Database alignments – As NCSU depends more on the interaction of data between programs consistency in data entry is becoming extremely critical.  The following are issues which require ongoing attention to detail in the creation ans entry of data.  

1.      Consistent use of capital and lower case letters.  Depending on the database and the OS, some  systems make a distinction between entries with a mix of upper and lower case letters and entries with all capital letters.  The result is multiple records created for the same person.  Since most of the records are already a mix of upper and lower case letters; e.g., John Peters, all entries should be uniform with a capitalized first letter and all other letters lower case in proper names to prevent duplication and corruption of data.

2.      Consistent Student ID’s. Since the Student ID in many records is also the primary key, inconsistent student ID’s will result in multiple student records for the same student.  Student ID's assigned by the state are unique for each student statewide and shall be the student ID used in NCSU database systems.

3.    Employee and Student legal names.  Employee and Student names shall be the legal first name, middle name or initial, and last name recorded on the individual’s birth certificate.  Nicknames should go in the preferred name field of PowerSchool.  The same applies to all other databases.  Inconsistent naming will result in multiple records for the same person.  Employee requests for name changes shall be accompanied by the appropriate legal documentation to support the name change.  Under no circumstance should an employees name in any program be different than the name used for payroll and licensure.