The new fee waiver application was created to relieve the excessive amount of manual work in handling fee waiver requests in conjunction with new beneficiary of Dual Credit Instructors, which increased the manual processing of an already labor intensive system.
Issues with previous application included:
- Extensive manual review and input
- Process was subject to errors
- Various groups needed special attention
- Timing of exemptions processed introduced new errors
- Communication was lacking at key points in the process
- Approval of work during normal hours created tracking process errors
- Rules are scattered over several handbooks and board resolutions
Concepts for the new fee waiver application include:
- Clearly defines process rules in database tables
- Creation of benefit for each eligible person prior to the person being able to submit a fee waiver request
- Eligible person connected to rules that specify how each group can use their benefit
- Processing of fee waivers directly for West Plains as well as Springfield
- Only valid fee waiver requests are allowed to be created
- Improves communication with emails during each step
- Fee payment is made after initial drop add for the most accurate class list without creating an additional burden to the employee
- Resolves issues when multiple individuals grant benefit to the same child
- Requires limited FERPA release to improve communication between HR office and the parent granting benefit to a student that is their child
The result is a comprehensive system that limits manual tasks, improves communication and provides better information and enough detail to know what to expect next in the process. The process past writing the exemption remain the same, so financial reporting and processing are unchanged.
New intertwined technology made the fee waiver project interesting, it uses Banner work to support decision making and leverages the ability of the workflow and email applications. Integration of human action and Banner workflow approval for fee waiver is the first of its kind to be deployed at the University.
Written by Nathan Betz, Senior Systems Analyst, Administrative Services and Financial Team