CA: Another sad computer tale in the techno-state

Sac Bee ^ | 3/13/03 | Daniel Weintraub

[NormsRevenge]

A massive new computer project under way at the California State University system might be the latest example of the state's inability to wisely fulfill its own technology needs.

A new audit of the CSU's systemwide software says the project was never properly justified by university administrators, might not have been necessary and may not even be accomplishing much of what the university set out to achieve.

[MigrantOkie]

Pathetic. I can't even begin to decribe how pathetic this is. I see this kind of software and directory service being used all the time and at the tiniest fraction of this cost in networks the same size or larger and covering a wider geographic scope.

[AgThorn]

$600 Million? for a statewide Peoplesoft implementation?

That is rediculous!!!!

[Cicero]

It sounds as if they are trying to reinvent the wheel. Hard to tell, because none of these articles manages to mention exactly what software they are talking about.

[eureka!]

Our tax dollars at work. *sigh*, er, make that *spit*

[adx]

$600 Million? for a statewide Peoplesoft implementation?

Agreed. Either the people on the project were total idjits (which may happen, even if it was PeopleSoft employees doing the implementation instead of a consultant firm), or (more likely) CSU kept changing stuff midstream.

[Republicus2001]

a third reason is that Cal State University does not DRUG TEST the administrators and fund-raisers. PARTY! PARTY FOR THE PEOPLE!

They are usually just drunk when they make these deals.

[knarf]

"The $600 million-plus project also has turned out to be more expensive than the university estimated, although exactly how much more is in doubt because CSU has done a bad job keeping track of its costs."

The whole idea of public money going to a school angers me.

If a project is important enough, and the education gained was worth the ticket ... let the alumnae (Is that the correct word ... or is it alumnus?) show how grateful they are and how affluent they've become from aforementioned education by paying for it.

Surely there've been a few techies that could have added to the project.

Maybe even have made it worked.

Or maybe that was the point ... it wasn't supposed to work.

Stupid Kalifornicatians!

[dalereed]

"the university is saying it never intended to save money with the new system. Instead, officials say, the software was needed to make the administration more efficient"

How can it be more efficient if it doesn't save money but actually costs more.

Only a teacher could come out with such a stupid statement!

[Republicus2001]

Or they could build one! Gasp what a concept! Don't they all TEACH information technology? hmmm?

[meadsjn]

Here's one of the nodes at CSU Hayward:

http://cms.csuhayward.edu/

Welcome to the CMS Project Website!
The Common Management Systems, (CMS), is a CSU system-wide project that will implement PeopleSoft software to support our Human Resources, Financial, and Student Information systems. At the Hayward campus other projects underway through the CMS Project Office include DegreeWorks and the Web Redesign Project.