Checklist: Student Information System Features
Campus Cafe Software
A student information system built to serve small colleges, universities, and career, trade and vocational schools.
This checklist is part of The Ultimate Guide to Higher-Education Student Information Systems published on our website.
The higher education industry is becoming more dynamic and competitive. Schools need modern technology and software to collect student data, manage academic programs and keep operations running smoothly.?
Choosing the?best student information system ?for your school depends on many factors. For smaller schools, a cloud-based student information system may provide better security, convenience and affordability than an on-premise system.
And to accommodate the demand for both online and in-person instruction – especially if your school operates multiple campuses – staff, students and administrators need an easy-to-use interface.
This post outlines the module and software features to look for in a best-in-class integrated student information system.
1. Recruiting and Admissions Module
Admissions is the lifeblood of any higher-education school. From the initial inquiry from a prospect to enrollment, the process requires communication, coordination and technology to keep track of it all.??
A student information system can help streamline managing leads, follow-up tasks, and communicating with prospects, parents and other stakeholders.?
Here are some notable features that?help admissions teams track prospects and process applications quickly:
2. Student Services Module
Parents, prospects and students don’t want to make phone calls, they need an?easy-to-use self-service portal . This improves communication and frees your staff from time-consuming calls and follow-ups.
If a parent or student encounters a problem or has a question, your staff should be able to quickly find a solution. Here are some examples of student information that you’ll want to be able to easily filter and search for:
3. Registrar’s Office
In most registrar’s offices, staff are stretched to handle course selection, registration, and program and degree audits. The simple act of inputting a student’s schedule into an outdated software system can require tedious, manual data entry and introduces the possibility of errors.
With a web-based portal, students can self-serve their course selection, check on course and major requirements and monitor their academic progress. On the backend, registrars can make sure students are in the right classes, manage class size and waitlists, and keep track of enrollment.?
Here are some key features that help registrars work more efficiently:
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4. Integrated Financial Aid Software
A student information system with?integrated financial aid software makes it easier to manage and properly administer financial aid rather than utilizing a third-party provider or external integration.?
When financial aid is integrated with your student information system, it pulls data information from one centralized location instead of from various APIs and integrations that may not be compatible.?
A student information system with pre-built reporting templates simplifies the process. Here are some notable features to look for:
5. Finance Office Module
For many schools, the?business office is the financial core ?of the school. Support those operations and your school can maximize cash flow with better data management and coordination between departments, students and parents. Here are the features you’re back-office team will need:?
6. Alumni Relations and Development Module
After students graduate, your?alumni relations team ?needs to track their progress and keep contact information up to date. This information is useful for marketing your graduates’ placement and success, as well as future giving campaigns. It is also helpful for the admissions and alumni teams to work together to connect prospective and current students with alumni who share similar interests.?
Similar to the process of tracking students through the admissions process, you also want to keep information on graduates with the following tools:
7. Faculty Portal
Today,?faculty and teachers ?need to be able to digitally manage their classrooms. These are the features that help students and faculty communicate better:
The right student information system can unify your campus, faculty and staff, and position all of your stakeholders for future success.
Finding the right student information system takes time. See how Campus Cafe Software provides a?full-service experience ?to help trade, vocational, career schools, colleges and universities transform their operations.