By implementing a new student information system, Dublin City University aims to further enhance the student experience and its standing as a university of choice
A new multimillion-euro student information system (SIS) is transforming the way Dublin City University (DCU) operates. “People are at the centre of what is a big investment and technology project,” explains Professor Lisa Looney, vice president for academic affairs at the university.
Many higher education institutions struggle with systems that are not student focused, add to staff workload and limit strategic projects and decision making. DCU believes it will transform student and staff experiences at the institution and accelerate its strategy through a hugely ambitious project involving the end-to-end redesign of services, leveraging digitalisation to optimum effect and providing a single source for all student- and curriculum-related data.
DCU has grown to offer 200 academic programmes with more than 18,500 students. “We are a young university that has been growing rapidly,” says Professor Looney. “We had systems and processes in place that worked when we were small, and we were conscious that we would reach a point at which they were no longer fit for purpose in terms of scale, strategy and student and staff experience.”
DCU is committed to ensuring its own people, both staff and students, have access to the benefits of such technologies to enhance the student experience. The new system is a single repository of student data and a user-friendly platform that enables collaborative interactions, such as curriculum design and tracking the outcomes of a new course.
The redesign of the student information system is “about the first interaction of a student who is thinking about coming to DCU, right through to alumni relations, covering the entire life cycle of the student”, Professor Looney notes. “We wanted to look at what the student journey was like at the touchpoints where students engage with the university and ensure that those touchpoints are positive experiences, and any pain points are removed.”
While students are the main beneficiaries of this redesign, it will also improve the working conditions for staff, Professor Looney says: “We want to take out any repetitive work that doesn’t really add value, and empower staff to have the time, headspace, tools and data they need to help us follow our strategy.” This strategy includes, among other things, providing a transformative student experience and valuing and developing DCU’s staff community.
DCU has placed the voice of students and staff at the centre of the redesign to ensure it will add real value to them and enhance their experiences in DCU. The programme is live, and different elements of the system will be rolled out in a phased approach in the next two to three years. DCU’s student information system will transform the student experience for the digital age and help the university to better serve the needs of its students for years to come.
Find out more about the student information system at DCU.
