PAWS to GROWL - PAWS, the old student self-service web front end relied on Edify middleware hardware and software. We have just completed the conversion of Enrollment, the last remaining application using the Edify middleware. The new GROWL process uses, HTTP Server, the mainframe web server to deliver to the web and accept data from the web to access and update live VSAM files attached to CICS.

Student Advising/Course Plan Submission - A new application was developed to allow departments to set up enrollment advising restrictions on students’ records, while a new GROWL function was developed for students to respond to the those restrictions. Students can submit course plans, text responses, and receive special instructions (to attend seminars, declare majors, etc.) in response to the advising requests. The restrictions can be set up automatically based on tabled criteria, or individually by the advisor directly on a student’s record. Enrollment is restricted until all advising restrictions are satisfied. This process works hand in hand with the new GROWL enrollment.

Comprehensive Holds Display - A new comprehensive holds display process is currently under development. Students have different holds restricting different actions (Transcript hold, Registration hold, Financial Aid disbursement hold, refund check hold). Students will be alerted upon signing on to GROWL that they have holds, and will be given the option to go directly to their holds screen. The holds screen will display a brief description of the holds by category (Student Business Services, Registrar, Financial Aid, etc.), and by clicking on the brief description, will be given an expanded description including instructions on how to resolve the hold, including links to existing departmental websites which might have comprehensive instructions.

Online Transcript Request - Another GROWL application being developed is a facility for students to request transcripts. The request includes external “mail to” addresses, pick up at counter, rush delivery, and hold for grades options. Current students will have the option to charge the request to their student accounts, and students no longer enrolled will be required to pay via credit card.

Credit Card Refunds - A web based credit card refund was developed, allowing authorized officials to directly request a credit card refund. The process contacts Cybersource and initiates a refund transaction based on a transaction id. Upon acknowledgement that the refund was processed, the system contacts the original storefront, and notifies it of the refund transaction. The storefront in turn posts the necessary account transactions to book the refund.

Housing Deposits - A second GROWL credit card application was added to collect student-housing deposits. With this addition, a table was constructed that is used to set up all new credit card application requests. The table specifies transaction receipt descriptions, account numbers to be charged, and whether or not to charge a convenience fee. Now, when a new credit card application comes on line, it uses this table for the accounting, and the remaining process uses all of the existing credit card programs.

Heckmann Center (Palm Desert Campus) - On April 15, UCR Palm Desert's Heckmann Center for Entrepreneurial Management came on-line. This off-campus location (approximately 50 miles) is directly connected back to the main campus at gigabyte. The phone system for this facility is also directly connected to the Riverside campus phone system through shared data fiber infrastructure on a GRE tunnel. The Center has complete wireless coverage.

Ten Gigabit Backbone/Ten Gigabit to Buildings - The campus core infrastructure has received a high-speed up-lift to 10-gig. Currently cross-campus network communications are at 10-gig, but the project awaits the delivery of 10-gig copper GBICs to complete the 10-gig inter-closet communications which is expected before the fall sessions begin. Physical Sciences was the first new building to be connected to the core at 10-gig. This building was designed to be easily upgraded to 10-gig for inter-building data communications. The second 10-gig to the core building to come on-line this summer will be Engineering 2. The new building is a circle design connecting both Engineering buildings and core locations at 10-gig. Closets are well meshed to provide a highly redundant fault tolerant design.

Wireless Network Upgrades - Wireless coverage is being upgraded including additional coverage areas as requested by faculty, students and staff. 160 new access points have been purchased and configuration started. Additionally, layer 3 wireless roaming is being tested in the lab for implementation later this summer. This functionality will allow roaming around campus on multiple VLANs (currently a flat wireless network design) without the need for reauthentication, providing enterprise-class scalability supplying sub-50 ms, access point to access point handoff times. We expect to have over 400 access points (most providing 802.11g coverage) by the end of summer.

Wireless coverage in and around both Libraries is now 100 percent.

VOIP to Palm Desert Campus - Initial planning for this new campus had identified the synergies that IP telephony would provide for connecting the Heckmann Center to the Campus Voice network. Having the gigabit Ethernet connection made it a certainty that IP Telephony could provide the best link between the campuses. The NEX PBX we use on campus has an optional built-in IP link for connecting a branch PBX across a data network. This was used to install a branch PBX at Palm Desert. This system is fully integrated with the Campus system. The dialing plans are fully integrated so that on-campus five-digit dialing works seamlessly in both directions. In addition, desk phones at the Heckmann Center have a direct number from both the Palm Desert exchange (or prefix) and the Riverside exchange. The voice network as well as the data network at Heckmann operates as if it were physically on campus in Riverside. The desktop telephone choices and services are nearly identical to what is on campus so training gaps are minimized.

“Thin PC’s” for General Assignment Classrooms - C&C in process of developing a solution for the 61 general assignment classrooms to install a thin PC in each media cabinet for instructor use during the summer of 2005. Each PC will be centrally managed by a server installed with Open Management Client Administrator (OMCA) software. This software enables the systems administrator to install, configure, and manage a large number of computers without leaving his or her desk. It is much more productive for the administrator to perform an operation once from a central location and have it apply to many systems. In this way, management costs can be reduced which can help lower the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).

The hardware being configured for each classroom is the Dell SX280 small form factor PC with 17” LCD flat panel monitors. The OMCA suite features an easy-to-use Web interface and can be used to perform tasks on networked client computers running Microsoft Windows operating systems.

Support for Wireless Handheld Devices - Computing and Communications has identified and tested handheld device software that runs on Palm Treo PDA/phone's and allows for over-the-air synchronization of eCalander@UCR and eMail@UCR. We have several beta users using the two products and have had some very positive feedback. Our plan is to announce the new "service" to campus over the summer, along with a website devoted to supporting the use of wireless hand devices like the Treo 600 and the Treo 650.

We have also done a thorough investigation of a product that allows Blackberry devices to wirelessly synch with our Oracle Calendar server (a.k.a. CorpTime) and have found that it doesn't currently fulfill or needs.

National Research Council Database Project - Last Year, C&C developed an on-line system for the Dean of the Graduate Division. The National Research Council ranks the graduate programs available at each campus. This ranking has a significant impact on each campus' ability to attract top faculty, graduate students, and resources. It also impacts the strength of the application for membership in the American Association of Universities, the hallmark of great U.S. research universities. This application allows the Graduate Division to identify the research areas and research keywords that pertain to particular faculty members. This system is currently being piloted by selected faculty and administrators of the Graduate Division.

iEvals - During FY 03/04, C&C developed an on-line system to process Teaching Assistant evaluations. This system has been modified to allow for electronic instructor (faculty and lecturer) evaluations. The system now has the capability to electronically process Scantron forms (into an Oracle database), view the results on-line, and run reports via the web. A later version will allow other departments to also evaluate the Academic Advisors and incorporate all paper evaluations for Faculty into a single area for all students to use. The Scantron portion is being piloted this Spring Quarter with a limited use of on-line evaluations.

Server Co-location Facility - UCR's Computing and Communications (C&C), is embarking on a partnership with other Organization's on campus to provide a sophisticated co-location facility. This Co-Lo Facility will provide state of the art environmentals, backup infrastructure, and physical security to systems owned and managed by non-central IT staff.

C&C has allocated space in an adjacent room to the main campus machine room. This space is physically secure from the main data center, but provides 24 hours oversight by our operators (Monday through Friday, and partial day on Saturdays). Physical access to this space will be provided via escort by C&C Operators. Additionally, we will have contingencies for off hour access. Systems housed within this space will have complete redundant fiber network paths, air conditioning, battery power backup, and generator support.

The partnership with IT groups across campus will provide increased system security and safety of our electronic information.