Benefit To Students And Advisors example essay topic

The current system that we have been working with is Undergraduate Business Advising. After doing some research we have found that there are a number of different problems with the current system. The main problem we have discovered is inconsistent information. One of the proposed solutions is an Undergraduate Business Advising website. The website will provide a way for advisors to communicate information to students more clearly and efficiently.

It will also, in the same way, provide a way for students to access the information much quicker and easier. In addition, it will allow students to schedule appointments online. By offering this feature, we hope to increase the number of appointments and in turn decrease the number of walk-ins. Our goal is to decrease the amount of inconsistent information that students are receiving. Absolute Consulting was hired by the Undergraduate Business Advising Office to develop a web page to help enhance the advising process. We were approached by Monica Farrell to update the current process by integrating user-friendly tools on the web.

Our role in the project was to gather information from students and faculty to determine what requirements are necessary for the web page. We have accomplished this through extensive interviewing, research, and questionnaires. Our team is comprised of six students from Dr. Sauter's analysis class. Each member has strengths in different areas of the project, thus increasing our proficiency. The team has an excellent set of checks and balances to ensure that no one part is overshadowed by another. One of our main concerns was keeping within the scope of the project.

We had to pay careful attention as to not get outside of our parameters. Through much discussion with Monica Farrell, we determined what would and would not be appropriate for the project. Monica, our contact, took our ideas to the other advisors to get feedback and we were able to adjust accordingly. Also, the process worked in the opposite direction. Some of the adivisors' ideas were not within the scope of the project, so we had to compromise.

The most important part of staying within the scope was the communication line that was established and maintained with Monica Farrell. Through our discussions with her, we were able to arrive at an effective solution. Methodology Absolute Consulting has helped to determine what problems the current Undergraduate Business Advising Office has. While talking to Monica Farrell, Senior Academic Advisor, on September 20, 2000, we discussed the current system and determined what we needed to find out from the users. During the week of October 16, 2000, Absolute Consulting distributed questionnaires to users of the current advising office. The questions were carefully thought out in order to get the best possible feedback about the positive and negative aspects of the Undergraduate Business Advising Office.

A brief background of each user was preformed to determine the demographics of those being questioned. The users were also questioned to determine their use of the Internet. These questions were asked to see if the users would take advantage of advising resources supplied by the Internet. Next, the users were asked questions dealing with their use of the current advising services.

We asked general questions about the students' advising experiences to figure out what needs to be done to solve any problems students are having. These questions were crucial in our research to determine the success of the Undergraduate Business Advising Office. If the majority of students reply with positive answers to questions regarding advising, we know the advising office is doing things right. This will determine what the advisors need to continue doing. The more negative answers we receive, the more changes need to be made. We also asked specific questions to get a good understanding of the types of questions students ask and the type of advising session that is preferred.

If more students made appointments instead of walking in, we would have a better idea of what the advisor's time consists of and if more advisors are needed. Findings And Conclusions The majority of the users questioned were seniors, Management Information Systems majors, had a G.P.A. between 2.01 and 3.00, and between the ages of 21 and 25. By distributing and analyzing the user questionnaires, we were able to determine a common problem. A summary of the questionnaires is available in Appendix (? ). We have found that users are receiving inconsistent information from the Undergraduate Business Advising office.

When a student walks in to meet with a counselor, less is accomplished. From the questionnaires, we have concluded that when students walk in, they seem to see a negative change in counselor's attitudes, longer waits, unfamiliarity with counselors on duty, and less organization. The majority of the students questioned said that they see a different advisor each time they go in for an appointment. It seems that if a student meets with a different advisor every time, different information is received. If a student makes an appointment, they can choose the counselor they wish to see. If a student met with the same counselor throughout their college years, they would become accustomed to each other.

Knowing each other on a personal basis and becoming familiar with the student, the counselor would help to maintain consistent information. When a student makes an appointment, the advisor is more prepared, organized, and does prior research before the meeting. This can cut down on mistakes made by a quick session with an unfamiliar advisor. Every appointment meeting is scheduled for at least a half-hour.

This gives ample time for the student to ask questions, solve problems, and make schedules. There is no sense of urgency to speed up the appointment and no long wait to see an advisor. The students seem to be more pleased with appointment advising rather than walk-in advising, although, some students are not aware of the benefits of making an appointment. Our recommendation to the users, based on the questionnaires analyzed, is to make more appointments to see advisors.

Making appointments with specific advisors using an online scheduler can do this. The student can choose the same advisor each time to cut down on inconsistent information. They also have the advisors's chedules right at their fingertips to choose the best time for them to meet. This means less walk-ins and most importantly, less inconsistent information.

RECOMMENDATIONS / IMPLEMENTATIONS To solve any problem, it is important to understand the source of that problem. Then, create a solution that directly solves the source of the problem. After distributing questionnaires and speaking to users of the current system, we have concluded that inconsistent information is being given to users of this system. This affects many different subsystems. Consequentially, there is no one simple solution to this problem. The first step we propose is to create a web page.

This page will distribute information that is important and pertinent to all users of the system. We understand that there are already methods in place to distribute information. Office leaflets and information on notice boards throughout the campus are good ways to make users aware of this information. According to our questionnaires, these methods will work well, but in this information age it is imperative that pertinent information be made available online as well as in printed form.

This web page will not only distribute standard operating information such as the phone number and office hours, but it will have various other sections such as a calendar of important events. This will provide a quick reference to find important dates of events such as the last day to drop a class, the last day to register for a class, and what time the advising office closes on those evenings. To a student that is considering one of these actions, having all the information in one place would be an important advantage. Along with this information, the web page will also provide an online scheduler. The scheduler will be used to manage appointments for specific advisors.

This feature is needed to correct and simplify the process of making an appointment to see an advisor. It will also be used to emphasize the importance of making appointments. It is a resource that students can use to make an appointment. The advisors, along with the receptionist, will also have access to this web page. This will allow the advisors to directly schedule a future appointment for a student. It will also allow students to walk in or call to make an appointment.

The web page will not correct the source of the problem by itself. Many students have expressed a concern that they receive too much inconsistent information. This is from the way the advising office is set up. We propose that as a second step, current and new students receive an advisor that they see consistently.

This will help remove the inconsistent information that students are receiving. Each advisor should be assigned an emphasis area. The advisor for a particular student should be assigned based on the student's major. If a student enrolls in the MIS program, the advisor that specializes in MIS should be assigned to that student. Many students switch their major a few times throughout their educational career.

Having advisors that specialize in certain emphasis areas will be an advantage because students who are looking to change majors can speak with the advisor that specializes in that area. For example, a student that came to UMSL as a general business student is given one advisor. If that student decides that finance is an area that looks more appealing, they will have the opportunity to speak with an advisor that specializes in the finance program before they make the transition. This advisor will have more knowledge of the financial program than the other advisors. Because of this, they may be able to give the student insights that other advisors would not be able to offer. This leads to step three of our solution.

There should be more available appointment slots. To do this, the walk-in visits should be cut back. Many walk-in questions do not need an advisor to answer them. They are normally simple questions that could be answered by a FAQ section on an advising web page or a well-trained receptionist. If the question is more in-depth, it should be answered in an appointment visit. Otherwise, the advisor may feel rushed and ill equipped to handle the question.

They will still answer the question, but since they were unprepared, they may miss an important detail that would otherwise change their advice. To keep up with students' expectations and to get feedback from the users, we recommend that advisor evaluation forms be made available for students. An advisor evaluation form is available in Appendix (? ). The web page should be implemented as soon as possible.

It is unrealistic to assume that advisors can train for an emphasis area in the short amount of time between the current semester and the upcoming one. A more realistic time frame would be the fall of 2001. This will give the advisors ample time to train, yet allow the new system to be in place when most new students arrive. The third step should be implemented soon after step two. A few weeks should be ample time to coordinate this effort. This will allow time for the receptionist to be properly trained.

For any new source of information to be useful, the users need to know it exists and how they can access it. A marketing campaign should be run after the new web page is in place. It will consist of canvassing the campus with leaflets that explain the new web page and its uses, along with other pertinent information. Also, flyers should be put up on campus that resembles the leaflets that are being passed out, along with mass e-mails and other forms of advertising. This should be repeated after the new advising method is in place to inform the students of the change and how it affects them. Throughout this entire transition, the advising staff needs to be kept up to date and informed.

This is the key to allowing the entire project to work. If a member of the advising staff is confused and cannot answer questions regarding the new system, the new system is doomed to fail. MARKETING CAMPAIGN An intense marketing campaign will be necessary for the success of this project. In reality, a widespread marketing campaign will be most beneficial for the client upon completion of the website. The client needs to both market the website and do in-depth promotions of by-appointment advising. Flyers, signs, and bulk emails will all be necessary for the success of the campaign.

The advisors will need to display a variety of signs around campus dealing with the website and by-appointment advising. These signs will need to be placed in highly visible areas on campus. They also need to be designed to catch the attention of the students. These posters will be the backbone of the campaign. The placement of the signs will be the major aspect of the campaign followed closely by the design of the signs.

The signs will need to be placed in areas that are used by a large majority of the student body. On the doors of buildings, bulletin boards, bathrooms, and in the Student Center would all be very attractive sites for this campaign. Next, the design of the poster needs to be discussed. The signs need to be done in bright colors, attractive to the eye, and containing all the necessary information. They should contain the website's address and how the website will be beneficial.

The client will also need to utilize the student body to hand out flyers and brochures containing information about the website and the benefits of by-appointment advising. Prototypes for the flyers are available in Appendix (? ). The flyers will be used to convey the information to students on a more personal basis, hoping for an increased response. Lastly, a bulk email should be sent out to all students on the business mailing list.

The email should be brief, but include a small description of the new website. The email should contain a link to the new website. This will give students the opportunity to check out the site and see the benefits that it offers. The email will also need to be sent to the faculty so they can use the site when attempting to help their students. SUMMARY OF COSTS The cost estimate for the University of Missouri - St. Louis Undergraduate Advising Office website consists of a variety of levels of costs and charges. Absolute Consulting has determined set prices for each of its services.

The following is a brief description of each of the charges. Should this estimate be accepted, the client during the duration of the project would incur the following charges. A Cost Estimate Sheet and a Detailed Cost Estimate Breakdown sheet are available in Appendix (? ).

The first service executed by Absolute Consulting deals with the consulting services offered during numerous meetings with the client. These include both meetings inside of the classroom and personal meetings with the client. E-mail correspondence was also utilized in the analysis of the project. Secondly, strategy formulation was used to build the prototype and specs for the site. Team meetings were setup to discuss the different goals of the project. Also, meetings were conducted for research and analysis purposes to find the best possible solutions for the client.

A final meeting was setup to discuss a marketing plan for the proposed website. This will allow the website to gain exposure among students, faculty, and prospective students. Next, the Graphics Design portion of the project was implemented. Graphics Design was necessary to begin the project. A logo was created for the client, as were the graphics necessary for the requested Virtual Tour.

Also, the time was recorded designing and scanning an assortment of images to be used on the website. The Web Development will comprise the majority of the project. Designing the website will utilize the programming languages HTML, Java, JavaScript, Perl, and Cgi. Macromedia Dreamweaver.

These will be used for the basic setup and template design of the site, allowing our web designers to start on the project before the major code is implemented. Charges will be incurred for an Online Scheduling setup, along with the creation of other links on the site including, the Virtual Tour implementation, FAQs, Advisor Background, and the calendar. A follow-up meeting with the client will then be conducted to discuss the prototype and any other concerns dealing with the finalized project. This meeting will help us to make any last minute changes before the final project is implemented.

Upon completion of the follow-up meeting, changes and updates will be made to the prototype and the finalized project will be designed and completed. Training will also be a necessary expense for this project. An agent, Ken, will complete any maintenance and upgrades of the designed site. He will receive training in all programming languages used, in addition to any software needed to design the site. This training will allow him to adequately maintain the website. Our estimate is that five to ten hours of work per month will be needed to keep the site in top working order.

SUMMARY OF BENEFITS There are many benefits to forming an Undergraduate Business Advising website. One of the biggest problems that the students are having is that they are receiving inconsistent information. This problem has, in some cases, led to serious consequences, such as delayed graduation. The website will be a great benefit to everyone who uses it. It will give students easier access to advising information. This includes information such as add / drop forms, frequently asked questions, and degree requirements.

Each part of the website is beneficial in some way. Here is a list of the links, what they do, and how they will be beneficial. An explanation of each link is available in Appendix (? ). The VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE ADVISING OFFICE is a great benefit to prospective students who might be a little apprehensive about coming to a big college campus. These students can go to the website and take the virtual tour before they come in for their appointment.

This could ease some of their concerns and make them feel more comfortable coming to the office for the first time. The OFFICE HOURS AND PHONE NUMBER serve as a constant reminder of the advising office's availability and contact information. Having the office hours and phone number permanently posted on the web page makes it easy and convenient for students to see when they can contact the advising office to set up an appointment or ask any questions. An OVERVIEW AND BACKGROUND OF ADVISORS provides a way for students to get an idea of who their advisors are.

This link is designed to make new students feel more comfortable before they go in for an appointment. Students can look on the website and see what their advisor looks like and a brief background about them before coming in for their appointment. A CALENDAR OF IMPORTANT DATES will be a benefit to students and advisors. Advisors will not have to keep reminding students of these dates and students will have easy access to this information. The calendar will remind students of important dates, such as drop dates and graduation reminders. A link to the DEGREES AVAILABLE will provide students with the information about degrees that are offered through the UMSL College of Business Administration.

Students can also use it as a guide to determine which classes must be taken to satisfy the degree requirements. The COURSE LISTINGS link will allow students to quickly access the course schedule from the advising website. They will not have to search all over the UMSL website to find this important information. The ONLINE SCHEDULING will benefit students as well as advisors. It will be easier for advisors to keep track of their appointments and it will be more convenient for students.

Instead of making a phone call or taking time to stop by the advising office, they can make an appointment online. By offering this feature, we are hoping to decrease the amount of walk-ins and increase the number of scheduled appointments. The online scheduling will also allow students to choose which advisor they would like to see. Now, most students see whichever advisor is available. We are hoping that a combination of the online scheduling and a background of the advisors will encourage students to make appointments with advisors that they know and trust.

The WALK-IN AVAILABILITY schedule will benefit students who want to see a specific advisor. They will be able to check and see when that specific advisor will be available for walk-ins during the week. The FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS section will provide students with answers to commonly asked questions. The main question that we have addressed is: When should I make and appointment and when can I just walk in?

We think that this is one of the sources of the problem of inconsistent information. Many students do not know the difference between by-appointment advising and walk-ins. Since many students do not know the difference, they walk in because it's quick and easy. This is where we face the problem of inconsistent information. When students walk in, advisors do not have time to get the student's records ready and is not prepared. This is when many students run into the problem of inconsistent information.

The ADDITIONAL RESOURCES link will allow students to be able to easily access the links to these websites. There will also be benefits of the overall system. Some of these benefits might include a reduction of students' complaints, well-informed students, and an overall increased confidence and trust in the advising office. These benefits indicate that the system is doing its job. INDICATIONS OF SYSTEM SUCCESS The main problem we have found with the current system is students receiving inconsistent information. We have come to the conclusion that one of the main reasons students are receiving inconsistent information is because they do not know the difference between by-appointment advising and walk-ins.

Since many students are not aware of the difference, they do whichever is most convenient - walk in. When students walk in, advisors are not prepared with records and this often leads to problems such as inconsistent information. This is why we feel that if the number of appointments could be increased, the amount of inconsistent information would be reduced. For this reason, we have provided a way for students to schedule appointments online. It is an easy and convenient way to make an appointment.

This should help encourage students to make appointments. After the new system is implemented, there must be a way to measure whether or not the new system has done its job. One way we will be able to measure the proposed solution will be the number of online appointments made. If there are a large number of online appointments, we will know that the system has been successful. Some other indications of the new system's success would be: o a reduction in the number of students' complaints and overall problems o students who are well informed o increased trust and confidence in the advising system.