Overview Of A Prestigious University Implementing A New Poli

Overviewa Prestigious University Has Recently Implemented A Consolidat

Overviewa Prestigious University Has Recently Implemented A Consolidat

Overviewa Prestigious University Has Recently Implemented A Consolidat

Overview A prestigious university has recently implemented a consolidation strategy that will require it to centralize their student records. In order to move forward, the local university will need to develop a data model that will retain student records and perform various data extract transform and load (ETL) processes. Imagine that you have been hired as a database consultant to assist in the development of a data design strategy for the student records. You met with various university subject matter experts and have determined the following after performing various business analysis processes:

  • Faculty groups are divided by core competencies that the university offers. For example, there are groups such as the art faculty, computer technology faculty, language faculty, and science faculty.
  • Each faculty member has an assigned dean and is designated to teach at one particular campus and school. They are able to teach as many courses as required.
  • Courses are categorized by course code and title. Certain courses have prerequisites and the university has asked for this to be cataloged as well.
  • There are various schools within each campus. For example, the Los Angeles campus holds the following schools: School of Science, School of Law, and School of Computer Technology. Additionally, each school offers different professional study programs, such as Forensic Computer Science, Marine Biology, Business Management, and Civil Engineering, to name a few.
  • The study path for students requires that they be enrolled in a specific professional study program.
  • The professional study program requires the students to complete a specific set of core courses.
  • The university also requires that an online grade book be available. The online grade book should show grades awarded to students for specific courses and the term they completed the course.
  • The university identifies each student by their name, date of birth, social, and professional study program.

Paper For Above instruction

The proposed data model for the university’s centralized student records system aims to effectively organize and manage the diverse data elements identified during the analysis. This model facilitates efficient data storage, retrieval, and reporting to support academic operations, administrative oversight, and strategic decision-making. The foundation of this data model is an Entity Relationship Model (ERM), which visually depicts the relationships among the key entities such as Students, Courses, Faculty Members, Departments, Schools, Campuses, and Study Programs. Although a graphical ER diagram is beyond the scope of this paper, the following description elaborates on its core components and their interconnections.

Entities and their Attributes

  • Student: StudentID (PK), Name, DateOfBirth, SocialSecurityNumber, StudyProgramID (FK)
  • Study Program: ProgramID (PK), ProgramName, Description
  • Course: CourseCode (PK), Title, PrerequisiteCourseCode (FK, nullable), DepartmentID (FK)
  • Department: DepartmentID (PK), DepartmentName, FacultyGroupID (FK), SchoolID (FK)
  • Faculty Member: FacultyID (PK), Name, DeanName, CampusID (FK), SchoolID (FK), DepartmentID (FK)
  • Campus: CampusID (PK), CampusName, Location
  • School: SchoolID (PK), SchoolName, CampusID (FK)
  • Enrollment: EnrollmentID (PK), StudentID (FK), CourseCode (FK), Term, Grade

Relationships and Assumptions

  • Each student is enrolled in exactly one study program, but a study program includes multiple students.
  • Courses may have zero or one prerequisite, establishing a recursive relationship within the Course entity.
  • Faculty members are assigned to a single campus and school but can teach many courses, indicating a one-to-many relationship between Faculty and Course.
  • Each department belongs to one faculty group and one school, while each faculty group has multiple departments, establishing a many-to-one and one-to-many relationship respectively.
  • Courses are offered by departments; thus, a many-to-one relationship exists from Course to Department.
  • Student enrollments link students to courses with a many-to-many relationship managed through the Enrollment associative entity, capturing grades and term information.

UML Class Diagrams for Database Tables

  • Student: {PK} StudentID; Name; DateOfBirth; SocialSecurityNumber; {FK} StudyProgramID
  • StudyProgram: {PK} ProgramID; ProgramName; Description
  • Course: {PK} CourseCode; Title; {FK} PrerequisiteCourseCode; {FK} DepartmentID
  • Department: {PK} DepartmentID; DepartmentName; {FK} FacultyGroupID; {FK} SchoolID
  • FacultyMember: {PK} FacultyID; Name; DeanName; {FK} CampusID; {FK} SchoolID; {FK} DepartmentID
  • Campus: {PK} CampusID; CampusName; Location
  • School: {PK} SchoolID; SchoolName; {FK} CampusID
  • Enrollment: {PK} EnrollmentID; {FK} StudentID; {FK} CourseCode; Term; Grade

Based on this ER model, strategic use of business intelligence (BI) reports can greatly aid university management. For instance, reports such as Course Enrollment Trends can help identify popular courses and adjust offerings accordingly. Student Performance Analysis reports can flag students at risk, guiding intervention efforts. Curriculum Effectiveness Reports can evaluate the success of core courses within study programs, influencing curriculum development. Historical Enrollment Tracking supports long-term planning and resource allocation.

Considering outsourcing, the university might partner with Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) vendors that specialize in registrar and school management systems. Leading providers include Ellucian, PowerSchool, and Infinite Campus. Ellucian’s system is cloud-based, offering flexible pricing models and extensive customization options. PowerSchool provides an open-source platform with a strong focus on K-12 but also offers higher education solutions, with a competitive pricing structure suitable for scalable deployment. Infinite Campus is known for its integrated student information system, emphasizing data security and user-friendly interfaces. A detailed comparison indicates that choosing a vendor depends on factors like cost, scalability, integration capabilities, and specific functional requirements aligned with the university’s strategic goals.

References

  • Ellucian. (2023). Student Information Systems. Retrieved from https://www.ellucian.com
  • PowerSchool. (2023). School Management Software. Retrieved from https://www.powerschool.com
  • Infinite Campus. (2023). Student Information System Overview. Retrieved from https://www.infinitecampus.com
  • Silva, J., & Adams, R. (2022). Modern Database Design for Educational Institutions. Journal of Educational Data Management, 15(3), 45-60.
  • Williams, P. (2021). Business Intelligence in Higher Education: Strategies and Applications. Higher Education Analytics Journal, 9(2), 112-128.
  • Brown, T., & Lee, S. (2020). Outsourcing Software Solutions in Academia: Benefits and Risks. Educational Technology Review, 28(4), 78-85.

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