Annual AACRAO Meeting 2011
Panel Discussion Electronic Exchange of Student Transcripts (Session ID 442 )
Annual AACRAO Meeting 2011 March 16, 2011
SPEEDE – A Professional Development Committee of AACRAO American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
W. Matt Bemis, Associate Registrar, University of Southern California Tuan Anh Do, Assistant Director, Systems Support Group, San Francisco State University (CA) Clare Smith-Larson, Systems Support Specialist, Iowa State University John (Tom) Stewart, Retired College Registrar, Miami Dade College, (FL) Honorary AACRAO Member
Agenda A brief history and considerations of various methods
of transcript exchange to include: Paper & Faxed Transcripts PDF Transcripts EDI Transcripts XML Transcripts
Paper & Fax Transcripts Benefits
Considerations
Known acceptable process today
Security risks authentication
No testing is required before
Security risks accuracy
sending or receiving
Speed of delivery for Fax Paper format legible IT resources light IT costs
Processing upon receipt Data not readily available Staffing resource heavy Interpretation of data No Acknowledgment Costs
PDF History Portable Document Format (PDF) created by Adobe Systems in 1993 PDF proprietary rights were officially released by Adobe as an open
standard in July 2008
PDF Standards for embedding and retrieving XML within a PDF
approved by PESC in December 2010.
Electronic image vs. electronic data Secure PDF digitally signed and certified as authentic PDF may be password protected – necessary to open, and may specify
restrictions when the document is decrypted – restrictions on printing, life of the document, etc.
Extract transcript data from SIS and render to PDF document
PDF Transcripts
Benefits
Considerations
Can be sent to any computer
Upload of data to SIS
More secure than mail
Longevity
anywhere; not just to another school
Less opportunity for fraud Faster delivery and easy for human
to print or view
Low cost
difficult , but embedded XML standards will help Different philosophies on
appropriateness of expiration
Multiple transmission
methodologies
Vendor differences Varying cost models for
senders/receivers
Fast implementation Robust rights management for the
PDF document
Snapshot of the USC experience USC began issuing PDF transcripts in May 2008 PDF transcript is an official USC transcript PDF IS “certified”, guaranteeing Transcript was created by USC Contents of the transcript are unaltered
PDF transcripts are not delivered through email attachment –
Recipients are notified via email that a PDF transcript is available for retrieval.
PDF transcripts are approaching 25% of transcript volume
Snapshot of the USC experience PDF transcripts seem to be uniquely suited for employers, employment
agencies, and transcripts issued to students.
USC’s rights management over PDF include the ability to print and
retain the document for life. (Initial rights restricted printing and terminated the document after 180 days).
USC students have 24/7 access to PDF transcript request and delivery
services
PDF transcripts are accepted by USC Admissions offices but must be
sent from the issuing institution (or through an approved vendor) and must be accompanied with a digital signature.
Sample of a valid digital signature
Sample of an invalid digital signature
EDI History The AACRAO Standardization of Postsecondary Education Electronic Data
Exchange Committee (SPEEDE) began developing national standard in 1989
AACRAO SPEEDE developed the initial format for the College Transcript US Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics
(NCES) began developing a national standard during same timeframe
NCES developed the format for the K-12 Transcript Both groups worked with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) X12 to develop standard formats
ANSI ASC X12 Transaction Set 130 for the Student Educational Record
(Transcript) approved in early ’90’s
Goal to transmit data with the least amount of characters necessary
EDI Process Benefits Standards are consistent Resources are available Processes can be batched and
automated
Large volume of current
institutions using standard
State and district initiatives
Sender and receiver are
identified
Automated
acknowledgements of both delivery and receipt possible
Transmission through
SPEEDE Server benefits trading partners
Costs decrease Speede delivery
EDI Institutional Considerations Capabilities of the organization IT resources available Interest level of senior management Compatibility with SIS
Cost/benefit analysis In house vs. vendor sponsored solution Efficiency gains
Strategic goals Preferred trading partner methodologies
EDI Process Considerations Technical complexity limits some institutions Need for translation software or SIS compatibility to recognize full
benefits
Data mapping can be cumbersome Perception of complexity or lack of IT resources ANSI ASC X12A Education sub-committee inactive since 2005 Devil is in the details, but it’s only done once
What is XML ? XML stands for Extensible Markup Language XML is a markup language much like HTML XML was designed to carry data, not to display data XML is designed to be self-descriptive
XML High School Transcript Schema
XML Example - <Student> - <SchoolAssignedPersonID>309032191 582425187 123456789 1989-06-12 Kristen <MiddleName /> Young Female
Key Benefits of XML Content identification Enforced structure International standard Industry standardization
Additional XML Benefits It supports Unicode, allowing almost any information in any
written human language to be communicated Format uses English and less abbreviations (Camel Case) making it less technical to read than EDI format It can be updated incrementally It is platform-independent, thus relatively immune to changes in technology Forward and backward compatibility are relatively easy to maintain despite changes in Schema Compatible with SEVIS, IPEDS and NCATE (for teachers) XML preferred by IT because it is a format they are familiar with
XML Considerations XML syntax is large relative to EDI (binary)
representations of similar data This results in higher storage, transmission and processing costs Example 2K EDI = 30k XML (compression available in
Office 07)
XML syntax is verbose, especially for human readers,
relative to other alternative 'text-based' data
Number of tags = more to sift through to determine
what you need for your SIS as a receiver
Questions?
[email protected] Additional Resources
http://www.aacrao.org/speede/index.cfm http://www.aacrao.org/meetings http://registrar.utexas.edu/speede www.x12.org [email protected] pesc.org www.w3c.org
This presentation was brought to you by the AACRAO SPEEDE Committee aacrao.org/speede
SPEEDE – A Professional Development Committee of AACRAO American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
Annual AACRAO Meeting 2011 March 16, 2011
SPEEDE – A Professional Development Committee of AACRAO American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
W. Matt Bemis, Associate Registrar, University of Southern California Tuan Anh Do, Assistant Director, Systems Support Group, San Francisco State University (CA) Clare Smith-Larson, Systems Support Specialist, Iowa State University John (Tom) Stewart, Retired College Registrar, Miami Dade College, (FL) Honorary AACRAO Member
Agenda A brief history and considerations of various methods
of transcript exchange to include: Paper & Faxed Transcripts PDF Transcripts EDI Transcripts XML Transcripts
Paper & Fax Transcripts Benefits
Considerations
Known acceptable process today
Security risks authentication
No testing is required before
Security risks accuracy
sending or receiving
Speed of delivery for Fax Paper format legible IT resources light IT costs
Processing upon receipt Data not readily available Staffing resource heavy Interpretation of data No Acknowledgment Costs
PDF History Portable Document Format (PDF) created by Adobe Systems in 1993 PDF proprietary rights were officially released by Adobe as an open
standard in July 2008
PDF Standards for embedding and retrieving XML within a PDF
approved by PESC in December 2010.
Electronic image vs. electronic data Secure PDF digitally signed and certified as authentic PDF may be password protected – necessary to open, and may specify
restrictions when the document is decrypted – restrictions on printing, life of the document, etc.
Extract transcript data from SIS and render to PDF document
PDF Transcripts
Benefits
Considerations
Can be sent to any computer
Upload of data to SIS
More secure than mail
Longevity
anywhere; not just to another school
Less opportunity for fraud Faster delivery and easy for human
to print or view
Low cost
difficult , but embedded XML standards will help Different philosophies on
appropriateness of expiration
Multiple transmission
methodologies
Vendor differences Varying cost models for
senders/receivers
Fast implementation Robust rights management for the
PDF document
Snapshot of the USC experience USC began issuing PDF transcripts in May 2008 PDF transcript is an official USC transcript PDF IS “certified”, guaranteeing Transcript was created by USC Contents of the transcript are unaltered
PDF transcripts are not delivered through email attachment –
Recipients are notified via email that a PDF transcript is available for retrieval.
PDF transcripts are approaching 25% of transcript volume
Snapshot of the USC experience PDF transcripts seem to be uniquely suited for employers, employment
agencies, and transcripts issued to students.
USC’s rights management over PDF include the ability to print and
retain the document for life. (Initial rights restricted printing and terminated the document after 180 days).
USC students have 24/7 access to PDF transcript request and delivery
services
PDF transcripts are accepted by USC Admissions offices but must be
sent from the issuing institution (or through an approved vendor) and must be accompanied with a digital signature.
Sample of a valid digital signature
Sample of an invalid digital signature
EDI History The AACRAO Standardization of Postsecondary Education Electronic Data
Exchange Committee (SPEEDE) began developing national standard in 1989
AACRAO SPEEDE developed the initial format for the College Transcript US Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics
(NCES) began developing a national standard during same timeframe
NCES developed the format for the K-12 Transcript Both groups worked with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) X12 to develop standard formats
ANSI ASC X12 Transaction Set 130 for the Student Educational Record
(Transcript) approved in early ’90’s
Goal to transmit data with the least amount of characters necessary
EDI Process Benefits Standards are consistent Resources are available Processes can be batched and
automated
Large volume of current
institutions using standard
State and district initiatives
Sender and receiver are
identified
Automated
acknowledgements of both delivery and receipt possible
Transmission through
SPEEDE Server benefits trading partners
Costs decrease Speede delivery
EDI Institutional Considerations Capabilities of the organization IT resources available Interest level of senior management Compatibility with SIS
Cost/benefit analysis In house vs. vendor sponsored solution Efficiency gains
Strategic goals Preferred trading partner methodologies
EDI Process Considerations Technical complexity limits some institutions Need for translation software or SIS compatibility to recognize full
benefits
Data mapping can be cumbersome Perception of complexity or lack of IT resources ANSI ASC X12A Education sub-committee inactive since 2005 Devil is in the details, but it’s only done once
What is XML ? XML stands for Extensible Markup Language XML is a markup language much like HTML XML was designed to carry data, not to display data XML is designed to be self-descriptive
XML High School Transcript Schema
XML Example - <Student> - <SchoolAssignedPersonID>309032191 582425187 123456789 1989-06-12 Kristen <MiddleName /> Young Female
Key Benefits of XML Content identification Enforced structure International standard Industry standardization
Additional XML Benefits It supports Unicode, allowing almost any information in any
written human language to be communicated Format uses English and less abbreviations (Camel Case) making it less technical to read than EDI format It can be updated incrementally It is platform-independent, thus relatively immune to changes in technology Forward and backward compatibility are relatively easy to maintain despite changes in Schema Compatible with SEVIS, IPEDS and NCATE (for teachers) XML preferred by IT because it is a format they are familiar with
XML Considerations XML syntax is large relative to EDI (binary)
representations of similar data This results in higher storage, transmission and processing costs Example 2K EDI = 30k XML (compression available in
Office 07)
XML syntax is verbose, especially for human readers,
relative to other alternative 'text-based' data
Number of tags = more to sift through to determine
what you need for your SIS as a receiver
Questions?
[email protected] Additional Resources
http://www.aacrao.org/speede/index.cfm http://www.aacrao.org/meetings http://registrar.utexas.edu/speede www.x12.org [email protected] pesc.org www.w3c.org
This presentation was brought to you by the AACRAO SPEEDE Committee aacrao.org/speede
SPEEDE – A Professional Development Committee of AACRAO American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
