During the latest enrollment process, students gained the ability to self-report their veteran status, thanks to a recent update implemented in my.SMU. Previously, SMU only collected data for students who requested to use VA benefits, resulting in an inability to capture veteran data accurately for those not using their benefits.
In response to this limitation, the Registrar’s Office collaborated with the Office of Information Technology to introduce a new feature, the Veteran Status Self-Identification page. Although reporting veteran status was not possible before, students can now utilize a dedicated form for self-reporting, with the added flexibility to update the information as needed. This helps SMU to get a more accurate report on the total number of veterans who are enrolled at SMU.
Initiated in January 2023, the Veteran Student Self-Report project was included in the OIT queue with custom development work beginning in June and concluding ahead of the spring 2024 enrollment process that kicked off on October 30, 2023.
This project was a joint effort involving the Registrar’s Office, OIT, and testers from HR. OIT expresses gratitude to all contributors who played a vital role in ensuring the success of this project.