• Aarhus University has reached the first milestone in an ambitious project to establish a coherent IT support landscape in the field of education. STADS (the Student Administrative System) will be launched on 1 October 2011. The system creates a comprehensive picture of the studies of each individual student and ensures uniform and systematic reporting of degree programmes, teaching and exams across the four new main academic areas at Aarhus University.

The purpose of STADS:

• Flexibility, a comprehensive overview, and service for all students
  In future, students at Aarhus University will experience increased flexibility and service. It will be easier for them to change between different degree programmes at the university, and it will be easier to get a general overview because of the implementation of uniform practices and registration procedures. STADS is also the cornerstone of the development of a future student portal where all information about the individual student’s degree programme is gathered and shown on a person-by-person basis.
• Common guidelines and the world’s best student administration
  It is not only the systems that are being developed and updated at Aarhus University. All processes regarding student administration have been reviewed and described using common guidelines and principles. In future, this will guarantee quality, use fewer resources, and increase collaboration between staff members. All these factors support Aarhus University’s vision to have the world’s best student administration services.
• Direct entry of marks
  For researchers, the new coherence between the systems guarantees that the processes underpinning the teaching are in order. In practice, it also means that in future, the assessors will enter the marks online instead of by completing protocols. This is already a known procedure in many parts of the university. The direct entry means that the assessor can enter the marks anywhere in the world and that the student can access them immediately. This increases the speed at which the marks are published and limits the sources of errors, as the information does not have to be submitted in writing before being entered into the system.
• Improved documentation, data collection and quality
  The system development at Aarhus University is a logical step at a time when the students’ degree programmes are becoming increasingly complex and flexible – accompanied by increased demands for documentation. STADS is an important tool, as it provides a basis for statistical knowledge about students at Aarhus University and makes the necessary data available for use in quality assurance.
• National collaboration
  In connection with this project, Aarhus University has entered into national collaboration about student administration. The aim is to exchange knowledge and jointly develop the necessary systems – in terms of both content and finances. The collaboration also improves the university’s opportunities for entering into dialogue with decision-makers about public authority requirements and data exchange.

Aarhus University has every reason to be proud of its improvements in the field of student administration. They are the result of a prolonged process to which many staff members contributed actively with their commitment and knowledge. The implementation of the new systems and processes will provide the basis for a well-functioning student administration system at Aarhus University for many years to come.