Using Student Information System in CICS
SIS Logon Instructions
At “CICS VM” menu screen
Type: “CICS”
Press: ENTER (This gets you to the menu)
Type: “zc”
Press: ENTER (This takes you to the Shared Components Menu: Screen #001)
Basic Screen Movement
- Be aware of where your cursor is at all times. If you lose it, press the “Home” key on your keyboard and the cursor will automatically return to the “Screen: ____” prompt at the top left side of the page. Get into the habit of “homing” the cursor, as it will save time in the long run. You can also move the cursor around the screen by using the Tab key, or the directional arrow keys.
- To move between screens, home the cursor in the “Screen: ____” prompt and type in the screen number you want to view, then press Enter.
- Most of the screens are “TERM” dependent. That means, you must tell the computer which term you want the screen information to generate. For Fall 2017, the term number is”181”; Winter 2017-2018 is “182”; Spring 2018 is “183”; Summer 2018 is “184” etc. See definitions page for further discussion of Term Codes.
- The software is very helpful (and somewhat forgiving). If you need an explanation of information presented or to figure out what the codes mean, put the cursor in the line (or under the information) next to the area you want to inquire about: then press the “F2” key and you will be in a “help screen”. If there is more than one page in the help screen, press “Enter” and you will move to succeeding pages. To return to the screen, press the “F4” key or continue pressing “Enter” until you arrive back at the screen area you started on.
- The first line of every screen is the “Action Line” which is the area where you will tell the system which term you want to inquire about, which course area, which course number, which section, which student, etc. You will enter data on this line and press “Enter”, and then the screen will reflect the information you inquired about.
- FERPA REMINDER: You are being provided a great deal of student information: the legal principle of “LEGITIMATE EDUCATIONAL INTEREST” applies. This information is protected information and is provided to you as a necessary tool to assist you in doing your job. Do NOT leave screens in full view of students or visitors. Do not share your system USER ID, PASSWORD, nor PIN with anyone. Sign Off (Screen = “SO”, Enter) the system when you will be away from your desk or work area. If you print out a screen, you must also protect the printed page (locked file or shred). Get into the habit of checking Screen #011 on each student you receive inquiries for information on. This screen tells you if the student has requested that their Directory Information NOT be released.
- If you want to print a screen, click on the FILE menu in the upper left corner. Then select “Print Screen” and it will print on your PC printer. Remember: Education Record information printed on a student or class must be protected.
- If you get lost, remember to home the cursor, type in screen #001, and you will return to the shared components menu screen.
SIS Logoff Instructions
Type: “SO” in screen prompt, press Enter
Press: “F3” repeatedly to back out of CICS
Definitions
Course Attributes: set of course inventory data elements that describe the course.
Course Inventory: Course-specific data pertaining to the approved courses offered by Tech.
Course ID: Alpha/Numeric protocol that identifies a specific authorized course offering. At Tech this consists of:
- A four-position course abbreviation (if only three, add a space)
- A four-position course number (the fourth position is used for a specific variable hour identifier, A, B, C, etc.: add a space if hour identifier not applicable.) See Course Number Protocol below for specific examples.
Course Section: Alpha/Numeric protocol that, when added to the course ID, identifies a specific scheduled section of a course offering. At Tech this consists of a three-position numeric or alpha/numeric combination (e.g. 001, 051, 083, 084, 087, 095, E01, H01, etc.) See Course Number Protocol below for specific examples.
Matriculation: A student’s admitted program of study set in a specific time frame (term).
Program of Study: Consists of the combination of the information elements of College (ANS, BUS, EDU, ES, LA), Degree (e.g. BS, BA, MA, MS, PhD, NDUG, NDGD), and Major (e.g. ECON, BIOL, ELED, CVEN, ENGL, GNST). You will also hear this referred to as a student’s program entry.
Registration Controls: Section-specific restrictions for eligibility to enroll in a specific section or sections of a course offering.
Term Code: Three-position code (e.g. 181, 182, 183, 184, etc.) that identifies and defines an academic quarter at TECH for the computer. The first two digits of the code identify the academic year (e.g. 18 = AY 2017-2018), and the third digit identifies the specific quarter of the academic year (e.g. 1=Fall, 2=Winter, 3=Spring, 4=Summer). Some examples: 003 was Spring 2000; 014 was Summer 2001; 021 was Fall 2001, 042 was Winter 2003-2004, and 161 is Fall 2015.
Course Number Protocol
Each course field consists of 11 spaces:
- 4 spaces allotted to course abbreviation (e.g.: “ACCT”, “CSC “)
- 3 spaces allotted to course number (e.g.: “101”)
- 1 space allotted for variable hour designator (e.g.: A, B, C, D etc.)
- 3 spaces allotted for section number (e.g.: “001”, “V84”)
Examples
Accounting 201, Section 001:
A C C T / 2 0 1 / 0 0 1
Computer Information Systems 550, 1 SCH, Section 051 (Evening)
C I S / 5 5 0 A / 0 5 1
French 101, Section E01 (Credit Examination)
F R E N / 1 0 1 / E 0 1
Honors Program Courses
H N R S / 1 0 3 / H 0 1
NOTE: Sections H-01 thru H-04=English; H-05 thru H-09=History; H-10 thru H-29=all other subjects.
Online Course
E D C I / 1 2 5 / V 8 4
Health Information Management, Internet Curriculum Section
H I M / 3 1 8 / W 8 5