DES NEWSLETTER

The Division of Enrollment Services Newsletter
Southern Methodist University
An Electronic Newsletter of

Undergraduate Admission, Financial Aid, University Bursar, and the University Registrar

Volume X, Issue 5        May 2011


   
Staff News from DES


NEW STAFF

 

Rod Jackson - Undergraduate Admission


STAFF LEAVING

 

Cheryl Swift - Bursar's Office


Birthdays
Cruz Lopez - May 3

Mini Chihuahua - May 4

Stephen Forrest - May 7

Jeremy Parrish - May 15

Walter Jimenez - May 16

Patricia May - May 20

Braunshay Pertile - May 21

Irma Herrera - May 21

Shereeta Robertson - May 22

Cheryl Swift - May 24

Stephany Coleman - May 24

Allie Bures - May 24

Joann Martinez - May 26

Jean Porter - May 27

Rick Diaz - May 29

Randy Trevino - May 31


Anniversaries
Joe Papari
- 31 years
Monica Gomez - 10 years

Gretchen Voight - 5 years

Lori Atkinson - 5 years

Kelly Milazzo - 3 years


 

Another New Feature in ACCESS.SMU
version 9.0

 

The June 2011 release of Access.SMU 9.0 is fast approaching!  One, if not the most exciting newly delivered features is the administrative view of the Student Center, also known as the Advisee 360 View.  The Advisee 360 View allows an advisor and administrative staff to finally see the student’s academic record…as the student sees it!  With the 360 view, a user can review a student’s---

¨Class Schedule, Course History, Grades, and Unofficial Transcript
¨
Personal Information (biographical, demographic, and address data, emergency contacts, directory restrictions, medical health history, student organizations §
  General Information (service indicators, student groups, initiated checklists, release of records to name a few)
¨
Transfer  and Test Credits §  Academics (academic program details, term and cumulative scholastic totals)
¨
Academic Requirements (advisement report)

Those with administrative access to maintain Personal Information, General Information, Transfer and Test Credits, and Academics, will have the ability to view and make changes on the spot alleviating the need to navigate through multiple menus!

 

Also part of the 360 View, the 9.0 Degree Progress Report (DPR) used to track a student’s progress towards graduation is brand new!  Users can view the results online as well as generate a printer friendly .pdf report in real time.  The online DPR provides interactive links to course details including sorting courses within a requirement.  In addition, when the Interactive first displays online, satisfied requirements are collapsed and unsatisfied requirements are expanded, but all requirements can be collapsed or expanded as needed.   In 9.0, the DPR will no longer be sent to the user’s campus email address, but will be accessible in a .pdf printable format.  Unlike 8.9, where undergraduate and graduate students have separate DPR formats, all students will share the same format in 9.0. 

 

The Undergraduate Summary Report is yet another great feature, which will provide a one-page, at-a-glance, status of a student’s progress toward satisfying the degree requirements.  This report is a new SMU customization replacing the first page of the 8.9 DPR and will also be available in a .pdf, printer friendly format.


 

VIPs - Very Important Ponies 

 

Some of our VIPs this month are:

 

Mary Ann Frye - Thank you so much!  As a result, my aid has been disbursed.  You were very kind to take the time to help me, even if I was transferred to the wrong person.  See everything does happen for a reason.  Happy student.

 

Damon Wilkins, Kelly Milazzo, Jeremy Parrish, and Paley Wu - Special thanks for putting together, editing, and getting online the Bursar's Website Usability Survey.  The Bursar's Website Project Team will review the results of the survey at our next meeting at assist with our redesign project.

 

Cindy Castro - Congratulations on your graduations and receipt of your Master's of Liberal Studies degree.  Great job.

 

Mirjan Laci and Angie Flores - My daughter is scheduled to graduate in May, and I wanted to express my appreciation to both of you for your assistance over the past four years with her financial account, billing to the Alabama pre-paid program, and answering my questions from time to time.  We believe our daughter has had a very positive experience at SMU, and has enjoyed her time there in all respects.  From my perspective, I want to say it has been a pleasure working with each of you, and your assistance and responsiveness has been welcome.  Perhaps we will need to communicate again before graduation, but I wanted to share these comments with you now before I forget.  Thank you very, very much.  Happy Mom

 

Kelly Milazzo - You were awesome today.  SMU really has you in the right place . . . thank you for calling me.  Again, Thank you for amazing personal attention - I copied Deanie [Kepler] so she can give you a shout-out to all the big-time SMU folks that should know that you represent them so well . . . Grateful Parent

 

Gretchen Voight, Adrienne Montgomery, Darrah Rippy, Monica Gomez, Barbara Dilbeck, Cate Hamilton, and Damon Wilkins - Thank you so much for all of your good work on the Tau Sigma ceremony!  Because of your efforts, I think we had a nice event for the transfers and their families, and I know that President Turner and Ambassador Phillips greatly enjoyed it.  Once again, your've helped out in a pinch with smiles on your faces and I greatly appreciate working with such committed co-workers!


Bursar's Project Team Improving Website

 

Under the leadership of Damon Wilkins, the University Bursar has appointed a project team to investigate the effectiveness of the Bursar's website.  In conjunction with the Communication Project Team, the Website group is assessing the content and usability of the site.  Students were sent an online survey asking how often they used the site and for what type of information.  It also asked how student obtained information other than the website.  Another tool that the Project Team will use is Google Analytics which provide data on the number of visitors to the site, the number of clicks the visitor makes, how long they stay on a page, and how often specific features are used.

 

After the survey is completed and analyzed in conjunction with the Analytics, the Project Team with the assistance of Senior Web Designer Paley Wu, will begin to implement the changes needed.  The target is for the redesign site to be available by the beginning of the fall term.


 President's Picnic
Mark your calendar
May 25, 2011


Important Dates

Bursar - May Term 2011 IEP Payment Due

Date - May 16 
Bursar
- Summer 2011 UG/GR/Hart/All MBA/All

Study Abroad Payment Due Date - May 20

Bursar - Monthly Statement Due Date - May 20 Transfer & Transition Services - Transfer Open Advising Day - May 26
May Term Ends
- May 28
USA
– Memorial Day Holiday – May 30
Summer School -
Full Summer and Summer I Term Begins - May 31
Bursar
- Summer 2011 Law/Theology Payment Due Date - June 1
Summer School
- Last Day to Enroll Full Summer and Summer I - June 3
Bursar
- Summer 2011 EHD (SEHD - DR & Counseling only ) Payment Due Date - June 16
Summer School
- Last Day of Summer I - June 29
Bursar
-Perkins Loan Year End - June 30

Summer School
- First Day of Summer II - June 30
Summer School - Last Day to Enroll for Summer II - July 1
USA - Fourth of July Holiday - July 4
Bursar
- Summer 2011 IEP Payment Due Date - July 5
Summer School - Last Day of Summer II - Aug. 1
Summer School
- Last Day of Full Summer

 

Quotation of the Month
Education should be as gradual as the moonrise, perceptible not in progress, but in result.
Author Unknown

SMU Trivia

Question
Who was the first woman employee at SMU?

Answer
Dorothy Amann
She was hired by President Hyer in 1913 as his secretary.  She first officed with Dr. Hyer, Bursar Frank Reedy and two bookkeepers in the Methodist Publishing House in downtown Dallas.  This group moved into Dallas Hall before it was completed with no sewage connection, heat or water.  Before the University opened, Dorothy Amann became the librarian, overseeing the full collection of 7,000 books.  An award was named in her honor in the 1990s, given by the Division of Student Affairs to recognize the contribution of graduating seniors to the work of the Division.  The award is presented the day before graduation. 
Joan Gosnell, University Archivist


THANK YOU
to all who made the 96th Commencement and Graduation ceremonies memorable for our graduates and their families and friends.