Colleagues

I had hoped to get this e-mail out this morning.

The CD-Rom containing a cleaned-up version of the data you submitted in
December 1998 and the software application with which you would add the term
dates was sent out by the SLC on Friday and should reach you today.

In view of the slippage in sending out the CD-Rom, and following further
discussion with the DfEE, it has been agreed that the deadline for the
return of this information has now been changed from 1 April to 14 April.
SLC will be writing to you officially about this very shortly.

At the meeting of the DfEE Student Support Design Group on Friday there was
considerable discussion about the overall timetable, and I am convinced that
this is the longest extension of time that can be allowed if LEAs are to be
able to carry out assessments in time for students to receive their loan
cheques at the beginning of the next academic year.

The feedback from the SLC on the earlier data collection exercise is that:

	1.	some institutions did not send back any information;

	2.	some institutions only sent back part of the information asked for;

	3.	some institutions did not send their information in the format
requested.

These problems may be reflected in the data you receive and if you perceive
any anomalies in your data please phone the SLC helpline.  I will try to
deal with any problems which you want to raise with me, but I shall be at
the AUA conference for the next tree days.  I am also investigating how
those who have already put together the information in a spreadsheet can
drop it into the database without re-keying.

I have been asked to emphasise to HE colleagues the importance of their own
students of getting this information back to the SLC not later than 14 April
( and if you can get the information in earlier, please do so to spread the
load on the SLC, which has a very tight turn-round time).


Roger Clark
Academic Registrar
University of Reading



%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%