DARS User Group Meeting

1.

Meeting called to order by Chair Langer at 10:05 a.m.

2.

Short discussion on hour based training showing up on audits.  Fred will change to exclude all hour-based training.  Larry will send this to listserv and if schools do want option of hour based training on audit, then Fred will re-institute "h" condition code for hour based training which will then need to be excluded through the grade table.  Larry would develop procedure for implementing this.

3.

Fred provided an update of encoding issues:  1) Incltop now forces minimum calendar by using #99 code; 2) will be able to force new catalog term when printing using a parameter called  “Force Catalog Yr/Term” that will be added to the DARS Audit Report screen; 3) All report options on DARwin, including a dump, will be activated for encoders; 4) almost ready to test home-to-home articulation; 5) quarter to semester conversion credit calculation has been implemented; and 6) Condition code of "Q" put on all quarter courses coming into audit so schools can manipulate these credits based on their condition code. 

Larry will send notifications to the MnSCU DARS list serve as projects are completed.

4.

There are 12 characters available for program identification.  Fred picks up from ST1104UG up to 4 characters for the degree, 4 character major and 4 characters for concentrations.

5..

Concerning agreement on centralized COM tables for CONDTB-RES and CONDTB-US1, Larry and Fred will confer and report back to the group.  This documentation will be added to the Functional Specs for DARS.

6

Fred has been working on SPEEDE, which will help with Transfer Articulation when transcripts load directly to DARS.  After home-to-home articulation is working, Fred will work on integrating regular transfer articulation in DARS and to have the evaluation saved to ISRS with the option to post on transcripts transfer course detail or transfer summary information.

7.

The group explored the best options for obtaining catalog year on the audit and decided to have Fred first set it up to check ST3602 and then if nothing there, check ST1104 and if nothing there either, then ST1102.  Fred agreed this was a good plan and he will implement this.

8.

The group also discussed common exception coding and agreed to use a standardized list of codes that were presented by Margo at training on June 19, 2000.  Century had previously used some different codes, but DiAnn agreed to go back and change the table to be in agreement with new list.  If DARS schools need to add additional exception codes, they should work through Larry &/or the User Group.

9.

DiAnn & Laurie talked about the recent DARS User Conference at Miami.  MnSCU may be able to explore using DARS as a tool for the ISRS Registration System to go to in order to do pre-requisite checking at the time of registration.  The Univ of Georgia did a live demo on how it works in their system.  There was a presentation on improving the appearance of the audit.  Hopefully, some of the suggestions can be tested and presented to MnSCU users in the future.

10.

In order to get access to information about best practices, code agreements, etc., Gary will investigate using www.DARS.mntransfer.org as a way to disseminate and archive information.  This will contain agreed upon lists, coding enhancement and other "how to" information for DARwin users.

Meeting adjourned at 12:55 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by Gary Langer and Laurie Tralle

Next Meeting:  tentatively set for Aug. 1, 2, or 3, 2000.