Public Health Sciences Initiates New Data System

Since November of 2017, the College of Computing and Informatics’ Technology Solution Office has been developing a new custom data system, called the Public Health Sciences Data and Reporting System (PHSDARS), to our specifications. The first phase of this customized system supports our student record creation and admissions processes. This phase went live in January and is being used for reviewing Fall 2018 applicants. Previously, our faculty review of applications involved multiple different systems and copying forms and files to shared directories. PHSDARS, however, has the capability to process all aspects of admissions through one integrated web-based system. This innovation will lead to faster, more accurate application processing and documentation.

While focused on the MHA program, we designed PHSDARS to be scalable across all of Public Health Sciences. The module was so successful that we expanded it to include admissions for the Health Informatics and analytics Program as well, with the remaining PHS graduate programs expected to join in over the next several years.

PHSDARS’ planned second phase will facilitate alumni tracking. Employment data and alumni contact information are critical to ongoing accreditation related reporting in addition to facilitating effective interactions between the program, applicants, and students and our alumni. This second phase should be live by Fall 2018.

The third and final phase of PHSDARS is student tracking. This more complex set of process will help us better monitor and serve our students, allowing the program to provide closer-to-real time analytics and dashboards at the student, cohort, and faculty/class level. Data will include advising note, internship placement information, and competency assessments that currently are collected and stored in a myriad of excel and word documents that make analysis cumbersome. If granted permission for BANNER integration, the new data system will become even more efficient by linking to student information maintained in central university systems rather than duplicating them. Such a linkage would minimize the risk of missing changes such as address changes and marriages. This updated student tracking will enhance the quality and timeliness of reporting to students, advisors, and CAHME.