Symplicity was thrilled to join many leaders in higher education technology last month in Philadelphia, PA for EDUCAUSE 2021! The first in-person EDUCAUSE since 2019, Symplicity met with new and old friends in the field to learn about what institutions are grappling with in a new era of higher education in the wake of COVID-19.
Institutional Success = Student Success
Chief technology officers, higher education leaders, and others continuously expressed that there is a groundswell and pressure to adapt to how institutions can provide accommodations for students and support students holistically. The hybrid model will not be old news, it’s here to stay many said, as students will continue to request virtual support. However, existing structures within an institution with siloed offices is proving a challenge at institutions. Currently student success is siloed in a way that prevents the institution from telling their story and institutions are looking for partners to create streamlined systems and report on data that tells their story.
Mental Health Is Top Priority
A growing undercurrent within higher education continues to be the increased concerns around student mental health. Putting in place systems to be able to manage and commit to mental health was top of mind. A wave of students has come into higher education in need of help, or at least the ability to explore what resources an institution has available to them and how they can get help. From chief information officers and directors on down, there is a continued concern to not just about student mental health, but also university employees.
Accessible Platforms for All
Hybrid services and learning is here to stay. That means that the student experience will continue to be at the forefront of software and services institutions will use. From user interface, accessibility, streamlined workflows, etc. This means, technology officers and leaders in higher education will be looking to trim down on the number of vendors a university uses to make sure offices can effectively communicate across campus to best support the student.
With Symplicity One, institutions can be confident in providing a unified student experience. Designed to support an institution-wide approach to student success, Symplicity One breaks down the departmental silos that are often the barriers to offering a fully holistic student experience. Symplicity One brings together Symplicity’s standout products for career services, student conduct, and disability services offices that have supported student services for more than 20 years—and other technology providers in business intelligence (BI), student information systems (SIS,) and analytics—all under one integrated platform. To learn more e-mail info@symplicity.com .
