Connections Archive

Trudy Adams

Avondale's legendary Student Record System is now read-only as Callista, the new system, went live on Friday (October 10).

"This is part of a phased implementation," says project manager Rose Howson. "The Enquiry and Enrolment Centre and Academic Office are now using Callista, and course coordinators will begin later this week."

Sharon Turner, the centre's team leader, says Callista allows an applicant to keep track of the admission process via the new online Applicant Portal. "Communication with the applicant will be more effective," she says. "We heard cheers from down the corridor when overnight online applicants successfully applied and transferred into the system with ease. This is a more efficient management system that also facilitates the first step toward a paperless admission process."

The Academic Office is now updating forms to match the new processes. "We're working toward online enrolment to reduce queues at registration," says registrar Dr Gwen Wilkinson. "By 2009, students will enrol themselves and input information directly into the system."

Callista consulting manager Kerrie Ryan speaks highly of the way Avondale has implemented Callista. "Other universities have employed a much larger number of staff to implement the same system."