The Maricopa Community Colleges went live with the PeopleSoft Student Information System in February 2008.  Part of the vendor delivered functionality was a web based class schedule search that allowed students, faculty and staff to find classes across all colleges in Maricopa.  At the request of students, faculty division chairs and student affairs managers and staff, members of PVCC’s Information Technology Department (IT) began investigating an efficient and cost effective way of presenting PVCC class schedule information via the web.

PVCC IT staff utilized information replicated to the college from the central SIS database, open source (free) programming languages and in-house web design expertise.  The initial product was completed in less than 2 weeks by a cross functional team of college and district IT, and instructional personnel. Students and functional users tested the application and design changes were made according to feedback.  The web class schedule went live in March 2008.  The URL is http://zen.pvc.maricopa.edu/pvinfo

Advanced features were incorporated based solely on student input.  Features included a key word search, listing of late start classes, official course descriptions/competencies available when clicking the course prefix/number, full course information when the class number is clicked, the ability to build a class list for registration, and an interactive campus map.

The interactive map is brought up in a separate window and when a student hovers the mouse over a building a description of services, rooms and a picture appear to help him/her navigate the campus.

The class list works as a web-shopping cart.  It allows students to put various classes into one list to be able to check for time/day conflicts or specific classes that meet degree requirements.  PVCC’s Advisement Office utilizes the class list feature when working with students.  An advisor can build the student’s schedule based on approved classes for a degree or transfer to one of Arizona’s universities.

Very shortly after the PVCC class schedule went live, five colleges asked if they could have the application source code so they could create their college specific web based class schedule.  The code was shared with the colleges and each college either used the application as delivered or the information contained in the code to quickly create their own product.

District ITS also asked if their programmers could have the application code so work could begin to replace the PeopleSoft delivered product.  The Maricopa-wide web class schedule, based on PVCC program and design, went live August 2008.

PVCC served as the primary technical resource for Maricopa and created an application that is portable and modular so some or all of the features could be replicated across the colleges benefiting students throughout the institution.

For more information, please contact Carol Myers carol.myers@pvmail.maricopa.edu