Ohio University officials are looking into scrapping printed DARS for all students, but the idea does not sit well with all parties involved.
The Degree Audit Report System, or DARS, is issued to each OU student quarterly to record their academic progress. But the high cost of printing a copy for every student is costly and the Office of Information Technology is considering discontinuing the practice to cut costs.
The printers we use now are very expensive
maintenance costs are very high said Brice Bible, OU's chief information officer.
He said removing the printing costs and switching to a completely online system could save his department $100,000.
It's not in any way definitive yet we're looking at a few options
Bible said. There are important reasons an advisor would like to have a print copy.
President Roderick McDavis has asked Information Technology to cut 5.9 percent of its $16,104,134 budget as part of university-wide cuts. OU has sliced about $13.75 million from next year's budget.
Bob Delong, associate registrar for the DARS, said he would be concerned removing printed DARS could reduce interaction between students and their advisors.
We're had some sort of paper advising document for years now
Delong said, It's an important part of the advising process
particularly when we switch from quarters to semesters.
The university's current technology could not manage an online system of that size, Delong said.
We really don't have the infrastructure to make DARS available online only
Delong said, Lots more would have to be done before we could do that. Delong said he didn't see it as a viable option until at least the 2012-2013 academic year when OU switches to a semester system.
Bible emphasized pending upgrades to the Student Information System as a chance to try a new, less costly system.
Now we have to change the way of doing things
so now is the opportunity to try something new
Bible said.
Even with the new system there's got to be some way to confirm students before enrollment
Delong said.
Bible also stressed the solution should still require students to work with an advisor when signing up for classes.
Pursuing options other than printing doesn't at all preclude the student advisors from reviewing the process of DARS and course requirements. Bible said, Even if we give an option that eliminates printed DARS there would still be ways for advisors to be included in the process.
