PeopleSoft already causing delays

If IU-Bloomington's problems with its new Student Information System are of the same magnitude as those at IU-Purdue University-Indianapolis, many students should prepare to be inconvenienced during the first week of classes.\nStudents at IUPUI have been waiting in long lines to get emergency financial aid because the new system delayed the processing of their financial aid checks, according to The Associated Press.\nBill Stephan, vice president for university relations and corporate partnerships, said the entire University is working through these issues and is moving forward with the implementation processes. \n"In some cases the transition has not been effective for some students, particularly as it applies to financial aid," he said.\nThough Stephan is unsure how much trouble the Bloomington campus will have, he remains optimistic about the situation. \n"At least at this point in time, we are not seeing signs that the problems will be as severe as at IUPUI, but we won't know until next week and the start of classes," Stephan said.\nStephan said though the transition may not be seamless, the University is working very hard to find solutions.\n"We are doing everything we can to make sure students are held harmless in this process," Stephan said. "We're making sure that there is more than adequate staffing around campus so that we can respond as quickly as possible and effectively as possible."\nHe said the previous SIS was antiquated and that updating it was a necessary step.\n"Our first computer systems were built in the late 1970s, and our technology no longer supports everything we need to do," Norma Holland, associate vice president for information technology said in a March statement. "Though our systems have served us well over the years, it has become increasingly difficult for us to keep our many applications running or to enhance them to provide the services that students, faculty and staff want." \nHolland declined to comment on the current computer problem.\nIU is not alone in upgrading its software, either. \nDon Hossler, associate vice president for Enrollment Services, said other public and private institutions have replaced their aging student information systems. \n"It's a complex process to do this because such an effort is labor-intensive and requires universities to re-examine their existing practices and policies," Hossler said in a statement.\nStudents and faculty access the new SIS, which was developed by PeopleSoft, through a program called OneStart. Most students' first encounter with the software was during the registration for fall classes last spring.\nStephan said students can protect themselves from potential inconveniences by making sure they speak to financial aid and other staff as soon as possible.\nA representative from PeopleSoft did not return phone calls seeking comment.\n-- Contact senior writer Michael Zennie at mzennie@indiana.edu.