Object Oriented Modelling and Design - Final Project

1. Background

Sampoerna University is a growing university which the amount of students, lecturers, and staff are increasing each year. In terms of teaching and learning, this international campus always intend to enhance the teaching and learning process.

Sampoerna University has just collaborated with two American Universities namely Broward College and University of Arizona for a year. This resulted in a fixed degree plan for all departments on the new campus completed. Changes to some subjects that students need or do not need to take occur. This becomes a problem that sometimes causes miscommunication between Student Success and the Faculty so that the information obtained by students becomes less reliable. As a result, every semester students need to redesign their own degree plan according to the courses taken in the previous semester.

Another problem that is quite confusing for students in the process of making a study plan cards is their faculty advisor who is not in the same study program. Finally, often every advising session with the supervisor ends with both parties confused in taking steps. One thing is certain, not all courses at Sampoerna University are offered each semester. There are several courses that are opened only in the even semester, and the rest are opened only in odd semester. But there are also several courses, especially the general education course which is opened every semester or in the short semester.

The things above cause students to pay more attention to their degree plan so that they can graduate on time according to their plans. Therefore the author plans to design a system that helps solve the above problems. The application system will help students to compile their own study plan cards by providing study flow and matching them with the courses offered in the semester.

This application system will greatly help students and accelerate the study plan card registration process, so there is no more miscommunication or misinformation in taking courses.

1. Problem Formulation

On the existing system, users have been able to register their study plan through the academic website provided. However, before registering the course they will take, students must consult it to their academic supervisors for approval. The problem is in the process many students do not know and understand the critical path they must take and the extent to which they have completed their degree plan. Not all academic advisers are in accordance with students, although they are in the same faculty, they are not necessarily in the same major. This makes some academic advisers not understand which path their students should take with each student's different circumstances.In addition, since campus are trying to fit in with Arizona University, there are so many changes in the degree plan that are updated frequently. The frequent changes do not supported by fast updated information to the students, so that understanding of the degree plan in students is deficient. 

The system now is quite helpful and the same system is applied in other universities. The question is  with the fast changes that happen frequently in Sampoerna University, is this system effective enough? With a system like this, there are students who have to consult several times to arrange their study plan. In this proposal, the existing system will be upgraded with more complete website tools. With this change, the study plan registration process will be more effective and faster. In addition, students' understanding of their department degree plan and the critical path they must take will increase. The process that usually take some time from the student to meet their academic supervisor can be shorted and they can consult to the lecture and get approval directly. 

1. Scope and Limitation

This application will focus on developing the academic web of Sampoerna University based online assistant system for Sampoerna University students. This system will enable users (students) to review their own degree plan and understanding the critical path that they need to pass in every semester. In addition, users can plan each course they need to take in the next semester and can accelerate the study plan approval process by academic advisers.The user can also find out what courses are only offered in certain semesters and the changes in the schedule that already offered. Every degree plan change will be arranged by Sampoerna University academic staff.

1. Research Goals

The system is designed in order to achieve some objectives as listed below :

• To create an online assistant for students to make more effective and faster study plan registration.

• To give better understanding for students about degree plan and critical path according to their study program.

5. Research Benefit

The creation of this application will bring benefits, such as :

• Students will be more responsible for their study plan and will need less assistant from other campus' parties.

• Students can analyze themselves the strategy to get their degree considering their time, money, and non-academic activities.

• The study plan registration process will become more efficient and less time consuming.

Functional Requirements :

1. The application system can display degree plan of student according to his/her study program

2. The application system can display the list of courses offered in the semester

3. The application can give recommendation about the courses they should take in line with critical path

4. The degree plan and the lift of courses can be updated by the academic registry staff

5. Students can send their final study plan through this application

Non-Functional Requirements:

1. The system can be accessed via web and mobile

2. The application is coordinated by academic registry