Dean Howarth, Dr. Sutton, the CTP project leaders, and IT representatives have agreed upon several changes in the degree audit (ADAPT) and transfer credit (TPT) project plans to address the issues of academic responsibility and workload in the project.  The changes outlined below aim to reduce the time commitment of ADAPT/TPT academic representatives to the essential minimum; to clarify and distinguish between the academic tasks of program modification as a result of GER changes and technical/functional tasks to prepare ORION for academic advisement production in July 2001; and to provide ongoing, reliable, and academically coherent direction for both projects through the implementation period.

1. As soon as the university-wide General Education curriculum committee has a complete roster, it will move forward quickly to
review and evaluate the unit recommendations for GER courses.

2. Detailed TPT planning will begin on Monday 9/18 and include project team members who have just returned from PS training on the transfer credit module.  These resources are expected to provide an early index to problematic functions or issues that will need to be addressed in prototyping.  The planning process (a modified "scope" series) will include a 9/22 TPT meeting to provide an overview of the system as a whole and TPT in particular for those who are not familiar with ORION processes and architecture.

3. Transfer credit prototyping, to begin 9/25, will include a brief but intensive redesign phase to which academic representatives must be committed.  This phase will include workflow design as well as an outline of the Admissions Office research function and academic unit/department decision-making to insure rapid, accurate processing of transfer credits.  A firm schedule for the intensive phase requiring academic representation will be forthcoming during the planning week 9/18-22.

4. The degree audit element is projected to begin in early October with a visit from a UWisconsin consultant who will describe the
Wisconsin implementation to date.  A CTP/PS consultant is being identified for the prototyping, which will begin as soon after 10/5 as possible.  A firm schedule will be forthcoming, and ADAPT team and unit representatives will be informed of commitments to prototype and test as soon as it is available.

5. Academic units will be asked to begin work as soon as possible on any modification of degree programs made necessary by the new GER.  The calendar of due dates for the GER course recommendations and degree program modifications has already been negotiated with the seven undergraduate units and will remain under the control of the dean of undergraduate studies.

6. Each unit will identify a representative who can speak authoritatively for the unit concerning its academic, program and
administrative rules and processes (and who can seek other authoritative response as necessary from unit colleagues) so that
ADAPT will not be delayed by slow responses.  In addition, these representatives (or functional personnel from the units) must be made available to participate in prototyping as necessary to assure academic control of the degree audit structure.

7. ADAPT, unit representatives, and technical/functional team members will be updated weekly about project developments.

Dale B. Billingsley, recorder