The Rebirth of Student Information Systems

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The modern university is based on the same economic model that powered the rest of the pre-industrial world. Expert craftsmen—in this case, professors—spent years apprenticing in order to master their trade. They then handcrafted products—courses and seminars—to sell locally, without much competition. Each village had one blacksmith, one baker, one university.

Then, the industrial revolution came along. Suddenly, goods could be produced en masse by workers with little specialized skill. The goods could be distributed across a vast geographic area. Instead of having a blacksmith in every village, there was now one giant factory that served numerous villages, towns and cities—and it produced goods faster and cheaper.

The changing higher education industry

Almost all goods and services transitioned to this model by the early 1900’s—except for higher education. The first real change for higher education in over 1,000 years came as a result of the Internet boom. For the first time, content could be instantly distributed to mass audiences in disparate geographic locations. Further, the institution no longer controlled the content as students could freely find information through a variety of sources, including MOOCs, online journals, blogs, YouTube and search engines.

The Internet changed the business of higher education by removing the institution’s monopoly on content and breaking down the geographic barrier to competition.

It is no longer enough for a college or university to be local or compete for learners on the merits of brand alone. However, there is no one right path that will guarantee success. Institutions succeeding in this market are taking steps to differentiate themselves and to find a market need and fill it. They do not try to be something for everyone, nor do they subscribe to the “build it and they will come” philosophy.

Building an infrastructure to compete

While the current economic climate is putting pressure on institutions to act now, market-leading schools understand that real gains need to be carefully planned out and supported from top to bottom. While it may take longer to implement, by fully thinking through a strategy and building the correct infrastructure and systems, institutions stand to steadily increase student enrollments and grow revenue year after year. This requires institutions to look at how they operate, consider their goals and take the time to plan out exactly how they can cater to this market.

As mentioned, massive technical innovation has overhauled the higher education game, but it has also put a new set of tools in the hands of the players—from staff to students.

The role of the ‘new’ student information system

For example, think for a minute about student information systems. Initially, these systems were created to serve as a digital filing cabinet for mandatory information that the school needed to gather about a student. And much like an old dusty filing cabinet, the information was stored away and rarely pulled out. Early digital technology allowed institutions to take a manual process and use technology to expedite it, but it did not overhaul or change the process itself.

Now, a student information system can do so much more, especially when it comes to non-traditional learners. Rather than gathering and storing information in a digital filing cabinet, it allows the institution to use student information to engage the learner and to provide them with a customized, simplified and engaging experience, every step of the way. Further, it is no longer just about giving the school the required information about a student, but about creating a two-way street that feeds the student the precise information they need about the school exactly when they need it, and vice versa.

The higher ed landscape today is highly competitive and constantly shifting, but with well thought-out and carefully supported strategies and systems, market-leading institutions stand to capitalize on one of the biggest opportunities higher ed has ever seen.

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Last updated: February 1, 2021