ADMG)
The Academic Data Management (ADMG) workstream will focus on specific areas of student administration and related systems functionality, such as the annual registration of students, managing on-course student records, the administration of research students, programme maintenance, the management of on-course student visas, and management of information regarding students' disabilities and long-term health conditions.
The primary focus of the Academic Data Management workstream in the first two years of the Programme will be on those aspects of the above activities which are currently supported by the Oracle Student System (OSS).
The ADMG workstream will run for the length of the Student Systems Programme, from August 2011 to July 2015
The workstream chair is Dr Patrick Baird.
Read more about this Workstream: Academic Data Management (ADMG) Charter 
(327kb) (oxonly)
Progress update
For a progress update on this workstream, please see the Student Systems Programme news on Sharepoint.
Objectives
This workstream is focussed in Years 1 and 2 on:
- Ensuring that, for the academic year 2013-14, systems support is in place to enable all academic data management processes currently supported by OSS to be carried out within the required timeframes, to the required standards, and with a degree of effort which is not excessive.
- Ensuring that, for the academic year 2013-14, a contingency plan is in place in case systems support for those academic data management processes currently supported by OSS is delayed or inadequate.
- Defining an academic data management data structure which is fit for purpose, for example:
- Presenting data to academics, students, and administrators in a way that reflects and facilitates their work.
- Making optimum use of SITS:Vision and eVision functionality to facilitate academic data management processes. eVision is the user-friendly Web interface to SITS:Vision, and will be the means by which the majority of users across Oxford access SITS:Vision.
- Ensuring opportunities persist for future configuration of SITS and eVision functionality to support features including the recording of students' attendance at teaching and assessment sessions.
- Ensuring that data coding and data management strategies are appropriate for the variety of processes to be supported across Oxford.
- Setting data quality standards for the academic data stored in SITS:Vision.
- Defining and configuring academic data and data management processes in SITS:Vision to replace OSS functionality, and configuring any other functionality agreed (where this definition and configuration is not covered by the DACM workstream) and, where appropriate, defining the interactions between SITS and other systems in this area.
- Testing of the configured academic data management functionality in SITS:Vision and eVision, and of any interfaces between SITS and other relevant systems
Membership
The full membership of the Academic Data Management workstream is as follows (May 2013):
Dr Patrick Baird (Chair), Dean of Graduates, Mathematical, Physical, and Life Sciences (MPLS) division
Jane Smewing, (Implementation Lead), Student Systems Programme
Shireen Walker (Project Manager), Student Systems Programme
- Helen Beauchamp, Graduate Studies Officer, MPLS divisional office
- Katherine Brown, Registry Officer, Continuing Education
- Rachael Connelly, Academic Administrator, Wolfson College
- Lisa Currie, Assistant Academic Administrator, Kellogg College
- Representative, Oxford University Student Union
- Andrew Dixon, Academic Administrative Officer, Classics
- Dr Lizzy Emerson, Senior Tutor, St Hugh's College
- Tessa Finlayson, Graduate Studies Project Officer, Medical Sciences divisional office
- Dr Jane Frew, Deputy Administrator (Academic), Engineering
- Dr Andy Garlick, Graduate Studies and Policy Officer, Social Sciences divisional office
- Jackie Hoyle, Head of Academic Data Management, Academic Data Management
- Professor Elizabeth Eva Leach, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Music
- Leah Miller, Graduate Studies Administrator, Biochemistry
- Laura Morgan, Administrative Officer, Medical Sciences divisional office
- Peter Quinn, Head of Disability Advisory Service, Disability Advisory Service
- Fiona Simons, Academic Records Manager, Academic Records Office
- Dr Janet Smart, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Saïd Business School
- Dr Alison Ward, Director of Postgraduate Studies, Primary Health Care Sciences
- Catherine Whalley, Senior Assistant Registrar, Student Systems Programme
- Karen Brill, Senior Assistant Registrar (Academic Affairs), Humanities Division
- Adrian Simons, Process and Development Officer, Student Systems Programme
- Aga Borkowska, Graduate Admissions Administrator, Department of Chemistry
- Anne Hall, Head of Process and Change Management, Student Systems Programme
- Esther Thomas, Business Analyst, Student Systems Programme
- Rachel Cox, Senior Planning Officer, Planning and Resource Allocation Section
- Shelley McGeoch, Senior Data Officer, Academic Records Office, Academic Data Management
- Thea Crapper, Academic Registrar, St Hugh's College
- Theresa Evans, Senior Data Officer, Academic Records Office, Academic Data Management
- Wendy Adams, Post Taught Course Administrator, Department of Computer Science
Milestones
The initial high level plan is as follows:
| Activity | Output/Milestone | Delivery date |
|---|---|---|
| Training | Tribal delivers initial SITS:Vision training course to SSP Core Team and other colleagues as appropriate | October 2011 |
| Kick-off consultancy sessions with Tribal | Consultancy session meeting notes | October 2011 |
| Check scope, budget, approach, and Workstream Implementation Group membership | Project Charter | November 2011 |
| Review Point 1 | Project Charter reviewed and approved by all levels of Programme governance, beginning with Workstream Implementation Group | November-December 2011 |
| Activity overview | Draft map of academic data management activities across Oxford | January 2012 |
| Review Point 2 | Draft map of academic data management activities reviewed and approved by all levels of Programme governance, beginning with Workstream Implementation Group | January- March 2012 |
| Requirements documentation | Requirements document | March 2012 |
| Review Point 3 | Requirements document reviewed and approved by all levels of Programme governance, beginning with Workstream Implementation Group | March-May 2012 |
| Definition of data and process representation in SITS:Vision and other systems |
Data definition and process representation document Data migration document Interfaces document |
May 2012 |
| Review Point 4 | Data definition, migration, and interfaces documents reviewed and approved by all levels of Programme governance, beginning with Workstream Implementation Group | May-July 2012 |
| Systems configuration | Iterative production of prototypes and mock-ups of processes and system screens | May 2012- early 2013 |
| Review Point 5 | Prototypes and mock-ups reviewed and approved by Workstream Implementation Group | May 2012- early 2013 |
| Process documentation | Documentation of agreed processes | Mid-2012 |
| Review Point 6 | Process documentation reviewed and approved by all levels of Programme governance, beginning with Workstream Implementation Group | Mid-2012 |
| Testing | System Testing scripts and User Acceptance Testing scripts | Late 2012- early 2013 |
| Review Point 7 | Review of System and User Acceptance Testing test scripts by Workstream Implementation Group | Early 2013 |
| Release Management | Release notes | Early 2013 |
| Release | Installation test scripts | Early 2013 |
| Support and training | Support and training documentation | Early 2013 |
| Review Point 8 | Release notes, installation tests scripts, and support documentation reviewed and approved by all levels of Programme governance, beginning with Workstream Implementation Group | Early-mid 2013 |
Timings
Timings for workstream activity between November 2011 and July 2013 are as follows:
| Workstream Phase | Description | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Activity overview | Creation, review and explanation of a map of the key academic data management activities which happen for the main student types across Oxford. This map will provide a high-level view of all the activities (whether IT-related or not) in this area, and will help to identify similarities and differences between processes. The map will provide a broad understanding of academic data management activities, including for those with expertise in a sub-set of activities, or with limited familiarity with the area (such as Tribal consultants). | November 2011-January 2012 |
| Process review and requirements documentation |
Gathering and specification of requirements against academic data management activities (what needs to happen for a given activity to be completed?), determining whether and how processes might be modified to take advantage of SITS' capabilities, and identification and specification of any interfaces required with other systems. WIG members will co-ordinate the gathering of high-level requirements from the constituencies which they represent. More detailed requirements will be identified by the Student Systems Programme (SSP) Core Team in collaboration with specialist colleagues. Committee approval will be required for policy changes and certain process changes. |
November 2011- mid-2012 |
| Data definition | Definition of key academic data management data items needed in the new data structure, including identifying the current location of required data items (either in OSS or other systems across Oxford). This definition will inform data migration and systems interface work undertaken in the System Tools (TOOL) workstream. | November 2011- early 2012 |
| Definition of data and process representation in SITS:Vision | Identification and definition of best use of SITS:Vision – and in particular of the eVision Web interface – to represent the academic data management data structure and support academic data management processes. Definition of a coding strategy for academic data elements in SITS:Vision (for example, student statuses), where these are not included in the overarching data coding strategy developed by the DACM workstream. | November 2011- mid 2012 |
| Specification of system replacement and interfaces | Specification of which existing academic data management systems be replaced, and which retained, for the 2013-14 academic year. Specification of required interfaces with those systems being retained. |
November 2011- mid 2012 |
| Systems configuration | Configuration of SITS:Vision and eVision – and of any other relevant systems – to accommodate academic data and support academic data management processes. (The System Tools (TOOL) workstream will be responsible for building interfaces with other systems.) |
Early 2012 – early 2013 |
| Testing | Testing of academic data, data management processes, and functionality in SITS:Vision and in eVision, and of interfaces with other related systems. End-user representatives will be involved in this testing of functionality and interfaces. | Mid 2012- July 2013 |