Rotterdam University Registrar’s Office
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“A flexible filing system that results in space savings; that’s important to us.”
As the result of a national policy decision, 19 colleges in Rotterdam were merged to create Rotterdam University. All educational programs were subsequently grouped into four faculties, which, spread over three locations, have a combined enrolment of over 15,000 students. The university receives 7,500 new applications annually from students, of which approximately 5,000 end up being enrolled.
The Registrar’s Office, a section of the Student Affairs Division, is charged with the registration, protection and storage of all applicant data, for a period of twenty years following the completion of the applicant’s studies. The core data stored consists of the name and address and application data, including a passport photo, an extract from the population register and (a copy of) the graduating diploma. During the period of studies additional records are added, for example, the results of the foundation course. These are matters that are important for obtaining financing and for the Ministry of Education.
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The processing involved requires a sophisticated set of logistics and a properly functioning filing system. Ing. J.F. Kok, Head, Registrar’s Office, settled on Jalema as the system of choice.
Space saving was the deciding factor
“Following the 1988 reorganization, all of the core files which at that point in time were managed at the faculty level, were centralized at the Registrar’s Office. The reorganization was a relatively sudden event and, in hindsight, the space we were allocated was really too small. The faculties transferred a total of 30 filing cabinets to us. This was a serious problem because we simply did not have the space for them. This is when we started looking for an easily accessible, but more importantly, a space saving system. Opinion as to what would constitute the ideal system was rather varied. I therefore went out to assess different systems and solutions. The space savings that we were able to achieve with Jalema’s Arnato system became the deciding factor in making the final choice. But flexibility was a very important factor as well. As a first step, we consolidated the original 19 different archives, each with its own filing method, into four faculty-based archives. We then integrated these into a single archive. A process of this nature requires a system with a high degree of flexibility. This was not a problem with Arnato.” |
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“The first racks were placed in any available nook and cranny. Once we designed the final solution, however, the actual move turned out to be very simple. We were able to accomplish it in a single day and if I remember correctly, we only had to shorten one profile. All component archives have since been integrated and all files are now stored in alphabetical order. The next step is to organize the files by student number. The only thing we need to do for this is to attach numerical labels to the files – and this is done by Jalema as well. It couldn’t be any easier. One of the big advantages of this system is that it is easy to integrate new developments and requirements into the existing file structure.”
Phased implementation increases acceptance
“The Arnato system meets our needs perfectly. An additional advantage is its phased implementation approach. This means that we can modify or expand it at any point in time. This increases acceptance on the part of the people required to use the system and who are used to working with other systems. Furthermore – a key factor for a non-profit institution – we are able to spread the cost over a somewhat longer period of time. This in turn increases management acceptance, because the revenues associated with increased efficiency and ease of use are simply not directly quantifiable.”
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