This Request for Proposals (“RFP”) is an invitation by Simon Fraser University (“SFU”) to prospective proponents to submit proposals for the provision of a Graduate Admission and Entrance Award system as further described in Part 2 – The Deliverables (the “Deliverables”).
SFU’s office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS) currently relies on two custom-built applications to support graduate student admissions and awards — OASIS and GA3. Built several years ago, these systems have reached the end of their life cycle. Changes in technology, performance standards, and user expectations has necessitated the search for an improved platform, which requires the procurement of a new application. Continuing to rely on the current, home-grown suite of applications introduces an unacceptable risk as the ability to support and update the system is limited.
Academic Units and Grad Studies need to collaborate to make sure they are meeting the quality standards in place at the university while also getting students that are a good match for each academic program.
These systems are primarily used by GPS staff, graduate program staff members, and graduate program Chairs, external reviewers and referees. Faculty members, applicants and graduate students are also end-users.
Each year, the GPS office and the graduate admissions system processes approximately 9000 admission applications across approximately 140 programs spread among SFU’s approximately 60 academic units contained within 8 faculties.
The admissions application system is administered by the central GPS office, applicants apply to programs with unique requirements for each program using the web based grad application system, the individual academic units adjudicate the applications and put forward their recommendations for admissions. The central GPS unit then vets the recommended applications according to SFU Graduate General Regulations policy and then the offer of admission comes from the central GPS unit. The applicant then responds to the offer.
