A new online system will replace some aspects of Student Link, with changes starting today.

Today’s changes affect the new UAccess Student Center system, which allows students to view and make some demographic and biographic data changes in the new system, said Kay Beasock, a director of the Mosaic project.

The Mosaic project, using PeopleSoft software, will replace the many different systems used on campus with one system so there will be less paperwork and more efficient information exchange.

“”There’s not much aesthetically changing, but the new system is (an) effort on the university’s part to be more transparent,”” said Suellyn Hull, co-director of the Student Administration Mosaic project.

Tom Bourgeois, the other co-director of the Student Administration Mosaic project agreed with the assertion.

“”The only obvious change is a directed link on Student Link taking students to the new UAccess system,”” Bourgeois said.

While not visually significant, today marks a starting point towards monumental change.

“”This go-live is much more of a foundational step towards a bigger goal,”” said Hank Childers, director of the Mosaic project.

Bigger changes are to be expected in the next two student administration go-live dates, with the “”big action”” occurring on March 22, Bourgeois said.

“”It’s going to be okay, and it’s going to get better,”” he said of those who might worry about the efficiency of the new system.

The upgrades are following the business cycle of the students, so when students need to access class registrations, those systems will go live. When financial aid is repackaged, then those systems will go live, and so on, Hull said.

A forum to keep students abreast of changes will be held on Jan. 28 in the Student Union Memorial Center. “”The forum is the second in a series which will occur twice a month throughout the implementation of Mosaic in spring and summer,”” Hull said.

“”Online tutorials will be there to aid in learning the new system; but overall the system remains “”very self explanatory,”” she said.

“”Similar systems at Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University have been met with positive results,”” Hull said.

Mar. 22 will be the big test of the Mosaic project, setting the stage for class registration and gearing up the program for the upcoming fall semester.

“”The toolset is much better,”” Bourgeois said. “”So if you were of mind to worry about if the new system can support registration, rest assured it will.””

The next go-live event will occur on Feb. 15, affecting financial aid information at the UA. This leads up to the March go-live event, which is around the time class registration for fall 2010 starts. Visible changes will be made to the registration system of current and future students.