http://www.Jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/110499/met_1140931.html

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Thursday, November 4, 1999

Story last updated at 12:40 a.m. on Thursday, November 4, 1999

Software flaws snarl FCCJ Students, officials irked by problems

By Mary MacDonald Times-Union staff writer

Florida Community College at Jacksonville has discovered what happens when the delayed arrival of new computer software is combined with hidden flaws and a stupefying volume of student records: a taste of Y2K paralysis.

Although the transition to new computer systems began in 1998, top college administrators say the fast-approaching year's end has forced them to introduce critical student programs without much testing.

The resulting bugs have shut down the entire computer system at times, and riled students and administrators alike.

College President Steven Wallace speaks bluntly of his dissatisfaction.

Had the college purchased this software from a corporation, instead of a partnership of Florida community colleges, it probably would have filed a lawsuit by now, he said.

But as a consortium partner, FCCJ does not have that option.

"We would be suing ourselves," he said.

In September, the financial aid programs were jumbled.

Students had to wait days, sometimes weeks, for their check disbursements. Those were the checks used by some students for living expenses, after tuition and books. In a few cases, administrators said they intervened to protect students from eviction.

In July, it was registration.

The new software disrupted the popular touch-tone telephone registration, leading to long lines and, in some instances, inadvertently dropped courses. Administrators had to extend registration deadlines, and check records by hand.

The transition from old to new, all agree, has not been smooth.

"It's not been a perfect, linear process," Wallace said.

But the college didn't have much choice, he said. The old system was not compliant with Y2K, meaning old computers programmed for two-digit dates could mistake the year 2000 as 1900, and scramble everything from employee benefits to student financial aid.

In its rush to have a new system in place, on time, FCCJ is not alone.

A report issued last week by the U.S. Department of Education indicates most colleges and universities have become compliant in a hurry.

Other area schools, including the University of North Florida, Jacksonville University and Edward Waters College, say they are ready, or just about ready, for Y2K.

The new system at FCCJ, called Orion, is the result of a partnership of seven community colleges in Florida.

Spurred by legislative demands for standardized reports, the largest community colleges began six years ago to pool their state funds and formed a corporation: the Florida Community College Software Consortium.

Members include community colleges serving Jacksonville, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tallahassee and West Palm Beach. By the end of June 2000, the consortium will have spent $7.9 million.

The idea was to produce and share their own computer software that met state reporting requirements, and have it in place by the end of 1997, Wallace said, well before Y2K.

Instead, turnover among key consortium staff and other problems led to delays in the delivery of some software programs, said Steve Bowers, FCCJ's vice president of administrative affairs, and a member of the consortium executive committee.

Administrative programs, including payroll and human resources, were introduced at FCCJ in 1998 without major conflict.

But programs tailored to student services, including registration and financial aid, were fraught with problems.

The new software sometimes interfered with other programs that were working properly, Wallace said. The entire computer system crashed repeatedly throughout fall registration.

Betty Burgess, an FCCJ student, found herself caught up in the mess.

She waited several weeks to receive a final check, and ended up taking out a short-term loan to pay for her books. As recently as last week, she was standing in line at the Downtown Campus to verify that her latest check is one she can use for expenses.

The confusion has been stressful, she said.

"It has never taken this long for me to be processed," Burgess said. "It's never been this long. I guess I just got caught up in the rigmarole."

Erica Jones, 21, a sophomore at FCCJ, ended up paying tuition that ordinarily would have been covered by a Pell Grant. She later was credited for the $123.10. Because she had the money in savings, it wasn't a big deal, she said. Eventually, the computer issues were resolved.

"I had to pay up front, or else I wouldn't have been able to register," she said.

The size of the college enrollment contributed to the installation problems, Wallace said. "At any given time, we're working with 150,000 records."

For students and staff alike, the transition has been difficult, said Rob Rennie, FCCJ's vice president of technology. In some cases, testing completed beforehand did not reveal the problems that surfaced once the software was installed, he said.

In the end, the college was forced by the calendar to turn over whole systems.

"It was forced by the year," Rennie said. "If we had had another year, students wouldn't even have known this thing had gone in."

-- Homer Beanfang (Bats@inbellfry.com), November 05, 1999

Answers

What are they so upset about? Any problems will be fixed in 2 or 3 hours....

Right....?

Now, sheeple, repeat after me....

Three Day Storm... Three Day Storm... Three Day Storm... Three Day Storm... Three Day Storm... Three Day Storm... Three Day Storm... Three Day Storm... Three Day Storm... Three Day Storm... Three Day Storm... Three Day Storm... Three Day Storm...

There, don't you feel better now?

Now behave, take your meds, and go BACK TO SLEEP.

56 days remain.

-- Dennis (djolson@cherco.net), November 05, 1999.

As a former employee of FCCJ, I can vouch for their strange ways of doing things...

-- jx (fire_water5@yahoo.com), November 05, 1999.

" ... discovered what happens when the delayed arrival of new computer software is combined with hidden flaws and a stupefying volume of student records: a taste of Y2K paralysis ...

Although the transition to new computer systems began in 1998, top college administrators say the fast-approaching year's end has forced them to introduce critical student programs without much testing. The resulting bugs have shut down the entire computer system at times, and riled students and administrators alike ...

... probably would have filed a lawsuit by now ... does not have that option ... "We would be suing ourselves" ... programs were jumbled ... intervened to protect students from eviction ...

... transition from old to new, all agree, has not been smooth ... not been a perfect, linear process ... But the college didn't have much choice ... The old system was not compliant with Y2K ... In its rush to have a new system in place, on time, FCCJ is not alone ...

... most colleges and universities have become compliant in a hurry ... idea was to produce and share their own computer software that met state reporting requirements, and have it in place by the end of 1997 ... well before Y2K ... Instead, turnover among key consortium staff and other problems led to delays in the delivery of some software programs ... fraught with problems ... The new software sometimes interfered with other programs that were working properly ... entire computer system crashed repeatedly throughout fall registration ... caught up in the mess ...

... confusion has been stressful ... has never taken this long for me to be processed ... caught up in the rigmarole ... transition has been difficult ... In some cases, testing completed beforehand did not reveal the problems that surfaced once the software was installed ... In the end, the college was forced by the calendar to turn over whole systems ... "It was forced by the year" ...

CLUES

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), November 05, 1999.