FOCUS

About FOCUS

When you’re challenged with a new problem at your school, wouldn’t it be nice to hear from someone who’s already solved that very same challenge? Each episode, we’ll interview a university administrator or industry expert about the problems they’ve solved and how they addressed it. If you’re a campus administrator, IT director or work in student affairs or the bursar’s office and you want solid ideas for solving your campus’ challenges, this podcast is for you.

Publisher

TouchNet Information Systems, Inc.

Category

business · education · technology

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

21 Jan 2020

Latest episode

12 Dec 2023

Latest episodes

52 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   12 Dec 2023

   Episode 707: Managing Enterprise-Level Systems During Digital Transformation

   As higher ed institutions take steps towards innovation, strategy and technology need to be developed together. On this episode of FOCUS, Heather Fraser of Dalhousie University (Dal) discusses the strategic approach the institution is taking to manage campuswide digital transformation. Fraser, the Director of Enterprise Application Services at Dalhousie, is responsible for managing recent efforts to innovate the institution’s enterprise portfolio. Listen to learn about the importance of ownership of technology and key strategic insights as you bring your institution forward in the digital space. Approach to managing enterprise-level systems Dalhousie is a long-time user of TouchNet solutions such as OneCard, Payment Center, and more as their digital transformation has evolved. The university also uses Ellucian’s Banner as their ERP (enterprise resource planning) system. A recent merger of digital teams brought the management of enterprise applications including OneCard and Banner into one office. The portfolio also includes cloud service technologies management, project management, systems architecture, infrastructure and databases, program development, business intelligence reporting, and the university’s web presence. Deciding who “owns” the technology The restructuring of Fraser’s department presented the opportunity to review how the university as a whole approaches enterprise applications. The DalCard, Dalhousie’s OneCard system, has historically been owned by the IT department because of the need for technical support resources. However, the team is looking at shifting how they manage the DalCard. The idea is to shift the decision-making process to better accommodate needs from the business units that use the technology. Using a similar governance to how they already manage Banner, IT partners with all the different functional areas across campus that run the business processes of the technology. So offices such as student affairs and ancillary services would be the front-line support for the end users (students) with the IT team being backend support for those teams. Driving forces behind moving to the cloud Fraser’s team is looking at a 2-3 year plan to relocate their data center off campus for a variety of reasons. In doing so, they are using this as an opportunity to reevaluate which technologies are hosted on premise versus moving technologies to the cloud, which can help mitigate the risks of on-campus data storage, add flexibility, and lay a foundation for additional technology improvements. Additionally, a lot of Dalhousie’s technology partners are making greater investments in their software-as-a-service (SaaS) or in other cloud offerings that are overshadowing what is happening in on-premise solutions. In order to keep up with student expectations, a move to the cloud is an integral part of Dalhousie’s strategy. Dalhousie University’s Strategic Plan and Digital Strategy Fraser explained that none of this could be done without a unified vision for the university. Dalhousie is currently working through a five year strategic plan that includes an accompanying digital strategy led by the university’s Chief Information Officer and Dean of Libraries. The Digital Strategy has been a driving force behind the decisions they are making from a digital space perspective, which encompasses both technology and people. The document focuses on five key pillars which outlines leadership’s commitment to making Dalhousie a state-of-the-art digital learning campus with an extreme focus on research: Teaching and Learning, People-centric, Research and Innovation, Community Collaborations, and Digital Foundations. “There is a lot of human focus in this strategic document that you normally may not associate with something that is a digital or technology plan,” said Fraser. “But really it’s a way to look across our entire institution at how we’re going to be able to meet the needs of today’s digital learners and digital teachers.” Advice for Leading Digital Transformation It’s important to remember that Dalhousie University’s commitment to strategy and leveraging technology-based decisions didn’t happen overnight. It is an ongoing initiative in which they pull together key stakeholders at various times to get buy-in on new directions. This helps cross-campus teams feel ownership of decisions and understand the work that is needed to make transformation happen. Fraser credits the progress to the trust within her team and the others worked with. Her biggest piece of wisdom to impart on other institutions looking to create change in the face of digital transformations is to not only trust your team, but also work to anticipate the future technology needs of students, faculty, and staff and start the work now. Under a unified team and strategy, shaping the digital landscape of higher ed institutions becomes an exciting exercise of “what if.” Special Guest: Heather Fraser.

2. 

   28 Nov 2023

   Episode 706: Extending Student Success Beyond the Student Finance Office

   Higher ed institutions are constantly innovating to fit the changing needs of students to support their success. Kevin Smith, Assistant Vice President and Director of Student Records and Financial Services at Canisius University, joins FOCUS to share how the university’s experience in evolving the one-stop shop with a new solution from TouchNet, Student Account Advisor. Smith offers insights on how Student Account Advisor provides a comprehensive view of a student’s financial engagement while protecting sensitive information, how Canisius has applied the solution, and his plans for campus-wide expansion. About Canisius University Canisius University is a liberal arts institution outside of Buffalo, New York. The university is aJesuit institution that serves 2,700 students across undergraduate and graduate programs. Canisius is a long-time TouchNet partnerand has been live since 2001 when they initially implemented credit card payments in the payment gateway. Over the years, the university has added many solutions including Cashiering, the Bill+Payment suite, Payment Plans, Marketplace for ecommerce, and ACH validation with the help of TouchNet. Most recently, Canisius added TouchNet’s newest solution, Student Account Advisor into the fold and has already seen tremendous results. What is Student Account Advisor? When Canisius’ Student Records and Financial Services Center converted to a one-stop shop, the last piece to provide a more efficient experience was the addition of Student Account Advisor. TouchNet’s Student Account Advisor (https://www.touchnet.com/student-finance/student-account-advisor) is an integrated solution that provides a centralized oversight and advanced customer service to students who have questions or need personal assistance with their accounts. The solution pulls data from student information software (SIS) systems into one screen for easy navigation, without displaying any sensitive information. The unified dashboard of student information eliminates the need to sign into multiple systems, giving advisors more time to help students and enhancing the student experience in financial offices. Authorization can be customized to give certain advisors and offices more access than others to mitigate privacy concerns. The built-in communication function allows advisors to reach out directly to students in need, or to follow up on their questions. Simplifying advising students Since implementing Student Account Advisor, Canisius University has seen great improvements in staff efficiency. Student Account Advisor is primarily utilized in the Student Records and Financial Services Center, but has also been rolled out to the Griff Center (their office for advising, tutoring, mentoring, career success, and coaching), and the university’s co-op graduate programs. Plans for further expansion include other high-contact offices, such as deans and academic advising, that students engage with. Smith finds that the solution has overall eased complications in student transactions in his office and other on-campus applications for staff. “It simplified the transaction. It created a true one-stop shop experience that enabled the users to assist students and parents when discussing financial aid, student accounts, and academic data points that are crucial in a student's success,” said Smith. In addition to these simplified transactions, Canisius University has experienced higher student retention rates since Student Account Advisor’s addition to the one-stop shop. Smith credits this to the centralized information dashboard, giving advisors a more holistic view of a student’s situation and more opportunity for a more personalized student experience. Set your institution up for success Although Canisius’ transformation with Student Account Advisor didn’t happen overnight, Smith and other management at the university learned to ask the right questions to maximize the solution. One of the most important parts of figuring out the right plan for implementation is to identify those high-engagement offices that deal with students regularly and decide if the solution would simplify processes. As Smith outlines, another key step in the process is properly training staff on how to use the software in the most efficient way possible. Finally, keep in mind the idea of helping the whole student, not just with finances. This will open up opportunities for Student Account Advisor expansion, improving the student experience along the way. To learn more about Student Account Advisor, schedule a demo with a TouchNet Solutions Consultant. (https://www.touchnet.com/about-us/contact-us) Special Guest: Kevin Smith.

3. 

   14 Nov 2023

   Episode 705: Optimizing Your Payment Solution to Work for Your Students

   Many higher education administrators are called to their positions for the same reason: to help students succeed. Lisa Mazure, Associate Vice Chancellor for Finance and Fiscal Services at Alamo Colleges District, joins this episode of FOCUS to share her experiences with supporting students while keeping accounts receivable and revenue flow healthy. Listen to hear her journey of improving account services at different institutions, leading to an increase in student success and financial literacy. Lansing Community College Mazure joined Lansing Community College as the institution’s Controller after 25 years working for the government in the Office of the Auditor General. One of the first things she noticed in her role at Lansing was the disjointed experience for students interacting with the Student Finance Office for payments and refunds. Students were forced to log into multiple systems to manage different functions. From that point, she sought to consolidate the system down to one unified platform to make it easier for students. In her search for solutions, the benefits of TouchNet became clear. The college already used TouchNet for accepting online payments, but learned it could be expanded to also offer payment plans, refunds, and much more all through a single solution. This allowed LCC to reduce the number of systems that staff had to be trained on, improve the student and staff experience by managing everything in one place, and provide streamlined reporting and updated student accounts. Payment plans Once Mazure’s mission to simplify student finances was complete, she turned her attention to creating payment plans that accelerated student success. “My goal is always for my students to be able to balance that financial responsibility with their academic success,” said Mazure. One of the first plans the college implemented was bi-weekly payment plans, which remains popular with students because it spreads payments out in a way that matches up with paychecks rather than one lump sum each month. Lansing also added specialized payment plans for past-due balances. Each plan is specific to a student’s account balance and the repayment agreement they have with the institution. Students on this plan have the opportunity to have their balances forgiven if they complete a certain number of credit hours and meet other Student Finance Office requirements. Students on financial aid that didn’t cover their full balance were given a payment plan that started later in the semester, after their financial aid was fully rewarded. This made it easier on students to pay correct balances after the add/drop course period concluded. Veterans, students in the Adult Resource Center, those with childcare scholarships, and other special cases were also given additional payment plan options. Adding plans for these unique situations gave students more financial freedom, helping them be more successful on campus. Alamo Colleges District The Alamo Colleges District is a system of five independently accredited colleges with over 69,000 students across Bexar County in southern Texas. The district is home to an HBCU and all five are Hispanic serving institutions. Since Mazure joined the district, the system has been dealing with a large accounts receivable balance stemming from conditions during the pandemic, in which the colleges avoided putting holds on student accounts. She and her team are actively exploring solutions for reengaging students with past due balances and starting the process of placing holds again. It is important for Mazure and the system to find the balance between financial responsibility and academic achievement. Like Lansing Community College, the Alamo Colleges District uses TouchNet solutions for student finance needs, but has not used the tools to their full potential. Mazure has been working to incorporate as many TouchNet solutions as possible to create immediate changes to help students. Balancing accounts receivable The first change the district implemented was separating out past-due balances from current payment plans, so the financial office could work with students to address each balance on its own. Before then, payments made to current statements were automatically applied to past-due balances, making it difficult for students to stay up-to-date on current charges. Mazure’s approach is that students should have the opportunity to take care of past due balances independent of payment plans for current terms. The Alamo Colleges District has now expanded their payment plan options to give students more flexibility to choose a plan that is right for them, leading to increases in payment plan enrollments and healthier accounts receivable balances while helping students meet their goals. To further address outstanding past-due balances, the district has classified them into different buckets. Depending on how old the balance is, it might be forgiven. In other instances, students may be directly contacted with the option to enroll in a specialized repayment plan like mentioned before. The hope is that fewer students will be affected when the District decides to reimplement holds since they will have had the opportunity to resolve past due balances. These efforts tie back to the district’s goal of eliminating poverty through education and have an overall positive effect on students and their finances. Maximize change at your institution Getting the most out of your enterprise-level solutions doesn’t have to be as daunting as it may seem. For Mazure, getting buy-in from staff and other leadership at Alamo Colleges District early in the process made all the difference. They have been able to work together to establish what the institution calls WIGs (wild improvement goals) to stay on strategy as they move forward. The IT department has also been integral in the process because they know the most about the existing TouchNet system and what was possible. As far as communicating with students about upcoming changes, payment plans, overall student financial literacy, and the Business Office’s role in their success, the district has incorporated student financial services into the orientation process. This sets a foundation with students from the moment they step foot on campus that the student finance office is there to help. This coaches students that they have a stake in their education, not just on the academic side, but also when it comes to finances. Keeping all this in mind helps the student finance office move towards the final goal: helping students succeed financially, so they can succeed academically. Special Guest: Lisa Mazure.

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