Banner Briefs: March 1, 2007

Mock Registration Review

Mock registration, a simulation of adding and dropping classes, was held February 13-15 to test our new Banner student record system. Various administrative and clerical staff, as well as some faculty and students participated in this program.

Over the last year, administrative staff from student service offices have been through a series of training sessions that covered how to set up the Banner student system. The goal of this mock registration was to test the rules and processes that were written, which ultimately control registration for classes.

Approximately 450 students from populations including EOP, ESL, new first year students, graduate, study abroad, and undergraduate students went through a simulation of various registration scenarios that were built for each student. Some were registered through the Banner forms (INB) and some went through the Web. The registrations were designed to test the rules, validation tables and procedures that were set up previously.

The system was tested by attempting to put students into courses restricted by major or level and into schedules with time conflicts. Students with holds or other issues were tested along with quick registration entry of someone walking through the door, through registration, fee assessment, course schedule and resident hall room assignments.

According to our consultant for the week, SCT-Banner team manager Mike Horrigan, the simulation registration went very well. Some problems were discovered and fixed, and we learned more about how the system works. We mapped out how we might accomplish time ticketing, FIGs registrations, and course restriction overrides.

There is still a lot of work ahead. Based on the results of the mock registration, some tables need to be adjusted, rules re-written and procedures established. We will be trying one more simulation in mid-March to test these again.

Stay tuned for updates on changes and training workshop dates as we prepare for advance registration in April.

Contributed by Deb Miller, Registrar