FAIRFAX, Va. – December 12, 2012 – Ellucian announced today the general availability of Colleague® Student Planning, a web-based solution designed to help students clarify, plan, and track their course of study in order to progress more confidently to a degree. The solution also helps improve the quality of interaction between students and advisors, and enables institutions to map future course offerings more effectively.
Colleague Student Planning provides out-of-the-box integration to Colleague by Ellucian, enabling automatic provisioning of students and population of courses and sections. In addition to leveraging the degree, communication, and planning features already available in Colleague, the solution provides new features and capabilities including:
• Pre-loaded degree plans
• “On Track” and “On Time” student indicators for degree completion
• Schedule planning and integration with registration functionality in Colleague by Ellucian
• Advisor approval workflow
• Universal program and requirement browsing
• Support for multiple advising models
“We hope that the solution will encourage students to monitor their progress more closely and enable them to complete their program of study in a timely fashion,” said Kristen Chando, registrar at Widener University, one of the beta partners for Colleague Student Planning. “The solution emphasizes what a student needs to complete a program rather than what they have taken to date, helping to clarify their path toward degree completion. Colleague Student Planning gives students a greater sense of control over their academic planning process, and it allows them to explore a wider range of subjects than they might normally choose.”
The pre-loaded degree plans are designed to help students better understand pre-requisites and course sequencing which can be confusing to them. Sample plans help students understand which courses are required for their field of study and when they should be taken to meet their graduation goals. The planning tool also can give students who rely on federal financial assistance a reference that indicates how they should complete the degree requirements during their period of eligibility.
“The ability to load a sample degree plan for a program of study helps our students get started more easily with planning their courses at Widener,” said Chando. “And the calendar-based schedule was a huge hit with our students.”
The Colleague Student Planning user interface was designed to appeal to students who are accustomed to a streamlined and on-demand user experience. Users can export their list of required courses to various calendaring tools, so students can view their registered courses in their mobile devices.
The solution also is designed to strengthen the advising relationship. When students plan in advance of meeting with their advisors, the appointment time can be used to discuss topics like internships, career opportunities, and study abroad rather than focusing only on course scheduling. Giving students tools to plan their future course selections also helps institutions map course offerings more effectively.
The functionality available within Colleague Student Planning was designed based on a collaborative research project with Ellucian, the Community College Research Center, Macomb Community College, and The Kresge Foundation.
“Colleague Student Planning addresses the goal of student completion on two fronts: student achievement and institutional planning,” said Mark Jones, chief product officer, Ellucian. “Giving students tools to develop and track their course of study increases the likelihood that they will graduate. And this same planning makes it possible for institutions to make sure that the courses students need will be available to them.”
About Widener University
Widener University is a private, metropolitan university that connects curricula to social issues through civic engagement. Dynamic teaching, active scholarship, personal attention, leadership development, and experiential learning are key components of the Widener experience. A comprehensive doctorate-granting university, Widener is comprised of eight schools and colleges that offer liberal arts and sciences and professional and pre-professional curricula leading to associate’s, baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. The university’s campuses in Chester, Exton, and Harrisburg, Pa., and Wilmington, Del., serve approximately 6,500 students. Visit the university’s website, www.widener.edu, for more information.
About Ellucian
Ellucian helps education institutions thrive in an open and dynamic world. We deliver a broad portfolio of technology solutions, developed in collaboration with a global education community, and provide strategic guidance to help education institutions of all kinds navigate change, achieve greater transparency, and drive efficiencies. More than 2,400 institutions in 40 countries around the world look to Ellucian for the ideas and insights that will move education forward, helping people everywhere discover their futures through learning.
Visit Ellucian at www.ellucian.com, follow Ellucian on Twitter (@EllucianInc), and like Ellucian on Facebook (/EllucianInc).
For More Information
Ellucian
Laura Kvinge
Tel: 801.257.4158
laura.kvinge@ellucian.com
Colleague® by Ellucian is a trademark of Ellucian or its affiliates and is registered in the U.S. and other countries. Ellucian™ is a trademark of Ellucian Company L.P. or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
© 2012 Ellucian Company L.P. and its affiliates.