In their Notice dated 21 May 2003 (Reporter, 2002-03, p. 955), the CamSIS Project Board reported that they had selected PeopleSoft and CIBER as the preferred suppliers of the system. This Notice describes progress on the project since then and current planning for the introduction of the system.
On 1 July 2003 the Project Team moved into accommodation at Greenwich House. The Team is largely made up of experienced University and College staff, seconded from their posts to work on the project. The Team is assisted by consultants from CIBER, the University's implementation partner.
The Team has undergone an extensive training programme and has made considerable progress on modelling many of the Cambridge processes in the new software. They have been assisted by six Functional Working Groups consisting of members drawn widely from Colleges, Departments, and the central administration. Their primary task is to ensure that CamSIS will meet the specific requirements of the University and Colleges.
The Project is also working closely with five development Colleges. These Colleges have volunteered to assist the Project in the specification and testing of the College functionality with the aim of being the first Colleges to implement CamSIS. A Development Colleges Working Group meets regularly to advise the project on College matters. In a similar manner, a number of development Departments are assisting the Project with a view to them being early adopters of the CamSIS software.
The Project Board, chaired by the Master of Fitzwilliam College, meets monthly and oversees policy and budgetary control of the Project. They are supported by a Steering Group which also meets monthly. The Steering Group is charged with monitoring the detailed implementation and receives reports from the various working groups each month. The Project is currently on target and within the budget set by the Planning and Resources Committee.
The current project implementation plan is to go live this coming October with the processing of UCAS data, at the Cambridge Admissions Office, and postgraduate admissions, at the Board of Graduate Studies. This will be followed by the introduction of some admissions functionality through 2004-05 to the development Colleges and Departments. The institutions that will be first to use CamSIS will receive detailed guidance and training this summer in the use of the system. The remainder of the system will go live between July and October 2005. The new postgraduate admissions system will include an on-line internet application form for graduate courses which will be available from October 2004.
Further information can be found on the Project website at http://www.camsis.cam.ac.uk/.