FARGO - Software maker Oracle Corp. has not provided enough information to fix problems with the North Dakota University System's new computer software system, officials say.

Members of a ConnectND committee are disappointed with the report produced by Oracle and want more details.

"We felt like they needed to go back and give us some more specific information," said Pamela Balch, who heads the ConnectND executive steering committee.

The original PeopleSoft system, used to manage millions of dollars in grant and contract funds as well as payroll records, has drawn complaints from the state's college campuses. It has been phased in over the past three years.

Oracle comments

Representatives of Oracle, which acquired PeopleSoft Inc. last year, have promised to try to resolve the problems.

"We are committed to working hand-in-hand with the North Dakota University System to ensure that the benefits afforded in their technology investments are realized to the greatest extent for their students and faculty," Oracle vice president Jim McGlothlin said in a statement.

In its report, Oracle recommends the university system spend about $500,000 in consultant fees to resolve some of the key issues.

Committees' views

The committee wants to know exactly what those consultants would do and what they would deliver, said Laura Glatt, the university system's vice chancellor for administrative affairs.

In the 12-page report, Oracle consultants said campus staff are focusing only on what is not working well, which is hurting morale.

Consultants also recommended hiring a full-time ConnectND project manager.

The report said campuses should "focus on the 95 percent that does work right but also be up-front about the 5 percent that doesn't."

"It's not 95 percent, and it's a long ways from it," said Craig Schnell, North Dakota State University provost.

Parts of the software program are working, Glatt said.

"What's not, though, is limiting our ability to perform some pretty critical business functions," she said.

Panel's priorities

The priorities the ConnectND committee asked Oracle to address include accurately tracking grants and contracts, and making online student services more user-friendly.

At Dickinson State University, officials hoped Oracle's report would offer them some help to fix glitches with student academic progress records, said George McClellan, vice president for student development.

The software doesn't accurately show which students should be on the honors list and who should be on academic suspension, McClellan said.

To generate those lists, staff have to work countless hours to do a lot by hand, he said.

"We're spending a lot of time and energy on manual workarounds for a $34 million software system that you wouldn't think you'd have to manually work around," McClellan said.