INTERIM REPORT OF THE CSIR/DATA QUALITY CONTROL WORKING GROUP
November, 2004

Members: Loris Davanzo (OPA), Karen Denton (OR), LaVern Lazzereschi (OR), Melisandra Leonardos (AS), Patty Mead (SMCP), Patti Owen (APO), Adam Pucci (AS), Lenore Ralston (OPA - Chair), Linda Song (AS), Linda Wong (BFIT/OPA)

CSIR (Class Scheduling and Instructional Record) is a system which relies on the integrity and smooth interfacing of several data gathering and reporting systems and enforcement of policies originating from the offices of the Academic Senate, Academic Personnel, Registrar, Planning & Analysis, Space Management and Capital Programs, Graduate Division, and the UC system-wide Office of the President.

Over the course of this past year the CSIR/Data Quality Control Working Group has focused on tasks having implications for individual “home” units as well as for campus-wide improvements to centrally shared systems, operations, and reporting processes related to CSIR. The majority of the work in 2003-04 was focused on implementing findings and recommendations from both campus and OP CSIR-related committees over the previous two years. Some of the areas addressed have included issues related to E-Grades, Space Utilization, Class Scheduling, GSI and Unit-18 collective bargaining contracts, COCI Course Approval Forms, De-Cal and other student-initiated/facilitated courses, and the clarification of which instructional title codes for both faculty and student instructors are appropriate for teaching as compared to which are appropriate for reporting. Further, our work has helped inform the work of other groups charged with addressing concerns raised by the California Bureau of State Audit’s report completed summer, 2002.

SUMMARY OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

DATA QUALITY

• Incorporated the recommendations of the Report of the Joint Administration /Academic Senate Working Group on Instructional Activity into new Business Rules for CSIR;

• Completed analysis, definition, and implementation of UCB-OP Title Code dictionary for OP reporting, CSIR data collection, and E-Grade processing;

• Worked with staff from HRMS to obtain access to BIS and HRMS tables useful to CSIR, and worked through the process of creating an affiliate code for student-facilitated courses and other possible affiliates showing up in CSIR;

• Completed implementation of cross-listed/room share reporting into CSIR using the Academic Senate’s COURSE master list. This list takes into account those cross-listed courses which do not have a “C” pre-fix as a result of coding constraints;

• Completed manual reassignment of x98 courses from IND to a new instructional format code dedicated to Directed Group Study (GRP) – e.g. reserving the use of instructor format code IND with x99, 601, 602 courses only.

SYSTEMS and DICTIONARIES

• Strengthened E-Grades process [obtained appropriate job code designations for non-UCB employees – see new HRMS affiliate categories];

• COCI adopted a new instructional format code for Directed Group Study 1/31/04 (GRP).

• Instructional format code VOL was mapped from NC to CR and SET was remapped from NC to LAB for space utilization purposes.

• An analysis and presentation of the TIE (Total Instructional Effort) OP schema was made to a pilot group of UCB departments, followed by a total sample from all departments;

ERRORS & OMISSIONS

• Worked on embedding fatal errors and warnings into the E&O process through newly designed screens. Much progress; full implementation expected in fall 05;

REPORTING

• Completed aggregate faculty workload reports by course-offering and pay departments. These made available through CAL PROFILES (almost completed);

TRAINING

• OPA is in the process of going out to each unit and describing changes to the CSIR system, providing an overview of how the CSIR system impacts units and the campus. Further, OPA has stressed the importance of accurate and complete data entry, and provided an overview of what we anticipate in the future. As of this date, the training is about 40% complete;

DOCUMENTATION

• Ongoing effort to collect all relevant information necessary to the creation and ongoing stability of the CSIR system with the goal of making the process and outcome(s) transparent.

DATA INTEGRATION

• New screens – initiated and in progress;

• Reviewed other campus publications and websites for consistency – in progress;

• Continuation of quarterly meetings to maintain administrative networks/connections needed to keep the CSIR- and related systems robust and informed;

WEB-SITE

• Collected and posted on the CSIR website all relevant policies, dictionaries, and other related information affecting reporting, operations, and procedures. Sill receiving feedback from academic units;

RECOMMENDATIONS for 2004-2005

DATA QUALITY

• Complete the process of implementing the new business rules into the CSIR reporting logic;

SYSTEMS

• Complete the COURSE screen – dependent on funding;

ERRORS & OMISSIONS

• Complete the new CSIR screens and monitor their E&O effectiveness;

• Complete design of anomaly trend reports to track improvements for key CSIR elements – e.g. measuring policy/practice gaps for: TCs/job codes (OP reporting, GSI, Unit-18 Lecturers), IND + x99, Instruc Func, Instructional Format, Cross-listed/room shares (OPA/BFIT);

REPORTING

• Create “new” faculty workload-by-department reports – in progress;

• Continue to work with departments on providing reports helpful to them;

• Complete outline and regularization of anomaly reports to central campus offices (Academic Senate, Graduate Division, Office of the Registrar) – OPA - underway;

DOCUMENTATION

• Complete CSIR Reference Manual – Detailed/desk version – OPA/BFIT/All (include Glossary, Definitions, History of CSIR, etc.) – in progress;

• Update on-line CSIR Manual with any new business rules developed in 2003/2004 - BFIT– in progress;

DATA INTEGRATION

• Review other campus publications and websites for consistency – in progress;

• Continuation of quarterly meetings to maintain administrative networks/connections needed to keep the CSIR- and related systems robust and informed;

• Continuing monitoring the policies and practices of other central campus administrative units.

TRAINING

• Complete the training process and respond to follow-up questions. Possibly revamp training process to include other venues.

Space Utilization

• Create sub-committee to focus on issues related to space utilization and CSIR. Goal: to better integrate space-related dictionaries, to fully understand how the data is put together and insert appropriate quality control mechanisms, and to automate reporting process.