Thanks to Rob Sparks, Vice President Product Management and Strategy, UNIT4 Education and Research for taking the time to answer a few questions about changes taking place in education, some of the advantages of technology in higher education, and the role of UNIT4 in that ever evolving technological landscape.
Thanks to Rob Sparks for his time, and for his very comprehensive responses. They are greatly appreciated.
What are some of the major changes underway in education?
Rob Sparks: With the current economic climate and a backdrop of cost cutting, education institutions across the world are under more pressure to ensure high levels of student satisfaction, successful outcomes and competitiveness on a global scale. The higher education market has always been one of change, but these pressures plus rapid growth in student populations are driving intense re-evaluation of people, programs, partners and services that will transform the market unlike anything before.
With global student enrollment anticipated to rise from 99M to 414M by 2030, students clearly will realize the benefit of this re-examination and revitalization of high quality, effective education models and systems.
From a technology standpoint, what is needed to help higher education institutions manage this change effectively?
Rob Sparks: Given that a great educational experience is a requirement for all students to succeed, it is equally important that higher education institutions are efficient in their day-to-day operations. An integrated business solution operating across campuses is perhaps the greatest single advantage an institution can have over its competitors.
Whether it is on-premise, in the cloud, or a hybrid mix of the two, the right solution can keep business processes up to date throughout all changes, internally or externally driven. In that way, an institution can ensure it is directing its people and other resources to directly affect the student educational experience, and not be diverted into transactional, manual tasks that detract from the educational mission.
Rob Sparks, Vice President, Product Management and Strategy, UNIT4 (photo left)
Are you talking just about the business office end of operations?
Rob Sparks: Our vision goes beyond the business office and includes the transformation of IT to be more essential, more innovative and more useful throughout an institution. For example, a system that allows admissions representatives, registrars, financial aid officers, student life staffers and career counselors to share data about matriculated students based on a single version of the truth can make counseling students more consistent and direct.
Extend that vision into strategic business partnerships with potential employers and the like, and you can see the powerful potential technology can have to help students of all abilities reach their full academic and future employment potential. This will be especially important as students become increasingly mobile, and employers want to ensure a level set of academic proficiencies for all new hires no matter where they were educated.
It sounds like technology can help higher education institutions manage increasingly complex worlds. Is that correct?
Rob Sparks: Yes, the only constant is change here in higher education and the world is getting more complex, not less. Technology can not only manage the increasing complexities of running an institution, it can also minimize threats and address language/culture/currency nuances that exist across and within borders and regions. It moves from just a great equalizer to a competitive edge that in the end will make students more successful and in turn, help the institution meet its operational and revenue goals.
You mentioned a backdrop of cost-cutting. How does UNIT4 Business Software work with institutions to help bring technology costs down?
Rob Sparks: Flexible IT systems can enable institutions to analyze and report data in new and different ways and make IT changes as needed to better respond to internal and external requirements. Now more than ever this flexibility is a key strategy if handled correctly. For example, if an institution's relying on a rigid ERP solution, which often requires external consultants to make changes as needed, costs can add up quickly.
UNIT4's "post-implementation agility" brings down the total cost of ownership of an institution's IT system. Unique in the industry, our solution enables institutions to make changes as they need them, on their own. This keeps operating costs down – especially for innovative institutions that need to make frequent changes.
Can you give an example of where you helped a higher education institution utilize technology effectively to save time and money?
Rob Sparks: Royal Roads University uses UNIT4 Business Software solutions to not only run its financials but also to make the admissions process more self-service oriented. This saves time for prospects and admissions counselors alike. Darryl Karleen, Project Manager at Royal Roads, says it best: "Many vendors will do what it takes to get your business and get you up and running.
But when you need to make changes as needed, you have to rely on their return and incur potentially costly and time-consuming outside consultants. We find that Agresso Education from UNIT4 Business Software is so open and flexible that our IT team can make the changes it needs, whenever it needs them. We are applying the same view of self-service that we use with our students, administrators and prospects: everything we need is in Agresso Education and we are free to tap into it ourselves."
What’s next for UNIT4 Business Software in higher education?
Rob Sparks: Building upon a rich heritage of working with many of the world’s leading higher education institutions, we are investing heavily in education software research and development. We have established a center of excellence in the U.K. and through it, all of our geographies will have access to expert knowledge, data, resources and solutions that can help institutions solve the very real business problems facing them today and in the future.
What’s next for Rob Sparks in higher education?
Rob Sparks: It is an exciting time for higher education and the perfect time to be at UNIT4 as the company invests to meet the changing requirements for the post-secondary educational world. With a strong presence in Europe and a growing educational presence in North America, I relish the opportunity to help institutions leverage technology to meet the needs of a dynamic and growing student population.
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Rob Sparks is Vice President, Product Management and Strategy, UNIT4 Education and Research at UNIT4, a $624 million global business software and services company that creates, provides and supports software for Businesses Living IN Change – delivered via the cloud and on-premise.
For more information, please contact author@unit4software.com or visit us at EDUCAUSE, October 15-18, booth #111.
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