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SIS Project Overview

Texas State University-San Marcos is engaged in the identification, procurement and implementation of a fully-integrated student information system (SIS). The ultimate purpose of this project is to provide the University with an information system that will address the current and future needs of students, staff and faculty. Phase I of this project is the pre-procurement phase leading to the acquisition and implementation of the student information system.

Texas State University-San Marcos has effectively developed and utilized a custom-built student information system (SIS) for over 30 years. The latest iteration of this system has been in use for 16 years and runs exclusively on a technical platform that is on the trailing edge of its life cycle and is no longer well supported in the marketplace. While we have done a good job supporting and enhancing this system, its underlying technology is becoming increasingly more obsolete, and more difficult and costly to enhance and maintain. Technical support staff with the requisite skill sets are ever more difficult and expensive to find and hire. Interfaces between the current SIS system and other systems are also increasingly more difficult to modify and enhance.

Today, fewer and fewer universities are choosing to custom build their own student systems, opting instead for vendor-supplied and supported systems. Vendor-supplied systems are intended to provide easy to use web-based interfaces in a highly configurable and flexible architecture. They are designed to reduce the time and effort required for initial implementation, as well as the cycle time required to accommodate changes in business needs. These systems are designed to achieve more rapid solution creation, modification, and implementation. They utilize common, industry standard hardware, software, and SQL databases that are on the leading edge of their life cycles and are supported by multiple, mainstream vendors. An easy to use, full featured, web-based student information system is likely to be a significant asset in attracting and retaining a high quality student body.

SIS Project Mission

Texas State will procure a well established student information system with a proven record of success that provides secure, real-time, web-accessible services via an integrated technology resource for students, faculty, and staff.

The student information system must meet the following goals:

1. Focus on the needs of our students through improved services that include web-based processes, e-commerce, and ease-of-access
2. Modify and simplify the University’s business processes, including evaluation of “best practice” workflow, workflow management, and operations
3. Include intuitive navigation and functional systems with single log-in
4. Increase efficiencies and effective operations
5. Support and operate within the strategic goals of the University
6. Meet security, legal, and regulatory needs and requirements for the University, System, State, and Federal levels

SIS Project Objectives

The student information system must meet the following objectives:

1. Enable self-service for students to perform basic administrative functions and tasks in a “one-stop” service and access environment
2. Integrate data sources and process into one data function that supports one-time entry of student data
3. Support the retention and recruitment of students and encourage a strong and positive relationship with the University, alumni, donors, and other constituencies
4. Integrate and support new learning and teaching opportunities and technologies for students and faculty
5. Support open interfaces and integration with other campus applications and database systems
6. Ensure data integrity, privacy, and security in an open-access environment
7. Support faculty and staff who perform both basic and complex functions through simplified work processes and procedures
8. Enable ongoing, flexible re-configuration of the application to extend its life cycle and to meet the changing business processes of the University
9. Include implementation and support services that meet University needs