Department Directory/Space/Graduate Student Databases
October 2011

1. Purpose of these databases,
2. their current status,
3. their limitations,
4. and some suggestions for improvements.
   

Purpose(s):

• Department Directory: a list of department members (other than grad students)
• Intranet: feeds on-line directory (internal) of dept. members
  
• Website: feeds on-line directory (Public) of researchers
• BPS: provides list of potential instructors/committee members/etc. to Brownie Point System
  
• Space database: provides list of potential space/desk occupants
  
• Email Lists: defines dept. email lists (faculty, staff, postdocs, adj-assoc, others)
• WebCT: captures CWL usernames for Vista access
• Space Database: a list of locations (bulding/room/desk)
• used to allocate desks in department space
• Intranet/Website: will feed on-line directories mentioned above
• Graduate Student Database: a list of past and current grad students and applicants
• tracks all graduate applicants through the application process
• tracks all graduate students through their program
• Intranet: feeds on-line directory (Internal) of grad students
  
• TA database: provides list of potential TAs and their background info.
  
• Email list: defines grads@phas email list
  

History and Current Status:

• Note: There are actually 2 tables ("department" and "space") in a single database called "directory".
• Department Directory:
  
• Set up years ago as a replacement for a typed list of dept. phone numbers.
• It is also used to store information used on researcher's individual web pages (info. provided by  researchers via custom web form).  This application will soon disappear with the new web site under development.
• Space Database: (actually a table)
• Set up this year to provide a better way to administer desk allocations in the department.
• Started with an inventory of all department members found in Hennings and Hebb buildings as well as PHAS space in ChemPhys and Brimacombe (Ampel).
• Names have been replaced with the appropriate link in either the department directory or the grad student tables.
• On-line directories have not yet been modified to refer to this information.
• Graduate Student Database:
• Set up years ago to track students, and more recently applicants.
• Maintained mainly by Graduate Co-ordinator, but Graduate Admissions committee also record applicant comments.
• Not many records with location, phone information available, so space data will be useful.
  

Limitations:

Improvements: