Dennis,
I know several schools that bridge the gap between paper and electronic by scanning. You then have a true copy of the orignal documents.
We live in a wonderful age that gives us the ability to store a lot of information in smaller areas and the speed to find what we need quickly but we will always need the human readable record to protect history. Machines and the software to run them change at ever increasing rates and may not be able to process older data. Who remembers floppy disks, Super-8 movies? Can you still retrieve data from them?
Even though we are an I.T. school, the majority of our records including enrollment agreements and such are on paper still. That said, there is a certain amount of a student's records that are digital - it's good for backup, but it does make for double effort when I am looking up a student's info, as I always have to check both sources...
Carl,
It is also important to remember that the Commission for Independent Education is the custodian of student files and complete student record maintenance is part of operating an institution in Florida.
Electronic records also ensures that in the case of a catastrophic event the institution will be able to reproduce the records.
Inalbys,
Technology is great when it works and granted there are many advantages to having resources electronically. Depending upon your student base, you would be surprised how many people do not have computers or access to the Internet. Keep that in mind!
Technology is a great tool and is here to stay. Practically, any document can be easily stored, retrieved, printed, faxed, and emailed with just a click. Relying on hard copies only is counterproductive, takes additional space, is more expensive to maintain, and more challenging to keep it organized. I, personally, believe that both, hard copies and electronic copies are still necessary, but I believe that hard copies will soon become obsolete.
Esther,
I agree! It's great to have it in a format that can be relied upon. Also, sometimes prospective students want to see it in writing.
I agree that technology is a wonderfull tool because it provides an easy access to the students' information. However, since computers often crash, blackouts occur, etc. we can't fully rely on computers alone: we need hard copies.
Manuel,
I heartedly agree. Technology is a wonderful tool but having the notebook can save the day when the technology fails. Plus, many clients like to see it in writing!
Alyse,
I think your institution is really moving towards the future when it comes to technology. The only problem I can possibly forsee arising from that scenario, is that all electronic information is subject to being terminated. For instance, a server goes down, or a breach in security, etc. I think there should be both, computerized and handwritten information, this way rest assured you always have the information.
Manny
Essence,
Both state and accreditating agencies require a strict paper trail through the admissions process. Correct forms and proper signatures are just a few audit items to look for.
Yes, I believe that it is important to keep a paper trail for each document. This way, administration will have more than one way to access important information concerning students
Alyse,
You will find that some prospective students are not fully comfortable with all technology today and will want to see it in paper form.
