The Data Dictionary is a guide to data elements, the corresponding descriptions, and related attributes in NDUS systems. The Data Dictionary may be used by institution end users, query writers, NDUS staff, and other stakeholders to assist with ensuring understanding and consistency of data.

The data elements dictionary is at https://dataelements.ndus.edu/

Guiding Principles

1. The current elements in the Data Dictionary as of February 2011 are either used in the official reporting or are mapped to functionality in the forthcoming data warehouse system.
2. As each new element is added, the User Groups will be notified - more details are coming on this process ...

Definitions

Element :  a concept or (data) field

Field:  the mapped location(s) of the element

Value:  choice or set of choices for the element

Concept:  terminology describing a thing or idea that does not have a field within the system

Business practice:  the tasks or business process that are considered when populating a field

Master element:  a concept or field that is considered the element's primary name versus a cross reference (usually has the same name as the field)

Cross reference:  another name for an element

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March 2, 2011

For the first phase of the Campus Solutions Data Dictionary Process, the objectives are to develop and review the 'first set' of Campus Solutions elements and descriptions and to start capturing current and recommended business practices.

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NDUS Campus Solutions Data Dictionary Committee

Admissions/Recruiting

1. Meredith Sherlin, NDSU
2. Norman Coley, DSU
3. Greg Strum, BSC

Financial Aid

1. Rohit Kulkarni, UND
2. Dale Ghering, MiSU
3. Shelly Blume, NDSCS

Student Financials

1. Kelly Bisek, NDSU
2. LaDona Malachowski, MiSU
3. Mary Eisenbraun, BSC

Student Records

1. Matt Chaussee, NDSU
2. Ray Pospisil, UND
3. Dan Johnson, LRSC

System Office

1. Lisa Johnson, Director of Articulation and Transfer

Data Dictionary Committee Conference Calls

The purpose will be to discuss recommended changes and endorse the first set of data elements. Because of few comments as of March 2, we will proceed with just three conference calls:

Wed March 9,   9:30 - 11:30 AM

Wed March 16,   9:00 - 11:30 AM

Tues March 22,   2:00 - 4:00 PM

IMPORTANT - only the elements with suggested changes in the Wiki will be discussed. All other elements will be considered endorsed due to meeting time constraints.

Q & A

1. Q: What specifically are you looking for in terms of feedback?
   A: During this first phase, we are looking for comments to improve and/or adjust the element names and descriptions.  We are trying to establish a common understanding of our data terminology.
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2. Q: Are we supposed to express opinions about any aspect of the element or are we limiting comments to the element name and/or description?
   A: Again, during this first phase, primarily we are looking for comments relative to the description, but if you have other comments, please include them.
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3. Q: What kind of input do you hope to get from this process?  For example the element name “Academic Organization”  does not seem to fit well to the element description.  Would it be appropriate to suggest renaming the element to say Institutional Subset or Organizational Subset?  Would it be appropriate to change the description to say "Small subsets of the overall Institution (describes individual offices, departments, or divisions).  Includes all Academic Groups?”
   A: There are limitations to how much we can adjust an element name, but yes, all comments are welcome!
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4. Q: These terms and definitions are currently being used for reports and “mapping functionality in the forthcoming data warehouse system”  what does the reference to mapping functionally actually mean?
   A: When it comes to reporting and the forthcoming data warehouse reports, those reports pull data from our ConnectND systems; therefore, when anyone sees the term ‘Academic Organization,’ it should mean the same thing in the data warehouse as it does in the ConnectND system, i.e. we have mapped apples to apples.
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5. Q: How detailed do you want the updates to be? I have found a couple of very small changes, i.e. capitalization, spacing, things like that. Would you rather wait on the small changes and only work on the large ones now?
   A: All of these comments are good.  Please go ahead and add them.
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6. Q: Can the element name include the module it belongs to?
   A: Some elements are easily identifiable with a module, but others are shared across many modules.  We are looking into adding the ‘module with primary responsibility’ to each element in some format.  Stay tuned…
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7. Q: I’d like to try to jot down some of my own notes and keep track of where I’ve already reviewed. Is the Data Element Dictionary available anywhere in full for printing?
   A: Because it was an internally developed database, we don’t have a good way to do this right now.  In the near future, we hope to have a way to at least export it back into a spreadsheet.

 

The Data Dictionary Committee (DDC) is comprised of:

• Three representatives from each of the Admissions/Recruiting, Financial Aid, Student Financials, and Student Records User Groups. *
  
  The representatives per User Group shall include: one representative from a research institution, one from a 4-year institution, and one from a 2-year institution. There is opportunity for every institution to be represented which is highly encouraged.
  
  * The Campus Community User Group already has representation that reflects this structure; therefore, in order to keep the size of the DDC manageable, members specifically from the CC User Group will not be added to the DDC. Also, ancillary system elements will not be included at this point, so members from ancillary systems User Groups will not yet be included.

• A representative from the NDUS Office.

• Advisory representatives from Campus Solutions (non-voting).

• If consensus is not reached regarding the information provided, a vote will be held among the five DDC voting members. Each User Group receives one vote, with one additional vote for the NDUS Office.

• If an element has conflicting descriptions that cannot be resolved within the DDC due to NDUS policy, procedure, or business practice, the NDUS office representative will either make the determination or escalate/facilitate the issue resolution.

Target Timeline and Action Items for Phase 1

For this first phase, we are targeting late March / early April to complete the review and endorsement of the first set of elements; however, this will be an ongoing process over many months as we continue to add elements, technical attributes, and roll out the data warehouse.

February 23

COMPLETE - Data Dictionary and process distributed to User Groups, CAC

February 23 - 28

COMPLETE - Each of the four User Groups (A/R, FA, SR, and SF) identify three representatives to the Data Dictionary Committee (DDC) and send the names to Jennifer Kunz by end of day February 28, 2011. The time commitment will primarily include attending 2-5 conference calls in March. User Group Chairpersons, please coordinate the appointment of representatives through your listservs or meetings.

February 23 - March 9

All User Group members review the Campus Solutions elements and make comments about suggested changes.

INSTRUCTIONS - READ CAREFULLY

1. The dictionary is located at https://dataelements.ndus.edu/.

2. The Home page allows you to sort the elements in alphabetical order or by Owning System.

3. Use the A-Z index at the bottom of the Home page to navigate to elements.

4. Click on any element to go to that element's page.

5. Review the element names and descriptions for CS/Fin/HRMS elements. All other information is either technical in nature or will be confirmed in a later phase.

6. To suggest changes and see others' suggestions in the Wiki (it's like a blog and lets you make comments and see other comments):

• a. Log into the Dictionary in the upper right corner using your NDUS User ID and password.
• b. Scroll to the very bottom of the element page you want to comment on.
• c. Click on View the Wiki link.
• d. Click on the Discussion tab
• e. Click Start a new discussion or just reply to an existing discussion.
• f. To go back to the dictionary, click on Data Element Dictionary in the left pane.
• g. If you have any problems with logging in or using the wiki,
  please email Tom at thomas.mcnaughton@ndus.edu
• h. Review discussion comments at https://dataelements.ndus.edu/wiki/index.php?title=Special:RecentChanges&limit=500&days=1000

NOTE: Navigating among the pages is a bit cumbersome at times, but you can always go back to the main links and find your place again.  Also, remember to log in to actually add comments and also to use the Discussion tab, not the Page tab, to add comments.

 

 

 

During the summer and fall of 2010, HRMS users participated in work group discussions defining HRMS data dictionary elements for the first HCM Datamart - Workforce Profile.  Work on the Data Warehouse for HRMS was then put on hold for the HCM 9.1 upgrade.  Now that the upgrade is complete, work will continue on the data dictionary.

While HRMS users were focused on their upgrade, Campus Solutions users participated in work groups to define Campus Solutions data dictionary elements.  In Phase II of the Data Element Dictionary process for HRMS, users should review those data elements that are shared with Campus Solutions.  These are:
     Age
     Citizenship
     Date of Birth
     EmplID
     First Name
     Gender
     Last Name
     Maiden Name
     Military Service Type
     Name
     National ID
     Preferred Name
     Visa/Permit Data

Please follow the "Instructions" section above carefully, to give your feedback on those thirteen shared items by Wednesday, August 31.  On September 1, there will be a vote to approve specific language, and then we'll discuss with the Campus Solutions team if there are any data elements about which we don't yet agree.