Student Data Store (SDS)
Overview
Data within the Student Data Store (SDS) is sourced from Columbia's Student Information System (SIS), the PowerFAIDS financial aid system, as well as from Vergil and other sources. SDS is a collection of databases with student related datasets.
SIS is an integrated mainframe computing system that includes admission, financial aid, registration, transcripts, billing, and housing functions for all schools and offices at the University.
Vergil is the next generation student information system replacing the mainframe system. This innovative platform will house student academic and personal records as well as student accounts that will enhance student, faculty, and staff experience at Columbia.
SDS also contains some tables derived from base SIS tables which carry details of all charges and payments to student accounts for each academic term (within the SIS database). These details include transaction identifications, credit and debit account and subcode, charge or payment amounts, and financial department. Financial department information is added for cross referencing with other tables in the University Data Store (UDS.)
Available Data
Predefined SDS reports are available from a wide cross section of subject areas including:
- Admissions
- Billing
- Class Schedule
- Course Inventory
- Financial Aid
- Housing
- Records with or without grades
- Registration
- Student Accounts
- Transcripts
Student Desktop Reporting (SDR)
SDR is an integrated reporting application that allows Columbia administrators to run reports on student data for all schools, departments, and offices at the University. Data is leveraged from Columbia's Student Information Systems (SIS) and PowerFAIDS. Reports are accessed via a Terminal Server (see job aids below) and are organized into folders by functional area.
SDR Examples
Reports are written using the InfoMaker application. Examples of frequently used SDR reports include:
Boomerang
Boomerang is a companion tool to SDR. Boomerang can be run from the same Terminal Server as SDR and gives users additional functionality and capabilities such as:
- Search: Search for SDR reports by keywords like Tuition Exemption, Charges, Paycode, Records, Swim, etc. Search results provide users with exact location of the report(s) matching the keywords.
- History: Display a history of the reports a user ran in a given timeframe. If a user has run the report in the past, it shows a history of when they ran the report and what parameters were used.
- Documentation: Displays a list of all SDR reports within each functional area. Clicking through each report will provide a description of the report and lets the user know if their permissions are sufficient to run the report. There is also information on which tables are the source used in the report.
- Schedule: Select reports have the ability to be scheduled offline and have the results emailed to them as a CSV file
Data Refresh Schedule and Frequency
The refresh of SIS and PowerFAIDS data in SDS are dependent on the successful completion of batch processes on the SIS mainframe. The start time of the refresh is dependent on these files and the duration/completion time of the refreshes can vary based on the volume of data. SIS data is refreshed first, followed by PowerFAIDS.
*The PowerFAIDS refresh typically completes 1 hour after the SIS refresh.
Getting Access
Please submit our online SDR request form for authorization to receive access to SDR reports. A job aid is available to guide you through the request form.
Training and Job Aids
-
Quick Tips for SIS Desktop Reports (SDR): This pamphlet gives quick instructions on getting you up and running with SDRs and the most commonly used features. Sections include: Getting Started, Running Reports, Filter Unwanted Information, Sort Your Results in any Order, Export Results to Excel, and Commonly Used Parameters. To create pamphlet, print the document double sided, tri-fold it, and use as a quick reference at your desk.