Why are we building a next generation student service system?
Many student systems don’t meet current needs
Today’s student is always on, always connected. They expect to be able to interact with the university on their own terms. The student system is often the first interaction a student has with a university, it should be a positive experience. Current systems don’t often support the type of interaction students have come to expect.
Institutions have increasingly complex needs
Student programs are becoming increasingly complex. The four year, single major undergraduate degree from one institution is no longer the only option. There are joint degrees granted from multiple institutions, on-line degrees, and students defining their own courses. Our current systems cannot meet these changing requirements.
Vendor solutions may not be the answer
Many institutions find vendor solutions too expensive for their budgets, or do not provide the functionality that a custom solution can.
Development of in-house systems is challenging
Our ability to continue developing in-house systems is declining:
- Increasingly complex technology requires specialist resources
- Projects must compete for the same IT resources in a constrained market
- User requirements and expectations are going up
- Budgets and funding are going down
Collaboration and open source systems development works
The success of other community source initiatives such as JA-SIG (uPortal) and the creation of related organizations such as the Kuali Foundation and the Sakai Foundation provide evidence that the community source process can create and sustain complex administrative systems that meet the needs of colleges and universities.
Meeting the Demand of the Next generation Student System
When colleges and universities consider their options for future student systems – whether home-grown, commercial, or open source – they find the choices are limited. Kuali Student will add an array of options for administrators, with either individual modules or a full-function student system. And unlike most current generation systems, Kuali Student can be adapted to an existing system, rather than requiring the institution to change practices to match pre-set software specifications.