Colleagues, 
I heartily agree with the attached-the key problem I have is that it is 
not possible to import more than one set of data into the database or 
it will overwrite the existing data-it did not occur to SLC that we 
have two separate SLC codes for our two separate campus's.I am now the 
proud possessor of 2 cdroms and I will have to make two separate 
returns,one for each site.I have emailed the help line but am yet to 
receive a reply to my queries. 
It was clear from SROC last week that the vast majority of 
institutions had not been able to make response and yet all I hear from 
SLC in a high moral tone is that I will be letting down students!

I am writing to the president of our SU in a bid to keep her informed 
of the problems. 
Is there anything we can do collectively to press SLC and DFEE. SLC 
seems to be the author of it's own problems and I have yet to hear of 
anything but stonewalling from them. 
On Mon, 19 Apr 1999 09:21:41 BST "O.M. Richards" 
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Roger
> 
> Thank you for trying to make the best of a bad job, but I'm probably not 
> alone in being infuriated by the incompetence shown by SLC in this matter, 
> and if any blame is going around for late supply of these dates it rests 
> entirely with them. They dithered for months about data collection 
> methods, produced a shoddily analysed application at the last minute, 
> distributed it with inadequate (WRONG) guidance notes, set up a help desk 
> that couldn't answer questions of ANY substance, and now (through you) 
> they have shifted the technical goalposts again.  I sent back the data as 
> best I could by last Wednesday.  It is clear from your latest advice that 
> I am going to have to resubmit it (because of the completely NEW advice 
> relating to Years Abroad and term dates for freshers arrangements).  I'll 
> grit my teeth & do this, but thought it worth sharing with you & others 
> this more serious technical point:
> 
> * I simply cannot approach this return by fiddling within the SLC 
> application with the data they sent back:
> 
> a) because the poor guidance given at the earlier stages meant that c.25% 
> of the programmes that need to be included were missing from what has come 
> back to us;
> 
> b) re. the 6-digit codes - I cannot tell from the other fields which 
> record they have sent back relates to which of our internal programmes.  
> The UCAS lookup doesn't help much (a high proportion of the programmes 
> that our students actually end up registered on do not have one-to-one 
> UCAS code matches). 
> 
> So I've had to re-load the data from scratch, and they have got the data 
> back from me with this key field recast as either the UCAS code or our 
> internal programme code.  Their application was quite happy with this.  If 
> they can't deal with it at the upload stage the I (& maybe many others) 
> have a major problem.  My view is that they >should< be able to deal with 
> this: all that their dbase needs is a programme code that is unique *for 
> this institution*), and if it happens to match the code WE know it by, so 
> much the better.  The least SLC can do for having messed HEIs about so 
> thoroughly is cope technically with returns from those of us who 
> effectively need to supply our data ab initio at this stage.
> 
> If you are able to help put pressure on SLC to this effect I would be most 
> grateful.
> 
> Owen
> 
> 
> On Fri, 16 Apr 1999 11:50:02 +0100 () Roger Clark wrote:
> 
> > From: Roger Clark <[log in to unmask]>
> > Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 11:50:02 +0100 ()
> > Subject: SLC/LEA
> > To: [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask]
> > Cc: [log in to unmask]
> > 
> > 
> > The attached document is self explanatory.
> > 
> > Roger Clark
> > Academic Registrar
> > University of Reading
> 
> 
> _____
> Owen Richards
> Senior Assistant Registrar (Registry Systems)
> Sussex University
> Tel: 01273 877019
> Email: [log in to unmask]
> 
> 
> 

----------------------
David Davies
[log in to unmask]
Strategic Information and Planning Unit
Anglia Polytechnic University
Rivermead, Bishop Hall Lane,
Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 1SX.
Telephone:01245 493131 ext 3731




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