The Pointer UW-Stevens Point Student Newspaper
Degree Progress Reports are the latest obstacle in the transition from myPoint to AccesSPoint. Stevens Point joins the other Universities of Wisconsin in using the program, Campus Solutions.
AccesSPoint is a part of a program called Campus Solutions, which is used all over the UW-System. The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is the last college to implement Campus Solutions.
“The UW system requested that we join the rest of them to be essentially on the same page,” Registrar Ed Lee said.
Lee said building DPR’s in the new system must be done by developing and coding each major, minor, catalog term and the general education requirements. The reason this is not already done for you like it was on myPoint is because the DPR’s take 18 months to rebuild and after the transition from myPoint to AccesSPoint, it’s not as simple as simply transferring the data of the DPR’s over to the new system. They have to be rebuilt from the bottom.
“Campus is in month 12 of the 18 months of the rebuilding,” said Laura Bell, interim Associate Vice Chancellor for enrollment management. “It is not easy replacing a student information system that has been in place for 20 years. We modified the system over the years to meet our needs and in a very short time we need to build the new system that also meets those needs.”
Some were not quite happy with the change like Paige Jacob, senior public relations major.
“I had finally gotten used to MyPoint and then they decide to change the whole system right before I am done.”
Jacob expressed that what frustrates her is “the pure fact that I’m graduating in May, I have to go through each credit to make sure I have the right amount to graduate come spring time.”
NK Yang searching for classes on accesSPoint. Photo courtesy of Dalen Dahl.
With Campus Solutions, came some new features myPoint didn’t have.
“The one thing I do like about AccesSPoint is how fast they make it for you to register for your classes. It’s a lot quicker and easier than it was before,” said Jacob.
Communications Professor Rhonda Sprague said, “the departments can see the demand for classes they offer and open up more sections if necessary.”
Sprague added that a problem that comes up is that people are constantly weighing AccesSPoint against myPoint and they don’t see the potential it has.
“There is always going to be a harsh learning curve for new things like this but once its finished and everybody understands how it works, it’s going to be a very good thing,” said Sprague.
Lee said that everyone working on getting AccesSPoint to its final product, appreciate the patience and understanding people have while navigating the new system.
“It is a transition period but we will get there,” said Lee. “In the very beginning not everyone will be happy, but as time goes on things will get better.”
Aaron Zimmerman
Reporter
azimm667@uwsp.edu
