Students and faculty now can go online to access the information normally contained in DARS reports.

The new system will save NIU thousands of dollars by eliminating excess paper, envelope and stamp use.

DARS (Degree Audit Reporting System) has been replaced by DARWin (Degree Audit Reporting on Windows). Printed reports will be obsolete by the fall semester.

“The main advantage of the new Web-based system is that students will have access from any computer,” said Suzanne Warber, assistant director of Registration and Records.

More than 17,000 DARS reports had been printed and mailed every fall and spring semester to help students and faculty keep track of grades and graduation requirements.

Although the new system’s kinks won’t be worked out until fall, it already is being put to use by the orientation department.

DARWin’s application originally began with the faculty members and became available for student use about three weeks ago.

“The new system is better for students, because online you can actually see and understand everything, instead of the regular sheets, which are all jammed up,” said Vanessa Gonzalez, junior operations and information major.

Senior special education major Rachel McKenney agreed.

“The new system is more accessible,” she said. “I am visually impaired and it is easier to use online, because I can enlarge the screen to read it.”

Even though everything is up to date, the reports are not instantaneous. If a student changes his or her major, it will not show up immediately on the Web. The timeline for changes is indefinite and not overnight, Warber said.

While some students are content with the convenient upgrade, others are concerned.

“NIU should be sure it’s secure, otherwise they’ll risk severe penalties by FERPA (Family Education Rights and Privacy Act),” political science major Austin Baitman said.

DARS reports are available online at: www.reg.niu.edu/connect