Because of budget constraints, Sacramento State’s updatedstudent information system has been delayed until 2007, one yearfrom the projected date.

The delay is the result of a mandate from theCalifornia State University chancellor, which halted progress onthe new program.

“The mandate basically said, ifyou’re in the middle of a project, continue,” saidLinda Leake, the project director of Common Management Systems.”But don’t start anything else.”

PeopleSoft, a Common Management Systemsproject, includes a student administration program that is set toreplace CasperWeb. PeopleSoft also consists of new programs forhuman resources and finance.

The human resources and finances parts of theprogram have already been implemented at Sac State. The universityhas halted progress on the student administration aspect of theprogram because it is the most expensive part of the three.

“The student administration piece of theprogram will be postponed because it is the most costlypiece,” Leake said.

Students will begin using the program in fall2007. The 20-month construction on the program will commence summer2005. Originally, Common Management Systems had planned to beginworking on the student aspect of PeopleSoft this summer, andstudents would begin to use the system in October 2006.

Bob Buckley, the chairman of the facultysenate and a member of the Common Management Systems steeringcommittee, said that this is the second time that the studentadministration part of PeopleSoft has been delayed.

The new computer system, which will cost SacState $18- $20 million over eight to 10 years, has been a contestedissue since its introduction. Supporters of PeopleSoft say that thenew technology of the program will produce increased efficiency incomparison to the antiquated system the university is currentlyusing.

Leake said that the enduring effect of thechancellor’s mandate will be the creation of consistency across theCSU system, which will lead to long-term financial benefits.

“The consistency across the CSU systemwill provide better leverage in negotiating,” Leake said.”PeopleSoft will be more eager to represent the entire CSUsystem, rather than just Sac State.”

Leake also said that the communal computersoftware will also increase efficiency, because information will bemore readily accessible, and will be gathered and entered the sameway across all 23 CSU campuses.

Edward Del Biaggio, vice president foradministration and the chairman of the Common Management Systemssteering committee, said the debate between introducing the newprogram and keeping the old could be compared to buying a computeror keeping an old-fashioned typewriter.

Del Biaggio said that although the new systemwill be much more efficient than the old, there are still peoplewho are resistant to change.

“There were people who didn’t wantto change,” Del Biaggio said, comparing the introduction ofPeopleSoft with the introduction of the computer. “Theywanted to type their letters on the typewriter, not the computer.And it’s the same with this system; in time, it’llchange.”

Brian Smyth, CasperWeb system administrator,said that in comparison to Casper, the PeopleSoft studentinformation system would be capable of storing all the sameinformation, but with much better technology.

Currently, because Casper must be taken downevery night to be updated, it is only available to students from 7a.m. to 7 p.m. The PeopleSoft Web interface that is set to replaceCasper will be available to students at all times.

The piece of the program set to replace Casperwill allow each student to create a personalized Web page,comparable to Yahoo or AOL.

Smyth said that the PeopleSoft Web interfacewould allow the student information system to be viewed through aportal, which would include features such as the students’individual schedules, Sac State news and Sacramento weather.

Smyth said that the technology for the CasperWeb system was developed in the 1980s, and the student informationsystem was implemented at Sac State in 1993.

“It’s like replacing an old carwith a new car,” Smyth said. “It ultimately gets you tothe same place, but the new car provides quicker transportation anda more comfortable ride.”

However, some of Sac State’s facultymembers are not convinced that a campus with such a strict budgetshould be purchasing a new car.

Jim Chopyak, the president of SacState’s chapter of the California Faculty Association, saidthat although many people are still upset about thechancellor’s decision to introduce PeopleSoft to the CSUsystem, most of those people are unsure how to voice theirdissatisfaction.

“If we go public and criticize CSUspending on (Common Management Systems), the public perception willbe that the CSU is wasting money, so don’t give themanymore,” Chopyak said. “We can’t afford to havepeople think that we’re squandering money.”

The Los Rios community college district isalready using PeopleSoft. Andy DeLucia, a photography instructor atSacramento City College, said that PeopleSoft is a”joke”.

“It’s the worst program outthere,” DeLucia said. “It’s the biggest scamgoing.”

DeLucia said that he believes the cost of theprogram will increase as the implementation gets pushed back,because PeopleSoft charged his campus $3,000 per hour of work.

Besides the expense, DeLucia said that theprogram itself is “horrible”. He said thatstudents’ grades are often deleted after the instructorssubmit them. He also said that the program drops students fromclass lists.

DeLucia said that when the studentadministration part is implemented, he would advise Sac Statestudents to double check that they are registered for all theirclasses.

“I really feel sorry for yourcollege,” DeLucia said.