University Database Due Week 3 And Worth 120 Points

University Database Due Week 3 and Worth 120 Points

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 his or her name, date of birth, social security number, and professional study program. Using these findings, write a three to four (3-4) page paper in which you: Analyze the university’s requirements and provide a proposal to organize all the required data elements. The proposal should include the following: Provide an Entity Relationship Model (ERM) that will describe the data structure that will store all data elements.

Note: The graphically depicted solution is not included in the required page length. Describe any assumptions or limitations for each relationship. For example, professors are able to teach more than one course or students can only be enrolled in one program. Create the primary key and foreign keys using a UML Class diagram for each table. Suggest at least four (4) types of business intelligence reports that could help the university in course management, student enrollment, or historical tracking.

Support your answer by providing specific business functions that these reports could assist executives of the university. As an alternative for development of the database, you are considering outsourcing the functions above. Research the Internet and other media sources for vendors who develop registrar and school management database systems. Suggest three (3) vendors that developed and are employing efficient registrar and school management database systems and support your reasons to choose from one (1) of these three (3) vendors. Compare and contrast the key aspects that each system offers.

Examples of system aspects include but are not limited to cloud-based, pricing model, open-source, etc. Use at least three (3) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources. Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements: Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length. Include charts or diagrams created in Excel, Visio, MS Project, or one of their equivalents such as Open Project, Dia, and OpenOffice. The completed diagrams / charts must be imported into the Word document before the paper is submitted. The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are: Describe the role of databases and database management systems in managing organizational data and information.

Paper For Above instruction

The centralization of student records in a university setting requires a comprehensive and well-structured database model that captures all relevant data and supports various administrative and academic processes. Developing an Entity Relationship Model (ERM) aligned with the university's operational needs involves understanding the core entities and their relationships, as well as designing a flexible schema capable of accommodating future expansion and data integrity. This paper examines the university’s requirements, proposes an ERM, discusses assumptions and limitations, suggests business intelligence reports, and evaluates potential vendor solutions.

Analyzing University Requirements and Data Elements

The university’s needs encompass multiple interconnected data domains, including faculty structures, academic offerings, student information, course prerequisites, campus and school details, professional programs, grades, and enrollment processes. The main entities include Faculty, Dean, Campus, School, Course, Prerequisite, Professor, Student, Study Program, Enrollment, and Grade. These entities must be carefully modeled to reflect the complex relationships among them.

For instance, each faculty group is defined by core competencies, and faculty members belong to specific faculties and have associated deans. Faculty members can teach multiple courses, and each course may have multiple prerequisites (many-to-many relationship). Campuses host multiple schools, and schools offer diverse professional study programs that entail specific core courses. Students enroll in a single professional program but can take multiple courses over different terms. Grades are assigned to students for individual courses, linked to specific terms, and stored in an online grade book interface.

Proposed Entity Relationship Model (ERM)

The ERM centers around core entities interconnected via defined relationships. Key entities include Faculty, Dean, Campus, School, Professor, Course, Prerequisite, Student, Study Program, Enrollment, and Grade.

  • Faculty: Attributes include FacultyID (PK), Name, CoreCompetency. Each faculty is associated with one Dean (FK). Each faculty teaches multiple courses.
  • Dean: DeanID (PK), Name, ContactInfo.
  • Campus: CampusID (PK), Name, Location. Each campus hosts multiple schools.
  • School: SchoolID (PK), Name, CampusID (FK). Each school offers multiple study programs.
  • Professor: ProfessorID (PK), Name, FacultyID (FK), CampusID (FK). Professors can teach multiple courses.
  • Course: CourseID (PK), CourseCode, Title, FacultyID (FK), Department, PrerequisiteID (FK, nullable). Courses may have multiple prerequisites, which suggests a junction entity is needed for many-to-many relationships.
  • Prerequisite: A junction table with CourseID, PrerequisiteID, both as FK, to handle multiple prerequisites per course.
  • Student: StudentID (PK), Name, DateOfBirth, SSN, StudyProgramID (FK). Students enroll in one study program but may take many courses.
  • StudyProgram: StudyProgramID (PK), Name, Description, CoreCourses (list or separate associated entity).
  • Enrollment: EnrollmentID (PK), StudentID (FK), CourseID (FK), Term, GradeID (FK). This links students to courses they take each term.
  • Grade: GradeID (PK), EnrollmentID (FK), LetterGrade, NumericGrade, Term.

Assumptions and Limitations

  • Professors can teach multiple courses across different terms and campuses.
  • Students are enrolled in a single study program; however, they may switch programs over time, which can be addressed with enrollment history tables if needed.
  • Prerequisites are managed via a junction table to support multiple prerequisites per course.
  • Grades are recorded per enrollment, capturing course performance in specific terms.
  • The design assumes each course has a unique course code, but cross-listing or course variants may require additional attributes.
  • Limited to core entities; auxiliary data such as extracurricular activities or faculty publications are outside scope.

Business Intelligence Reports and Their Utility

  • Course Enrollment Trends: Helps administrators identify popular courses, underperforming classes, and optimize scheduling. This supports strategic planning and resource allocation.
  • Student Performance Analytics: Provides insights into student grades across programs, facilitating early intervention and curriculum improvements.
  • Graduation Rate Tracking: Monitors student progression and graduation statistics over time, aiding accreditation and policy decisions.
  • Historical Enrollment Reports: Analyzes enrollment patterns over several years, supporting marketing strategies and capacity planning.

Outsourcing University Data Management Systems

When considering external vendors, three notable providers stand out: Workday, SAP, and Banner by Ellucian. These systems are widely used and well-regarded in academic management.

  • Workday Student: A cloud-based solution emphasizing seamless integration, real-time analytics, and user-friendly interfaces. Its subscription pricing model allows scalable deployment. Suitability depends on the university’s cloud infrastructure readiness.
  • SAP Higher Education Solutions: Known for comprehensive enterprise resource planning (ERP) integration, SAP offers customizable modules, including registrar functions. Open-source options are limited, and implementation costs are generally high.
  • Ellucian Banner: A long-standing leader in higher education management, Banner offers extensive functionalities covering student information systems, finance, and HR. It supports both on-premise and cloud deployments, with a flexible pricing model tailored for institutions of various sizes.

Choosing among these options depends on the institution’s specific needs, budget, and technical infrastructure. For example, if the university seeks a scalable, cloud-native solution with strong analytics, Workday is a strong candidate. Conversely, Banner’s extensive functionalities may better serve institutions requiring deep customization, despite possibly higher costs.

Conclusion

Designing a centralized data model for the university requires an exhaustive understanding of academic and administrative entities. The proposed ERM provides a solid foundation for capturing complex relationships, while the suggested reports will greatly enhance decision-making processes. Outsourcing to experienced vendors offers scalability and advanced capabilities that can streamline operations. Future implementations should consider institutional goals, campus infrastructure, and long-term data governance strategies for success.

References

  • Elmasri, R., & Navathe, S. B. (2015). Fundamentals of Database Systems (7th ed.). Pearson.
  • Connolly, T., & Begg, C. (2015). Database Systems (6th ed.). Pearson.
  • Ellucian. (2023). Banner Student Information System. Retrieved from https://www.ellucian.com/solutions/banner
  • Workday. (2023). Student & Academic Lifecycle Management. Retrieved from https://www.workday.com/en-us/solutions/education.html
  • SAP SE. (2023). SAP for Higher Education and Research. Retrieved from https://www.sap.com/products/higher-education.html
  • Garett, R., McKenna, A., & Hunt, V. (2020). Modern Data Management in Higher Education. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 49(2), 154-169.
  • Johnson, L. & Adams Becker, S. (2019). Learning Container Ecosystems and Data Systems. EDUCAUSE Review, 54(1), 36-47.
  • Martin, J. (2021). Comparative Analysis of Student Information Systems in Higher Education. International Journal of Educational Management, 35(3), 598-611.
  • Hansen, R. (2020). Cloud ERP Adoption in Universities: Challenges and Opportunities. Journal of Cloud Computing, 9, 22.
  • Rouse, M. (2022). ERP Solutions for Higher Education. TechTarget. Retrieved from https://searcherp.techtarget.com/definition/higher-education-ERP

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