- 1. Is this system a single all-inclusive system, or
can it be broken down into interacting sub-systems?
It must be broken down, that is the point of drawing a top level
view of the system.
- 2. Are graduate applications submitted over the Web,
or in paper format?
See Common questions and answers.
- 3. Is information transferred automatically from the
relevant outside systems, or will this information need to be
manually input into this system?
See Common questions and answers.
- 4. Does a database need to be implemented, or will an
off-the-shelf database (or a pre-existing database) be used to store
the data?
Use a public domain database
(For example: mySQL )
- 5. Which architecture(s) are at our disposal
(Windows, Unix, etc.)?
Should be OS independent. Use a browser interface, if possible.
- 6. What level of security should be implemented?
Alternatively, how much are you willing to spend on security?
If possible, use a secure web server (For example, Apache with Open SSL ) else
you must at least implement authentication of users (with
userid and password) and authorized access to data.
Encryption is not strictly required. This has implications for
GUI design and the need to clearly inform users of the
consequences of our security implementation
- 7. Which information should varying groups be allowed
to access?
- Management assistants: Read/Write Access on all students
- Graduate Committee: Read access on all applicant
data; Read/Write access on all applicant evaluations
- Advisor: has Read/Write access to student's
progress form (also called the graduate advising form).
Graduate Director is the default advisor for all incoming
students. A student must get a research advisor before the
completion of 15 graduate credits.
- 8. What information do we compare with for data
validation?
TBD
- 9. What information do we compare with to determine
"poor performace"?
Read the
graduate program web page with particular emphasis on
program requirements. A grade less than B is usually
"poor performance"
- 10. What administration will go into this system?
Who will be maintaining it?
Data entry by management assistants, graduate committee, research
advisors. Only faculty can be research advisors. There is
currently no entity envisioned for system administration, unless
you form a corporation.
- 11. Are the entire applications available to an
applying student, or only the status of that application?
Only two pieces of information are available to an applicant.
- Application location: received/not received/processed and
passed on to the graduate school
- Application status: accepted/rejected/being evaluated
- 12. What sort of log-in/password combination is used
for security, and if applicable who assigns the combos?
Administrator/Installer
- 13. Who has access to enter/edit/delete applications
and their status?
See question 7.