DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ONLINE CLEARANCE SYSTEM FOR THE GRADUATING STUDENTS
CHAPTER ONE

1.1    INTRODUCTION

Clearance is a status granted individuals, typically members of Military, University graduates and Employees of Government and their contractors, allowing them access to classified information, a clearance by itself is normally not sufficient to gain access.

The organization must determine that the clearance individual has a need to know the information. Clearance is the process of determining and negotiating any permission that are needed to use someone else�s intellectual property in creative project. Part of that process include

?    Determining the owner(s) of the intellectual property.

?    Contacting the owners and negotiating on agreement.

?    Administering written contracts

?    Handling other issue related to the use and licensing of intellectual property.

No one is supposed to be granted access to classified information solely because
of rank of position, but once a clearance is    obtained access    to certain information or
gain of freedom will be granted. The advantage    of e-learning are    many, as people of all
ages and backgrounds become increasingly reliant on the internet    for information, online

learning become more convenient and efficient here, the need for an online clearance system. The skills needed to access and comprehend information online are becoming common place, and the flexibility of wireless computing means that any coffee shop, airport or bedroom can become a classroom online courses, registration, clearance have few, if

any scheduling restrictions, well-integrated learning resources and competitive degree option, with an online clearance system. The changing online college landscape now

includes online clearance system, traditional undergraduate and general studies programs.

However career learning is still the most popular online training option.

1.2    BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The history of the Polytechnic dated to the 1970s and early 1980s. During this period, progressive citizens of Ijebu-Igbo implored the government of the day to establish a Polytechnic in the town. The first Executive Government of Ogun state, Chief Olabisi Onabanjo acceded to this request.

Between 1984 an 2002 not much attention was paid to the issue of the institution. However since the beginning of the past administration especially with the deep interest shown for education by the former Governor of the State, His Excellent, Otunba Gbenga Daniel and the undying effort of the steering committee ably led by Otunba Biyi Durojaiye supported by eminent sons and daughters of Ijebu-Igbo including Professor A.F. Ogunye, Professor Titi Hassan, Engineer E.S.A. Oluyemi, Dr. Z.O. Odumosu, Hon. (Dr) Tokunbo Oshin, Hon, Lekan Mustapha, Hon, Otunba Sola Akinyemi, Hon. Bola Kalejaiye, Chief (Mrs.) C.A. Rowaye, the issue of the Polytechnic was addressed and the Executive Governor of Ogun State re-established the Polytechnic, by assenting to its new law (No 31-09-2005)

The institution took off on 7th March 2006 with Prof. Tayo Odumosu as the Pioneer Rector. The passing on to glory of an illustrious son of the town who is equally a politician and leader of Afenifere group brought about the change in the nomenclature of the Polytechnic. This is no other person than Abraham Adesanya. The moderator to the Polytechnic and the Executive Governnor of the State pronounced that the Polytechnic name be changed to Abraham Adesanya Polyhtechnic Ijebu-Igbo with effect from March 2008.

The term clearance is sometimes used in private organisations that have a formal process to get employees for access to sensitive information.

As many universities have been chosen to purse the dynamic educational option available online, the advantages of e-learning are many. As people of all ages and background become increasingly reliant on the internet for information, online learning becomes more convenient and efficient, hence the need for an online clearance system.
1.3    STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The process of clearing students of ABRAHAM ADESANYA POLYTECHNIC after graduation requires that the students must be cleared in their various departments and information units. Among which are:

?    Infirmary and bookstore charges

?    Bursary clearance

?    Residence hall damage charges

?    Security clearance

?    Student union fee

?    Departmental dues and all, other charges

Furthermore, for a graduating student to carry out his/her clearance from all these departments it normally takes a lot of time and a lot of processes and delay in clearing the student for youth service as well as collection of statement of results. Hence, it became imperative for computer software based online clearance system to eliminate the shortcoming of the manual system in place.

1.4    OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The goal or objectives of this research is to develop an online clearance system for the graduating student where users can register, sign and view various activities. Graduating Student would be able to do their final clearance with the software instead of queuing manually. Furthermore, it will alleviate the problems and stress of travelling and queuing up of student during their final clearance.

1.5    SIGNIFICANT OF THE STUDY

The project work will help in a good number of ways to ease the queuing system in the university as the online clearance system will help student to achieve whatever they want to achieve without coming to the various offices for clearance. Clear advantages of internet information processing over those of traditional manual system are higher yields. Online clearance system allows the users to check their clearance status as whether they are in any way indebted to the school, fill and submit their clearance form, and obtain their clearance letter. There are many other advantages of online clearance system and some of them are listed below

?    It save a lot of time.

?    It is very convenient to use it right from the bedroom, office or anywhere in the world.

?    Information processing is very fast and delays can be avoided.

?    It is inexpensive to student and school management.

?    It is also help the school in reducing cost such as labor and stationary.

1.6    SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This project work is to develop a computer software based online clearance system for doing clearance for graduating students of ABRAHAM ADESANYA POLYTECHNIC. The software development will be carried out using PHP for the design interface and MYSQL embedded in XAMPP to manage both the database and at the same time make the software online.

1.7    LIMITATIONS

This project covers some of the aspect of a computer software based online clearance system using ABRAHAM ADESANYA POLYTECHNIC as case study. However the following are the constraints:
?    TIME CONSTRAINTS: Due to time constrain the web-page covers only clearance for various departments by the graduating student.

?    FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS: Due financial constraints people cannot afford this kind of process online especially towards the cost of accessing the internet. Therefore, it would cost a lot to develop a full web-based clearance system. Some

documents were considered confidential and were not made available.

1.8    DEFINITION OF TERMS

Computer Network: Computer network is a system that connects two or more computers together using a communication link.

World Wide Web: World Wide Web simply called �www� is the most important tool

of the internet, it was created in the late 1980�s in Europe and was limitedly use in academics cycle.

Clearances: Official certification of blamelessness trustworthiness or suitability for graduation and issue of certificate in degree course.

File Transfer: Any kind of computer file can be sent via the internet from ne internet user to another. Table of account in a spreadsheet, design by a graphic artist, music and sound files etc can all be exchanged in this way.

Web Browser: this is special kind of software that processes hypertext mark-up language (HTML) document. In other words, a web browser is a computer program that interprets HTML command to collect, arranged and display the parts of a web page.

Web Site: A web site is a collection of many interconnected web page organized by a specific college, organization company etc, containing web page (goods and commodities) on the internet.

Hyperlinks: Hyperlinks are highlighted words and phrase you find on a web document that

you can click on as to jump to some other document or internet services.

Online: Connected via a computer attached to or available via a central computer network

Offline:    Disconnected    from    computer network,    describe    a computer    terminal    or

peripheral devices disconnected from a computer network.