Banner system up and running as planned

After two years of preparation and months of training, the second phase of implementation of the college’s new Banner information system was completed recently when the student recruitment and admissions, records and registration, bursar, financial aid, and Lifelong Learning functions of Banner went “live” during the week of March 14.

Banner is an underlying data management system that works in conjunction with the existing Pipeline student portal.

Through the same Pipeline access that they’ve become familiar with, students can now modify their schedules for the spring semester; view transcripts and account information; and will soon be able to submit secure credit card payments for online processing. The summer 2005 course schedule can now be viewed, and online registration for current students will be effective April 4.

In July 2004, the finance module went into operation, and the implementation of the human resources system will complete the cycle in January 2006. To date, the project is on-time and on-budget.

The old bundle of systems, used to manage such administrative data as purchase requisitions, student applications, and payroll and academic records, was designed nearly 25 years ago and was installed at CCRI in the mid 1980s. Through various upgrades and improvements, the system was kept operational, but it had become a relic.

"...better data management."

The new Banner system is designed with much of the same functionality as the old, but incorporates more recent developments like an underlying relational database, the ability to more easily process and cross-reference data, and a Web-based user interface. According to Alice Aguiar, director of management information systems and project manager for Banner implementation, the new system is “a robust, user-friendly product. Banner is the market leading enterprise suite in higher education, and we are looking forward to a smooth transition to better data management.”