2. Ease the Transition From Education to Occupation
Technology can help institutions bridge the gap between education and occupation by transforming college transcripts and providing students with better ways to present their achievements.
Traditionally, transcripts present a collection of grades and are not designed to show the full spectrum of who a student is. Transcripts don’t necessarily reflect skills students have mastered or experiences they’ve had, such as public speaking, winning art competitions, or completing internships and volunteer work. Using cloud applications, institutions can expand traditional transcripts to showcase experiences, achievements, competencies, badges, and credentials. As such, potential employers will have a better understanding of a person’s full background and past experiences to determine if they are a good fit for the organization.
3. Analyze Graduation Rates to Reflect on Student Success
Campus leaders are continuously faced with decisions surrounding program development, demographics, student support, and more. By using technology to pull metrics around the graduating class, higher education institutions can leverage data to improve decision making and institutional advancement. Data can also help officials understand the makeup of a graduating class, which is often needed to secure funding.
The embedded analytics in a cloud-based student information system enable organizations to analyze student patterns and tendencies and to spot trends from past academic periods. Institutions can use these insights to look ahead and determine the resources required to meet student need and demand. For example, if trends in graduation rates show that a shortage in availability of a calculus class kept 50 students from advancing, they can add courses. Ensuring future students are matched with the right courses at the right time will create a smooth pathway to graduation, employment, and other academic objectives.
Liz Dietz is vice president of student strategy and product management at Workday.
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