Four years later, USC is finally making progress on its efforts to update the antiquated VIP system. For a system that controls registration, classes, employment, tuition, parking, etc., the switch is, without a doubt, a difficult one to make.
And if the four-year time span it’s taken for our university to bring a project to fruition, USC isn’t exactly the best at making the transition into modernity.
Approved in 2008 and costing $75 million, the new Banner system, already widely used by many universities, was set to replace the Legacy system that currently hosts VIP. But the project was delayed two years and only got going in 2010, and all the while students have still been stuck using the old system. This coming fall, however, USC students will begin making the switch to the new VIP, aka Self Service Carolina, and it’s about time.
For a $75 million project, there’s no reason for USC to have taken this long to start to implement it. In an age where technology is constantly changing, being four years behind is a huge loss. By the time Banner becomes completely functional — development of services for faculty hasn’t started yet — there’s no telling what new and improved systems may have sprung up.
There’s no point in weighing sunk costs now, but we’re glad to see USC is getting on the ball. Hopefully in the future, USC can be more efficient at carrying out new plans, especially ones that cost $75 million.