Software fault disrupts polytechnic, students

A fault during a $100,000 upgrade of the software that monitors the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology's student numbers has caused disruption for students and has meant the polytechnic missed its deadline to report its accurate student roll to the Government.

The student data return (SDR), which was due at the end of last month, was delayed by 10 days while the fault was fixed.

"We just pressed the button but it was not ready. If we had known the problem, we would not have pushed it," NMIT chief financial officer Martin Vanner said.

The company that manages the software, which NMIT and 12 other polytechnics use, Student Management Software Solutions Limited (SMSSL), was responsible for the fault that crashed the system.

The software, called Artena, eases the burden of compulsory reporting to the Ministry of Education, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority, Work and Income and other administrative bodies.

The fault meant several students could not get access to their student loans, and NMIT and four other polytechnics that were also receiving the upgrade missed their deadline for a student number audit with the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC).

NMIT chief executive Tony Gray said it was "annoying" because everything in the lead-up to the upgrade was going well. "Everything was set up in the right way, but when the software goes, there is not much you can do."

NMIT is one of 13 polytechnics that have an equal shareholding in SMSSL. Mr Gray did not know NMIT's original investment in the company.

He said that if the problem had occurred during a different audit check throughout the year, there was the possibility that NMIT would not get funding from the TEC.

Mr Gray said the chief executive of SMSSL had recently had some "fairly irate" heads of polytechnics on the phone.

As a result of the fault, NMIT had set up emergency loans of $500 for those students who could not access their student loan.

NMIT council member Daryl Wehner said it was a concern because making sure that the SDR was in on time was one of the measures of how a polytechnic was performing. He also asked whether a gesture of goodwill should be forwarded to students for the hassle.

"I think we are all right to be honest, but where it affects individuals, it really affects individuals," Mr Gray said.

Student president Rachel Boyack said it was pleasing how quickly management reacted to helping students when they realised there was a problem.

Mr Gray said he was unaware of any previous issues with the company.

When Artena was launched in 2000, a similar problem arose when student loan applications could not be processed because of faults with the software.

Mr Gray said developing such software was a hugely expensive process, costing about $2 million.

SSMSL's chief executive could not be reached for comment.

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