Stellenbosch University’s (SU) new SUNStudent system, used to automate academic and administrative processes, was put through thorough testing and immediate defects had been addressed before it had been implemented.
A Stellenbosch University student on the university’s learning management system, finally showing no issues in week four of the academic year. PHOTO: Amy Lindstrom
This was according to Dr Ronel Retief, SU registrar and SUNStudent project owner.
However, system errors and shortcomings only became known once the system became operational at the start of SU’s registration period in January, said Retief.
This comes as technical issues surrounding the new SUNStudent registration system, such as online self-registration delays, have been compounded by SU students’ inability to access SUNLearn, SU’s learning management system, according to Olivia Cammell, a third-year humanities student at SU.
The most prevalent issues among students were missing or incorrect modules and incomplete module lists, Retief said.
“We regret the inconvenience, uncertainty, delays and frustrations experienced by both our students and staff during the registration process,” said Retief. “We remain committed to address issues as quickly and efficiently as we possibly can, and will continue to communicate with our students and staff throughout the implementation phases.”
Difficulty accessing NSFAS funds
Issues with SUNStudent have also had an effect on SU students’ ability to gain access to their National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funding, said Phiwokuhle Qabaka, chairperson of SU’s Student Representative Council (SRC).
“The system has just been crashing […] uploading the different profiles on Intellimali has been the issue. Those are the technical difficulties,” said Qabaka. Intellimali is the distribution platform that transfers NSFAS funds to higher education institutions.
Stellenbosch University students gather outside of the Administration A building during the registration period. PHOTO: Bayanda Gumede
Inability to access SUNLearn
Connor Robertson, a fourth-year electrical engineering student at SU, corroborated some of the frustrations that students have experienced.
“The new registration system was already frustrating enough. When term started and SUNLearn was down again […] I felt even more frustrated. Not to mention I have still been having issues with SUNLearn three weeks into term,” said Cammell.
Third-party company brought in to fix issues
Meanwhile, the Information Technology (IT) and centre for learning technologies teams have been working to address the delays and time-outs experienced on SUNLearn. This was according to Dr Antoinette van der Merwe, chief director of IT at SU.
“We are acutely aware of the frustration among students and staff and we have worked non-stop to address the issues,” said Van der Merwe.
The registrar’s division, responsible for Stellenbosch University’s new registration system, is located in the Administration A building on campus. PHOTO: Bayanda Gumede
According to Van der Merwe, they started fixing the slow response times and time-outs by contracting a third-party company to monitor the database and suggest improvements. She did not disclose the identity of the third party.
“This did bring some improvements, but not to the level that we think is sufficient for the academic project,” said Van der Merwe. “We are doing everything we can to mitigate the risks and improve the performance of SUNLearn.”