 "Photo: Souphia Ieng")
Students registering for fall classes got their first look at Orion, the Web-based information portal that is replacing the Student Information System (SIS) and will eventually manage every aspect of a student's academic career, from registering for classes to paying parking fines to applying for graduation.
Jennifer McDowell, deputy director of records and registration, praised the performance of the new system.
"It's been wonderful. We've registered over 1,500 students," McDowell said. "We've had no consistent reports of any performance issues."
Joseph Nguyen-Lee, a biology senior who used Orion to register for fall 2009 classes said Orion is easier to use than the SIS, the previous interface for student records. Although he said he had to search longer for his classes, Nguyen-Lee said making his schedule was straightforward.
"It's just like buying stuff online. It was pretty easy to use," Nguyen-Lee said.
Some students said they had problems registering for the classes they wanted to take. Computer science graduate student Pralabh Kumar said his encounter with Orion was frustrating.
"It didn't work for me at all," Kumar said. "I tried registering at the appointed time, but was unable to do so. The system kept showing (I needed) some prerequisites I didn't have."
Kumar eventually met with his adviser, who registered him for the classes he needed to take.
Business administration junior Zafir Malik didn't experience specific problems with the system, but acknowledged that Orion interface required an an adjustment period.
"It was a little more complicated than the old system," Malik said. "It takes some time to get used to."
Eric Moden, a degree plan evaluator with student services, said the issues raised by students are not particular to the Orion system. He advised students to consult the student handbook before registering.
"The (prerequisite) issue has not changed since the SIS. We have dealt with this forever," Moden said. "The students obviously forgot they couldn't do the same in SIS either."
Enrollment Services began using Orion in September 2008 for applications and admissions. Curt Eley, vice president for Enrollment Management, said the system has already processed more than 11,000 applications for fall 2009.
Eley said the transition to a system of Orion's size and complexity will require a change in UTD's business processes, so it won't be completely smooth.
UTD's Chief Information Officer Jim Gary said he has been pleased with the implementation of the new system.
"So far the system response has picked up and there have been about 20 students per day contacting the Help Desk with typical day-to-day questions."
Additional features will be added to Orion in late summer, Gary said, when students will be able to use the system to view their transcripts and make tuition payments.
