[Oasfaa] A Change Is Coming

Sat Jun 9 17:56:32 CDT 2007

Was Friday not the most beautiful day in history?  Gosh it was pretty.  

You may have heard that OU purchased the Banner student system software
last month.  Yes, we're very pleased.  We're even more pleased that UCO
finished their conversion to Banner last year and OCU is in the middle
of converting from SIS+ to Banner.....it always helps to have someone
close by to share with.    And, no, I'm NOT saying misery loves company.
When will we go live?  The plan is for financial aid to begin using
Banner for the 09-10 award year.  

We have kick-off meetings early next week and some of the staff
dedicated to the project will move to the project offices across campus
at the end of next week.  From our office, Brad Burnett and I will be
dedicated to the project---Brad as the project director for the
functional users (Recruitment, Admissions, Registration, Academic
Records, Bursar, Financial Aid, the whole shooting match). and I'll be
the "functional lead" for financial aid.   For those of you who know
Rick Skeel, our director of academic records, he's heading up the
"Student System" group (Admissions, Registration, Records, etc.).
Other people from our office will have tasks and provide information,
but I have to make sure the financial aid stuff gets done. Brad has to
make sure the whole thing gets done.  I'm not worried.  He managed the
project to bring the CPS to the web for Pearson....a little thing you
know as "FAA Access".  He knows how to get it done.  In fact, when
searching for a project name, that was the first suggestion, "Project
Git-R-Done".    (No, we don't have a name for it yet.)  

Brad will be moving next week, I won't have to move until later this
fall because I won't be totally full-time on the project til then.
Yes, we're moving out....it's definitely not up.   You know that little
ratty office where you stick the auditors?  Yeah, well, we have a little
ratty old dorm in Cross Center.  I mean OLD...it was old when I got here
as a freshman. Yeah, that's OLD.  No elevators.  I'll be on the fourth
floor---when this is over, I'll either be fit or dead.   The big
positive is it has a basketball hoop out front, so I can work on my hook
shot.  (Yeah, right, for being a big fan, I've never shot a basket in my
life.)    I've lived in worse places as a student....and Brad's been in
the Army.  We're tough, we'll be fine. And, hey, it's only 2 years.  

What about the financial aid office?  Shoot, what do I care, I'll be
working on Banner and shooting hoops.  No, really, everyone here is
pitching in really well.  We will be hiring a couple of people to help
"back-fill" as Brad calls it.  I always visualize a back-hoe operator
when he says that.  You'll see more about those jobs when we've figured
out what they'll do and what we'll call them.  

Why am I writing to you now?  To give you a little heads up that I won't
be as accessible as I have been in the past.  Yes, I'll still have a
phone (same #) and email, but my time and my focus HAS to be on the new
system, not the functional everyday operations of the financial aid
office.  

I'll still read the listservs and the NASFAA news and do things like the
1040-Simple Needs Test chart.   If I see questions out on the listserv
that I have time and expertise to respond to, I'll do that...but it may
take a while.  That's something for my 'spare time'.   But, no, you
won't be able to just call me whenever you want to ask a question or
discuss a policy.  As I've told our staff, there will be no more "just
one quick question" stuff and that goes for my colleagues too.  

For new aid officers that I met on Thursday and said you can contact me
if you need help....you CAN.  But, it may not be me that helps you---I
may hook you up with another Okie aid officer who is equally capable of
helping you.   

You probably won't see me at OASFAA or SWASFAA, depending on the
schedule.  Yes, I do get to go to NASFAA this year---I'll be at the Omni
so contact me if you want to get together.   I'm reasonably sure we
won't be invited to any big parties this year :-| 

Oh, and I'm experimenting with different voicemail greetings to use when
the project starts.  Let me know what you think of my samples
below......I'm partial to #8.  

Pam

Pam McConahay 
Assoc. Dir., Compliance, Training & Lender Relations 
University of Oklahoma Financial Aid Services 
1000 Asp Avenue, Room 216 Norman OK 73019-4078
(405) 325-4617  Fax (405) 325-7608 
pmcconahay at ou.edu 

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-------Original Message-------

<blocked::mailto:JConno1000 at aol.com> 
Subject: "Out of Office"

"Out of Office" email ideas 

1. I am currently away from my desk, beating my head against the wall. 
Your message will be replied to once I have reached a level of numbness 
sufficient to cloud my vision to the point I am able to formulate an 
appropriate response to your request. 

2. I am currently out at a job interview and wi ll reply to you if I
fail 
to get the position. Be prepared for my mood. 

3. You are receiving this automatic notification because I am out of the

office. If I was in, chances are you wouldn't have received anything at
all. 

4. I will be unable to delete all the unread, worthless emails you send 
me until I return on April 1st. Please be patient and your Mail will be 
deleted in the order it was received. 

5. Thank you for your email. Your credit card has been charged $5.99 for

the first ten words and $1.99 for each additional word in your message. 

6. The e-mail server is unable to verify your server connection and is 
unable to deliver this message. Please restart your computer and try 
sending again. (The beauty of this one is that when you return, you can 
see how many in-duh-viduals did this over and over). 

7. Thank you for your message, which has been added to a queuing system.

You are currently in 352nd place, and can expect to receive a reply in 
approximately 19 weeks. 

8. I've run away to join a different circus. 

9. I will be out of the office for the next 2 weeks for medical reasons.

When I return, please refer to me as 'Marvin' instead of 'Martha.' 

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