Pulling the plug on POWER

For the past several months, campus administrators have been working intently to smoothly transition to an updated computer system that will change the way students register for classes.

Campus administration replaced the old mainframe computer system with a new application made by PeopleSoft, which necessitates changes to the POWER system.

Essentially, the use of POWER will be broken into two different applications that students will use to plan a schedule and register for classes.

Students will use the new Plan A Student Schedule (PASS) system to choose classes by subject, availability, and G.E. Area. Students can then use the schedule created on PASS to register for classes on the new Cal Poly registration system, CPReg.

Although CPReg will not be available until Aug. 4, students can currently access the PASS system in order to plan their schedules prior to registration.

“I thought the system worked really well,” said John Sweeney, wine and viticulture senior who recently accessed the system to plan his Fall classes.

“It was easy to navigate, but I did have some trouble saving schedules,” Sweeney said.

Linda Sandy, the Applications Management Coordinator from Information Technology Services (ITS), worked closely with students and staff during the testing and development of PASS.

“We recognized how important it was to solicit ideas and requirements from a wide range of end users; therefore, many people from different areas of the campus were involved in design review sessions,” Sandy said. “Multiple suggestions have been incorporated into the application to facilitate usability problems that were encountered with POWER.”

The ITS Application Management group is responsible for the technical programming and maintenance of the program, but there has also been a significant student effort to help get PASS up and running.

Business students in Patricia McQuaid’s BUS 395 class performed quality assurance testing on the system as part of a class project.

Agriculture business senior and student assistant at the Office of Academic Records, John Garnin, attends CPReg review sessions with administrators from several departments.

“I was able to learn to use the system in about 20 minutes,” Garnin said.

Sandy said more than 5,000 users have accessed the PASS system and 2,000 students have already saved schedules, showing a positive response to its ability to find classes using GE and USCP requirements.

However, the Office of Academic Records has been training several associates on the new systems in order to assist students in case they don’t take to the system as easily.

Students can access the PASS system now and CPReg on Aug. 4 through the MyCalPoly portal.