Penn InTouch 2000

Over the past several years, Penn has undertaken several projects to improve both students' electronic access to course and transcript information and to aid in undergraduate academic advising by faculty members and others. The eventual goal is to establish an electronic degree planning and audit system, which would help students explore academic options and give faculty and staff advisors access to students' academic plans as well as to formal graduation certification capabilities.

Planning for this web-based electronic degree planning and audit system, Penn InTouch 2000, is well advanced. On February 28, Advisor InTouch--representing phase one of Penn InTouch 2000--will be launched. This system will provide undergraduate advisors, as well as advisors in the Graduate School of Education, with web-based access to the registration and transcripts of their advisees in an easier way than through the University's Student Records System (SRS).

In September, 2000, the electronic degree planning and audit component of Penn InTouch 2000 will be available. It will provide undergraduate students with a status report on progress towards completion of degree requirements and serve as a powerful tool in the exploration of academic options by allowing the creation of "what if" scenarios in degree planning. It will permit students and advisors to concentrate on selecting a challenging academic experience rather than focusing on the mechanical aspects of selecting courses and meeting requirements.

Penn InTouch 2000 is a joint initiative of the four undergraduate schools, the Graduate School of Education, and the Office of the Provost working with the Council of Undergraduate Deans, the Registrar's Office, and Information Systems and Computing. The schools involved are in the process of orienting their faculty advisors to Advisor InTouch. There will be further communication to students, faculty and staff about phase two of Penn InTouch 2000 later in the current semester.

Implementation of Penn InTouch 2000 is being facilitated by the Electronic Degree Planning and Audit Working Group:

  • Robin Beck, Associate Vice President, Information Systems and Computing
  • James Choate, IT Technical Director, Information Systems and Computing
  • Deborah Yarber Clarke, Associate Director for Undergraduate Studies, School of Nursing
  • Mary Costigan, Director of Institutional Research and Application Development, SAS Computing
  • Kristin Davidson (convener), Director of Administrative Affairs, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Hocine Fetni, Assistant Dean for Advising, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Diane Frey, Director of Academic Advising, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Suzanne Kauffman DePuyt, Director of Student Services and Administration, Undergraduate Division, The Wharton School
  • Eleni Zatz Litt, Associate Director, Undergraduate Division, The Wharton School
  • Edward Marvel, Information Technology Support Specialist, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Gina Marziani, Associate Director for Administration, Office of College Houses and Academic Services
  • Billie Meeks, Manager of Student Records, Graduate School of Education
  • Susan Quant, Data Analyst, Information Systems and Computing
  • Edwin Read, Programmer /Analyst, Information Systems and Computing
  • Scott Reynolds, Associate Director, The Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology
  • Ronald Sanders, Registrar
  • Diane Scipio, Associate Director of Information Systems, School of Nursing
  • Joseph Sun, Director of Academic Affairs, School of Engineering and Applied Science
  • Karen Weidel, Assistant Dean, College of General Studies

--Peter J. Conn, Deputy Provost


Almanac, Vol. 46, No. 22, February 22, 2000

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