I would support these comments - our experience has been very similar
Di Brown
Operations and Systems Manager
Cheltenham and Gloucester CHE
> ----------
> From: Brian Odell[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2001 1:32:55 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: SLC Attendance Confirmation Reports
> Auto forwarded by a Rule
>
REPLY
In the sense of: "Has electronic data been easier than writing lots
of A's, C's and X's on pieces of paper?" the answer is clearly a lot
better although getting the system to produce the answer in the
required format took some time.
In the sense of: "has it been any easier to correlate the data with
our student records?", the answer is a resounding no.
The reason is that, although a lot (perhaps 85 percent) of the data
can be linked to extracts of our own data electronically the rest is
unlinkable for numerous reasons the main ones being:
(a) there are a lot of data errors, whether SLC or LEA derived is not
clear, which preclude a link being made using the field as an index.
One cannot trust to only one piece of data linking. It is no use
saying "use SSIN" when SSIN fails to find a confirming match. We
do not have the sophisticated "fuzzy logic" matching to enable
matches to be made based on probabilities. We still have no
means of getting all the SSIN into our system other than manually
typing each one or reading them from a database made internally
by the same technique.
(b) there are lots of blanks
(c) there are students on or December SLC list who were rejected
in August and clearly went elsewhere who are on our Admissions
database but never got near the Student Records side of our
database.
Types of problems are :
Forenames in different order from what was on UCAS form or
College enrolment form (or some pet name being used or two
names in our Data and only one in SLC)).
Surnames mistyped on SLC list (especially but not all Mc's and
O's) ,
Dates of Birth wrong on SLC list (we checked them carefully),
Course code variations (remembering that often we do not use
UCAS codes for all our internal data after the student has arrived)
but do not dare use our own codes in the SLC database for fear at
the whole first year appear on "Temporary Course", The adding of
A's and B's to codes does not help with matching.
Courses which start at unusual times (e.g. March) appearing on
wrong lists.
Why, oh why, cannot the SLC be consistent in using UCAS/GTTR
number for all students admitted through these agencies who
should be virtually all the students on the Dec lists. A large
number of ours (almost all of whom we force to come through these
agencies) have this really useful field blank.
What one wants is some system where it is possible to make 97
percent of the matches electronically with only a small number to
do manually. Giving us the data electronically has not really
helped this since the SLC data quality is poor. Equally the facility
to electronically inform LEA's, and hence SLC, of corrections (of
the wrong DOB, or spelling type) without manually filling in reams
of paper or writing individual letters.
My biggest moan is still having to waste time while we tell the LEA
who tells the SLC who then sends the data to us again - perhaps
with another error but perhaps I am too simplistic. Needless to say
we could say "C" to everyone on an SLC list who has even the
slightest error but it is time consuming enough to maintain our own
data anyway and we would end up getting even less fees paid on
time.
Date sent:
Wed, 14 Mar 2001 09:03:23 -0000
Send reply to: Admin-student <[log in to unmask]>
From: Roger Clark <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: SLC Attendance Confirmation Reports
To: [log in to unmask]
> The receipt and return of Attendance Confirmation Reports electronically
has
> been operating for two report cycles (December & January).
> The DfEE has asked me to collect comments and suggestions on this aspect
of
> the 'Tuition Fee Process'.
>
> 1. Is it working ?
> 2. Have there been any problems? Have they been solved?
> 3. How could this process be improved?
>
> Please can I have your comments by noon tomorrow (Thursday).
>
> Roger Clark
> Academic Registrar
> University of Reading
Dr Brian G Odell
Deputy Registrar
College of Ripon and York St John
Lord Mayors Walk
YORK
YO31 7EX
Telephone 01904-716856
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