CASE STUDY: Foothill College
Problem
In 2003 the Office of Homeland Security mandated a new tracking
system for international students attending schools in the US.
Foothill College in Northern California was one of many schools
faced with the challenge of moving from a paper-driven system
to one capable of managing and reporting student data in compliance
with SEVIS regulations. Since Foothill works with well over 1000
international students a year, an efficient and effective system
was essential, and we were asked to help.
Solution
Our first steps were to provide a data collection tool.
Much of the necessary data was maintained in the
campus student information system but required interpretation
or re-formatting to be acceptable for SEVIS use.
Other data existed only on paper and would be collected
electronically for the first time. Since the campus
system could not be modified to organize or access
information in user-friendly ways and since tight
timelines would be required for reporting specific
kinds of changes, we decided the best course of action
was to import campus data into a separate system
structured for efficient processing and specialized
international requirements, including SEVIS.
As the dataset was built and verified,
we began to look at the different ways data would be
used by functional groups within the International
Programs office. For example, International Admissions
entered and verified demographics and documentation
while International Advising reviewed performance data,
identified compliance issues, and tracked resolution.
Ultimately, the database presented five different “views” of
data:
- A ‘front desk’ view which
facilitated data verification and provided forms to
document the student’s current requirements
- Admissions
- Advising
- ‘Program office’ which facilitated
overview, long-term planning, and campus administration
- Administrative,
which focused more specifically on SEVIS reporting.
The system also provided features like specialized
worksheets and reports, email generation and storage
within the system so any staff member could review
past correspondence, facilitating workflow and supporting
more effective cross coverage. The system, affectionately
dubbed “Louise” by Foothill staff, became
a cornerstone of revised office processes, some of
which were ‘designed in’ and others that
were inspired by the new tools and opportunities for
change.
Results
With “Louise” in place, Foothill is able to comply
with the necessary government reporting requirements. Since moving
to the new automated system, the International Admissions Office
runs more smoothly and processes more students with less staff
than before.
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