FOCUS

As higher ed institutions take steps towards innovation, strategy and technology need to be developed together. On this episode of FOCUS, Heather Fraser of Dalhousie University (Dal) discusses the strategic approach the institution is taking to manage campuswide digital transformation. Fraser, the Director of Enterprise Application Services at Dalhousie, is responsible for managing recent efforts to innovate the institution’s enterprise portfolio. Listen to learn about the importance of ownership of technology and key strategic insights as you bring your institution forward in the digital space. Approach to managing enterprise-level systems Dalhousie is a long-time user of TouchNet solutions such as OneCard, Payment Center, and more as their digital transformation has evolved. The university also uses Ellucian’s Banner as their ERP (enterprise resource planning) system. A recent merger of digital teams brought the management of enterprise applications including OneCard and Banner into one office. The portfolio also includes cloud service technologies management, project management, systems architecture, infrastructure and databases, program development, business intelligence reporting, and the university’s web presence. Deciding who “owns” the technology The restructuring of Fraser’s department presented the opportunity to review how the university as a whole approaches enterprise applications. The DalCard, Dalhousie’s OneCard system, has historically been owned by the IT department because of the need for technical support resources. However, the team is looking at shifting how they manage the DalCard. The idea is to shift the decision-making process to better accommodate needs from the business units that use the technology. Using a similar governance to how they already manage Banner, IT partners with all the different functional areas across campus that run the business processes of the technology. So offices such as student affairs and ancillary services would be the front-line support for the end users (students) with the IT team being backend support for those teams. Driving forces behind moving to the cloud Fraser’s team is looking at a 2-3 year plan to relocate their data center off campus for a variety of reasons. In doing so, they are using this as an opportunity to reevaluate which technologies are hosted on premise versus moving technologies to the cloud, which can help mitigate the risks of on-campus data storage, add flexibility, and lay a foundation for additional technology improvements. Additionally, a lot of Dalhousie’s technology partners are making greater investments in their software-as-a-service (SaaS) or in other cloud offerings that are overshadowing what is happening in on-premise solutions. In order to keep up with student expectations, a move to the cloud is an integral part of Dalhousie’s strategy. Dalhousie University’s Strategic Plan and Digital Strategy Fraser explained that none of this could be done without a unified vision for the university. Dalhousie is currently working through a five year strategic plan that includes an accompanying digital strategy led by the university’s Chief Information Officer and Dean of Libraries. The Digital Strategy has been a driving force behind the decisions they are making from a digital space perspective, which encompasses both technology and people. The document focuses on five key pillars which outlines leadership’s commitment to making Dalhousie a state-of-the-art digital learning campus with an extreme focus on research: Teaching and Learning, People-centric, Research and Innovation, Community Collaborations, and Digital Foundations. “There is a lot of human focus in this strategic document that you normally may not associate with something that is a digital or technology plan,” said Fraser. “But really it’s a way to look across our entire institution at how we’re going to be able to meet the needs of today’s digital learners and digital teachers.” Advice for Leading Digital Transformation It’s important to remember that Dalhousie University’s commitment to strategy and leveraging technology-based decisions didn’t happen overnight. It is an ongoing initiative in which they pull together key stakeholders at various times to get buy-in on new directions. This helps cross-campus teams feel ownership of decisions and understand the work that is needed to make transformation happen. Fraser credits the progress to the trust within her team and the others worked with. Her biggest piece of wisdom to impart on other institutions looking to create change in the face of digital transformations is to not only trust your team, but also work to anticipate the future technology needs of students, faculty, and staff and start the work now. Under a unified team and strategy, shaping the digital landscape of higher ed institutions becomes an exciting exercise of “what if.” Special Guest: Heather Fraser.

Higher ed institutions are constantly innovating to fit the changing needs of students to support their success. Kevin Smith, Assistant Vice President and Director of Student Records and Financial Services at Canisius University, joins FOCUS to share how the university’s experience in evolving the one-stop shop with a new solution from TouchNet, Student Account Advisor. Smith offers insights on how Student Account Advisor provides a comprehensive view of a student’s financial engagement while protecting sensitive information, how Canisius has applied the solution, and his plans for campus-wide expansion. About Canisius University Canisius University is a liberal arts institution outside of Buffalo, New York. The university is aJesuit institution that serves 2,700 students across undergraduate and graduate programs. Canisius is a long-time TouchNet partnerand has been live since 2001 when they initially implemented credit card payments in the payment gateway. Over the years, the university has added many solutions including Cashiering, the Bill+Payment suite, Payment Plans, Marketplace for ecommerce, and ACH validation with the help of TouchNet. Most recently, Canisius added TouchNet’s newest solution, Student Account Advisor into the fold and has already seen tremendous results. What is Student Account Advisor? When Canisius’ Student Records and Financial Services Center converted to a one-stop shop, the last piece to provide a more efficient experience was the addition of Student Account Advisor. TouchNet’s Student Account Advisor (https://www.touchnet.com/student-finance/student-account-advisor) is an integrated solution that provides a centralized oversight and advanced customer service to students who have questions or need personal assistance with their accounts. The solution pulls data from student information software (SIS) systems into one screen for easy navigation, without displaying any sensitive information. The unified dashboard of student information eliminates the need to sign into multiple systems, giving advisors more time to help students and enhancing the student experience in financial offices. Authorization can be customized to give certain advisors and offices more access than others to mitigate privacy concerns. The built-in communication function allows advisors to reach out directly to students in need, or to follow up on their questions. Simplifying advising students Since implementing Student Account Advisor, Canisius University has seen great improvements in staff efficiency. Student Account Advisor is primarily utilized in the Student Records and Financial Services Center, but has also been rolled out to the Griff Center (their office for advising, tutoring, mentoring, career success, and coaching), and the university’s co-op graduate programs. Plans for further expansion include other high-contact offices, such as deans and academic advising, that students engage with. Smith finds that the solution has overall eased complications in student transactions in his office and other on-campus applications for staff. “It simplified the transaction. It created a true one-stop shop experience that enabled the users to assist students and parents when discussing financial aid, student accounts, and academic data points that are crucial in a student's success,” said Smith. In addition to these simplified transactions, Canisius University has experienced higher student retention rates since Student Account Advisor’s addition to the one-stop shop. Smith credits this to the centralized information dashboard, giving advisors a more holistic view of a student’s situation and more opportunity for a more personalized student experience. Set your institution up for success Although Canisius’ transformation with Student Account Advisor didn’t happen overnight, Smith and other management at the university learned to ask the right questions to maximize the solution. One of the most important parts of figuring out the right plan for implementation is to identify those high-engagement offices that deal with students regularly and decide if the solution would simplify processes. As Smith outlines, another key step in the process is properly training staff on how to use the software in the most efficient way possible. Finally, keep in mind the idea of helping the whole student, not just with finances. This will open up opportunities for Student Account Advisor expansion, improving the student experience along the way. To learn more about Student Account Advisor, schedule a demo with a TouchNet Solutions Consultant. (https://www.touchnet.com/about-us/contact-us) Special Guest: Kevin Smith.

Many higher education administrators are called to their positions for the same reason: to help students succeed. Lisa Mazure, Associate Vice Chancellor for Finance and Fiscal Services at Alamo Colleges District, joins this episode of FOCUS to share her experiences with supporting students while keeping accounts receivable and revenue flow healthy. Listen to hear her journey of improving account services at different institutions, leading to an increase in student success and financial literacy. Lansing Community College Mazure joined Lansing Community College as the institution’s Controller after 25 years working for the government in the Office of the Auditor General. One of the first things she noticed in her role at Lansing was the disjointed experience for students interacting with the Student Finance Office for payments and refunds. Students were forced to log into multiple systems to manage different functions. From that point, she sought to consolidate the system down to one unified platform to make it easier for students. In her search for solutions, the benefits of TouchNet became clear. The college already used TouchNet for accepting online payments, but learned it could be expanded to also offer payment plans, refunds, and much more all through a single solution. This allowed LCC to reduce the number of systems that staff had to be trained on, improve the student and staff experience by managing everything in one place, and provide streamlined reporting and updated student accounts. Payment plans Once Mazure’s mission to simplify student finances was complete, she turned her attention to creating payment plans that accelerated student success. “My goal is always for my students to be able to balance that financial responsibility with their academic success,” said Mazure. One of the first plans the college implemented was bi-weekly payment plans, which remains popular with students because it spreads payments out in a way that matches up with paychecks rather than one lump sum each month. Lansing also added specialized payment plans for past-due balances. Each plan is specific to a student’s account balance and the repayment agreement they have with the institution. Students on this plan have the opportunity to have their balances forgiven if they complete a certain number of credit hours and meet other Student Finance Office requirements. Students on financial aid that didn’t cover their full balance were given a payment plan that started later in the semester, after their financial aid was fully rewarded. This made it easier on students to pay correct balances after the add/drop course period concluded. Veterans, students in the Adult Resource Center, those with childcare scholarships, and other special cases were also given additional payment plan options. Adding plans for these unique situations gave students more financial freedom, helping them be more successful on campus. Alamo Colleges District The Alamo Colleges District is a system of five independently accredited colleges with over 69,000 students across Bexar County in southern Texas. The district is home to an HBCU and all five are Hispanic serving institutions. Since Mazure joined the district, the system has been dealing with a large accounts receivable balance stemming from conditions during the pandemic, in which the colleges avoided putting holds on student accounts. She and her team are actively exploring solutions for reengaging students with past due balances and starting the process of placing holds again. It is important for Mazure and the system to find the balance between financial responsibility and academic achievement. Like Lansing Community College, the Alamo Colleges District uses TouchNet solutions for student finance needs, but has not used the tools to their full potential. Mazure has been working to incorporate as many TouchNet solutions as possible to create immediate changes to help students. Balancing accounts receivable The first change the district implemented was separating out past-due balances from current payment plans, so the financial office could work with students to address each balance on its own. Before then, payments made to current statements were automatically applied to past-due balances, making it difficult for students to stay up-to-date on current charges. Mazure’s approach is that students should have the opportunity to take care of past due balances independent of payment plans for current terms. The Alamo Colleges District has now expanded their payment plan options to give students more flexibility to choose a plan that is right for them, leading to increases in payment plan enrollments and healthier accounts receivable balances while helping students meet their goals. To further address outstanding past-due balances, the district has classified them into different buckets. Depending on how old the balance is, it might be forgiven. In other instances, students may be directly contacted with the option to enroll in a specialized repayment plan like mentioned before. The hope is that fewer students will be affected when the District decides to reimplement holds since they will have had the opportunity to resolve past due balances. These efforts tie back to the district’s goal of eliminating poverty through education and have an overall positive effect on students and their finances. Maximize change at your institution Getting the most out of your enterprise-level solutions doesn’t have to be as daunting as it may seem. For Mazure, getting buy-in from staff and other leadership at Alamo Colleges District early in the process made all the difference. They have been able to work together to establish what the institution calls WIGs (wild improvement goals) to stay on strategy as they move forward. The IT department has also been integral in the process because they know the most about the existing TouchNet system and what was possible. As far as communicating with students about upcoming changes, payment plans, overall student financial literacy, and the Business Office’s role in their success, the district has incorporated student financial services into the orientation process. This sets a foundation with students from the moment they step foot on campus that the student finance office is there to help. This coaches students that they have a stake in their education, not just on the academic side, but also when it comes to finances. Keeping all this in mind helps the student finance office move towards the final goal: helping students succeed financially, so they can succeed academically. Special Guest: Lisa Mazure.

As higher ed institutions continue to evolve to offer more cashless payment solutions, automated clearing house (ACH) payments are becoming more popular. This week, Brad Smith, senior director of industry engagement and advocacy at Nacha, joins FOCUS to discuss the benefits of ACH payments for campus transactions. Learn more about ACH payments on campus, Nacha, and efforts to update the ACH rules for better risk management in the network. What are ACH payments? ACH payments are direct transactions involving a bank account. Most online payments attached to a bank account number are ACH, which allows transactions to be reflected to the account in near real-time. ACH payments are popular with different merchants because of the lower fees compared to other payment methods, reliability, and security. “If you get paid by direct deposit, you know what the ACH network is,” said Smith. In 2022, 30 billion transactions were made through the ACH network totalling $76.7 trillion. Business-to-business payments through same-day ACH saw a 44% growth in 2022, and in the first quarter of 2023 alone, same-day ACH transactions grew by 94% compared to first quarter of 2022. Institution implementation As Smith explains, ACH is most practical when used for large payments. ACH may not make sense for smaller purchases like at campus stores, sporting events, or dining halls. However, opportunities exist for ACH to be used for tuition payments, payroll, and business-to-business payments for accounts receivable and accounts payable. Nacha’s role in ACH payments Nacha owns and manages rules for the ACH network. Merchants, also known as ACH originators, enter an originator agreement with their bank, credit union, or third party processor, like TouchNet, to follow a specific set of standards to comply with. New rules are highlighted on the Nacha website (https://www.nacha.org/). For institutions implementing more ACH payment options on campus, Nacha is also working on a suite of tools to help educate students, parents, and vendors on why ACH is a good option. Avoiding fraud According to Smith, risks for fraud in regards to ACH do not vary greatly from other payment methods. The trend now is vendor impersonation. For example, a bad actor will call a staff member acting like a vendor who needs to change banking information. Next thing you know, payments are going to the bad actor instead of the actual vendor. To help, Nacha provides a risk framework for partners that helps merchants address fraud. The first part of the framework are strict rules to set a solid anti-fraud foundation, which now includes a provision to validate transactions without needing to give out routing and account numbers. The second part is the operating guidelines that show merchants how to apply the rules to their processes. Nacha recently rolled out new supplemental data security requirements (https://www.touchnet.com/trends/blog/2021/02/09/nacha-ach-updates-that-will-affect-higher-education-payment-processes) to ensure data is secure while it’s at rest. This means that account information is unreadable, deleted, or masked properly any time ACH data is not being used. Third party vendors also held to the same standards as ACH originators to keep security a priority. Best practices As previously stated, the best opportunities for institutions to use ACH to reduce costs and increase efficiencies are for tuition, payroll, and business to business with vendors. Smith believes one of the ways to stay vigilant against fraud is to continue education on the latest trends. This can be managed with an institution’s relationship with their bank or processor and completing regular training to stay up-to-date on compliance and fraud trends. There are also different organizations that offer training to colleges and universities on the latest ACH rules, risk courses, and audit courses. Learn more about ACH rules and alleviating risk at www.nacha.org/rules/new (https://www.nacha.org/newrules). Special Guest: Brad Smith.

On this episode of FOCUS, Doug Vanderpoel joins from Mount Holyoke College to share insights into how his institution uses the TouchNet OneCard Campus ID (https://www.touchnet.com/id-management/onecard-campus-id) system to enhance the campus experience. From student ID management to ensuring campus safety and smart data monitoring, Mount Holyoke College has developed numerous unique and innovative uses for their OneCard system. Mount Holyoke College Mount Holyoke College, the oldest women’s college in the U.S., was established in 1837 in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It is home to over 2,000 students and 80 major buildings across the campus’ 800 acres. The college is a longtime TouchNet client, having implemented nearly every solution offered in the past 25 years. Most notable is the OneCard system, which Mount Holyoke has tailored to meet a wide range of needs. An Integrated Campus ID Program OneCard simplifies the student experience on campus. Students at Mount Holyoke use OneCard for their student ID, access to dorms and other campus buildings, meal plan swipes in the dining hall, tickets to events, vending, tracking packages, and even for POS transactions. After the school got the initial functions of OneCard up and running, they sought more ways to integrate it into campus life. Most recently, they’ve partnered with USEFULL (https://partners.touchnet.com/english/directory/partner/1512100/usefull-us), a TouchNet Ready Partner, to provide reusable takeout containers in the dining hall, which are monitored and paid for through OneCard. The campus also has 24/7 coffee machines that are integrated with OneCard, so students can use their ID for payment. Faculty can even use their IDs to activate the institution’s gas and fuel stations to fill up the institution’s fleet vehicles. Integrated safety measures The safety of students is paramount to Mount Holyoke College, as is evident in the measures they take to monitor access to dorms and buildings with OneCard. Mount Holyoke uses the system to grant or deny access to specific areas of the campus at any given time based on predetermined criteria, and on case-by-case situations if needed. When the school hosts conferences, attendees are given limited access with a visitor ID through OneCard for entry to the dining hall, presentation areas, and on-campus lodging accommodations for the duration of the conference. Mount Holyoke has also connected various sensors with the Master Security Monitor feature of OneCard to detect irregularities at sensitive places on campus. The system alerts campus staff when emergency showers and eyewash stations are used in labs, sensors are tripped in the art museum, and even when there is unexpected motion around the on-campus horse stables. Additionally, Mount Holyoke has connected panic buttons to the system as well for students and faculty to contact public safety in the case of emergencies. These panic buttons are also placed across campus in areas like the HR department, cash POS locations, practice rooms in the music department and more. If a button is pressed, public safety is notified immediately to respond to the location. OneCard as a data source The OneCard system is constantly gathering data, which Mount Holyoke decided to put to work in making informed decisions. It has given valuable insights into student behavior surrounding meal plans, dining hours, and dormitory capacity. The integration of the system with POS systems also aids in tracking popular food items, easing the product ordering process. Additionally, the ability to generate reports on dormitory usage and visitor patterns helps optimize campus resources. The key to implementation Having the right partner can make all the difference when setting up a system like OneCard. Listening to your teams and being communicative is one of the easiest ways to gain faculty and student adoption. “Just build good relationships and listen to people's issues and problems and know your system and understand that you can have an effect on that,” said Vanderpoel. As Mount Holyoke stands to prove, OneCard can be used in countless ways across campus. With the right approach and the right team, your institution can unlock the full potential of technology to enhance the overall student experience. Special Guest: Doug Vanderpoel.

Guiding international students through account payments can be tricky. With currency exchange rates constantly changing, it can be difficult for students to be confident that they are paying the correct amount. On this episode of FOCUS, Mike Pilman, System Administrator for the Account Receivables Office at Tulane University, joins us to give insight on how Tulane works with TouchNet and TransferMate to simplify payments for international students while improving administrative processes for their staff and protecting the institution against fraud. Tulane University Tulane University was founded in 1834 in New Orleans as the Medical College of Louisiana. Today, the university is a private research institution with 14,500 students across ten undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools. Ten percent of the school’s population are international, coming from 90 countries. Pilman says that the institution is looking to expand its international population, particularly in graduate degree programs. Issues with cross-border payments With so many international students from so many different countries, the common issues with international payments added up for Tulane. . Students are not only unfamiliar with U.S. banking systems, but also with calculating currency exchange rates with ever changing market rates. This led to incorrect payment amounts, delayed payments, and payments with no student account information included. The combination of issues left a lot of work for accounts receivables to manually fix. Tulane needed a solution to automate their processes and found it in TransferMate. TransferMate Tulane first began working with TransferMate 11 years ago to support cross-border payments which helped tremendously with backend reconciliation. But it wasn’t until they transitioned to using the integration between TransferMate and TouchNet that they saw the biggest change. Through this integration, students are able to initiate payments with TransferMate directly in their Student Account Center. The embedded solution includes a currency exchange calculator that converts the student’s payment amount from US dollars to the equivalent in their local currency. The student completes the details of the transaction within their account and then pays TransferMate according to instructions provided. TransferMate then handles all the details of the currency exchange, cash clearing, and the transmission of payment directly to Tulane. Students are able to access their account at any time to check the status of their payment and TransferMate offers 24/7 customer service. Campus adoption Using TransferMate is now the preferred payment option for international students at Tulane. The embedded solution is easily adopted by students, which Pilman attributes to the integration with TouchNet Payment Center. “Having it [TransferMate] embedded in the billing and payments portal, that really was the biggest factor,” says Pilman. Tulane also provides general advice on TransferMate on their payment options webpage, which is listed on the Student Accounts Receivable and Office of International Students websites. They also talk to students about it during orientation to make sure every international student knows about it. Helping more than just students Aside from international students, TransferMate alleviated many stressors for the accounts receivable staff. Before, staff had to manually alter accounts with any issues. Now, problems with balances and reconciliation are automatically updated with TransferMate, giving staff more time to focus on student needs. With TransferMate, the need for students to use bank wires has decreased significantly, which has strengthened Tulane’s cybersecurity.. Previously, the institution had their bank wire information on their website for international students to use, leaving Tulane open to bad actors. They still offer wire transfers to students, but only need to give out their bank wire information upon request. Simplifying international payments In parting advice, Pilman recounts the benefit of going to higher education conferences and learning from other institutions who can serve as a model for your school. He believes that a more universal approach focused on making the payment process as easy as possible for students and payers is the first step in creating new paths for payments. Special Guest: Mike Pilman.

On this episode of FOCUS, Kristy Pritchett, Director of Student Account Services at the University of Alabama, joined us to discuss how a student-friendly approach to past-due accounts lead to higher retention rates. The university created their approach out of a need to give additional support to students that were facing financial hardship. Through an integration with TouchNet, the University of Alabama partnered with ECSI RecoverySelect to focus on accounts receivable and past-due accounts, which led to an increase in their retention rates. Read more as Pritchett shares how the institution successfully transformed itself into a model university for the student-friendly approach. The University of Alabama Founded in 1831, the University of Alabama is a renowned research institution located in Tuscaloosa. The campus is the academic home to more than 38,000 students and on track to continue to increase enrollment. Although the institution is now seeing positive growth trends, student debt and past-due accounts poses a threat to retention. Pritchett and her team knew that helping students stay enrolled was key to securing the institution’s finances. Finding a solution with ECSI’s RecoverySelect Like many other institutions seeking a solution to address past-due accounts and student debt, the University of Alabama wanted to maintain a student-centric approach. “We're really trying to provide a benefit and help that student work through whatever is going on, so that they can get it paid off and continue their education with the university,” says Pritchett. Rather than punishing students for falling behind on payments with collection agencies and academic holds, the university wanted to help them be in control of their student finances. Enter ECSI's RecoverySelect — a comprehensive solution designed to manage past-due accounts with compassionate customer service. Key benefits of RecoverySelect Streamlined and standardized processes Previously, the University of Alabama struggled with monitoring and collecting past-due accounts. Repayment counselors used in excess of 100 letter templates, leading to inconsistencies and a lack of standards in communication. RecoverySelect streamlined these processes, using just five Regulation F compliant letters and phone calls to keep clear and consistent communication with students. Student accounts are managed by ECSI for 120 days before being sent to collections. Integration and compliance The University of Alabama was already a TouchNet and Ellucian Banner client, simplifying the ECSI integration and enabling the university to stay compliant with ever-changing payment regulations. Data flows seamlessly between systems, providing the most up-to-date information to collection agencies and helping the institution avoid regulatory pitfalls. Staff efficiency The implementation of RecoverySelect reduced the burden of repetitive and time-consuming tasks, such as sending letters and making phone calls, on the university's staff. This allowed the University of Alabama to repurpose staff members for other essential roles, like providing more personalized student support and ensuring optimal resource utilization. Improved reporting RecoverySelect provides detailed reporting, including a collection agency scorecard. This level of transparency allows the university to measure the effectiveness of their efforts and provide insight into what's working and what needs adjustment. And if tactics need to shift. Positive student feedback One of the University of Alabama’s priorities was maintaining a positive student experience throughout the debt recovery process. ECSI sends emails to students before their accounts transfer to RecoverySelect, explaining the situation and emphasizing that they aim to help, not punish, students. This has resulted in positive feedback across campus and renewed trust between the institution and its students. Student-centered results The University of Alabama has achieved remarkable results with ECSI's RecoverySelect solution. They've seen an approximately 40% resolution rate for accounts that go through the RecoverySelect process, meaning that a significant portion of students have been able to resolve their past-due accounts without entering collections. Moreover, 25% of these students ultimately return to the university, adding to the positive impact on student retention. A success story When asked about advice to other institutions, Pritchett emphasizes the importance of entering a trusted partnership to make the student-friendly approach successful. Experts like ECSI know how to streamline processes and stay compliant with evolving regulations, allowing institutions to focus more on supporting students in need. The University of Alabama's integration with ECSI's RecoverySelect serves as a model for higher education institutions grappling with past-due accounts. By prioritizing student experience, compliance, and efficiency, the University of Alabama found a path to improved retention rates and financial stability. Special Guest: Kristy Pritchett.

Smartphone use is ubiquitous, especially on college campuses. With nearly every student carrying a smart device with them all the time, it was only a matter of time before colleges began investigating whether mobile IDs could help enhance the student experience. Joe Harting, a leader in campus operations, joined the Focus podcast to discuss what he learned from pioneering Mobile ID for Apple and Android at Northern Arizona University (NAU) as the Director of Campus Operations. NAU’s spirit of innovation As one of three major higher ed institutions in the state of Arizona, the NAU Lumberjacks distinguish themselves by embracing innovation and pushing the envelope. After all, NAU was one of the first to introduce autonomous delivery robots with Starship Technologies (https://focus.fireside.fm/402-chrisneider-starship) on their campus. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, the campus saw even further momentum to find creative solutions that would reduce public face-to-face interactions, increase convenience, and overall enhance the student experience. The right opportunity at the right time In 2018, Harting first partnered with TouchNet to implement a new system for their auxiliary services. Knowing that NAU were open to new ideas, Touchnet approached them with the opportunity to be the first school to pilot OneCard Mobile ID with their popular student ID, the Jacks Card. In NAU student surveys, mobile IDs were the number one requested feature for the NAU Go App. Students who have grown up with mobile devices their entire life expect an app for everything and NAU jumped at the opportunity to deliver what students want. Harting knew he had the right infrastructure already in place with TouchNet and the timing couldn’t have been better; the University was especially motivated to bring new and creative ideas to the table during the global pandemic. Putting the pieces in place The first step in the process was putting the budget in place to pay for the new program. Harting found success by presenting mobile IDs as an exciting new technology that could prove disruptive in the market. Harting also embarked on a communications campaign, bringing all stakeholders to the table and building the support necessary to move the project forward. Finally, NAU completed an internal discovery process and mobile readiness assessment with the help of TouchNet. “Touchnet provided us with the initial foundational documentation that was necessary for us to go through our campus, identify what we had in place, and how well positioned we were to introduce this new technology,” said Harting. Overcoming obstacles In implementing the Mobile Jacks Card, NAU had to consider every touchpoint the existing physical card was being used: dining, door access, transportation, recreation, etc. Harting’s staff uncovered more than 1,000 places the card could be engaged and had to find suitable alternatives where mobile IDs couldn’t be easily applied like when the Rec Center held a student ID in exchange for renting sports equipment. In some cases, the Mobile ID proved to be an even better solution than what the physical Jacks Card could provide. NAU also engaged a dedicated communications specialist from the beginning trained in change management and ADKAR (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement). This specialist helped streamline the transition process through strategic messaging. Their efforts were backed by extensive focus group testing to help ensure the provisioning process was easy for students. Measuring success In a post-launch poll, 70 percent of NAU students gave the Mobile Jacks Card five stars out of five. More than 90 percent rated their satisfaction with three stars or more. Additionally, mobile IDs solved the problem of logistics issues and bottlenecks issuing IDs at the start of the school year. While physical IDs are still available, NAU is taking a “mobile first” approach, encouraging students to create their mobile IDs at orientation, making it one less thing students need to worry about when they come to campus as an official Lumberjack. No more long lines to get student ID pictures taken or pick up the printed ID. An unexpected positive consequence of mobile IDs, NAU also saw increased participation in meal plans and campus transactions. Since students are never without their phone, they’re never without their ID. “I've been fortunate to be a part of many, many, many projects and initiatives here throughout my 20 year career at NAU,” said Harting. “And I really have to say, this was, this has got to be in the top two or three, if not number one projects. It took a lot of time and energy and effort, but it was absolutely worth it.” The future of Mobile ID “As exciting and novel and as new as something like a mobile ID card is, I think, eventually, it's going to become [a matter of] making sure that your institution shows that you understand what student expectations are,” said Harting. “And that we are dynamic, innovative here and willing to deliver those experiences.” While mobile IDs may become business as usual across campuses, NAU is already looking at what comes next. Harting sees mobile ID as a way to create additional revenue opportunities – not just on campus, but also at local retailers, restaurants, movie theaters and more. Ideally, mobile IDs can be a catalyst to incentivizing those retailers to provide student discounts and rewards programs. Learn more about the TouchNet OneCard Mobile ID here (https://www.touchnet.com/id-management/mobile-id), or contact us (https://www.touchnet.com/about-us/contact-us) for a complimentary assessment of your campus technology to see how close you are to implementing Mobile ID on your campus. Special Guest: Joe Harting.

Sustainability is an increasingly present topic in higher education. Today’s students value sustainability in their lives - on and off campus. Karen Dickinson, General Manager of TAFE Queensland Gold Coast, recently joined the FOCUS podcast to share how their new Robina Campus has taken a holistic approach to sustainability since its inception. From finding best practices to how sustainability is infused into every aspect of the campus, Robina serves as a model for comprehensive sustainability in higher education. TAFE Queensland Gold Coast TAFE (Technical and Further Education) Queensland Gold Coast boasts 22,000 students and 650 staff across six campuses along the Gold Coast of Australia. As the general manager, Dickinson oversees operations of the campus, students and staff. Around four years ago, the construction of the new Robina Campus opened the opportunity to push the envelope with sustainability in higher ed and challenge themselves to create a low carbon footprint campus. New plans of action As Dickinson researched best practices for sustainable campuses around the world, she saw a lack of holistic approaches. While the institutions were doing their part to be environmentally friendly, not many were infusing sustainability into every aspect of their schools. “What I wanted to do with the Robina Campus was build a campus that would incorporate sustainability into all aspects of running a campus,” says Dickinson. TAFE Queensland Gold Coast decided they needed to gather all the best practices to be activated in one complete approach that not only delivered sustainable operations, but also educates students on how to be good stewards of the environment inside and outside of the classroom. The Robina Campus Sustainability is in the DNA of the Robina Campus, starting with the build. Designers structured the large atrium using salvaged timbers. They chose carpets made from recycled materials and placed environmentally-focused art lines the walls. Skateboard and scooter storage, electric vehicle charging, organic composting areas, and recycling bins are scattered across the campus. The classroom space at Robina has also been optimized for resource management. Each room is multi-purpose, outfitted with the latest technology used to livestream and record classes. Sustainability is even infused into the curriculum, and students have weekly opportunities to take part in eco-friendly activities. Another large part of Robina’s holistic approach is obtaining sustainable or local resources for other on-campus offerings. Local farms supply food to the cafe and restaurant, which only use biodegradable utensils and dishes. Additionally, all suppliers the institution engages with are evaluated on their commitments to sustainability and being carbon neutral before being selected. Data in sustainability Robina generates 50% of their power usage from 300 solar panels, putting 12-15% back on the grid. They monitor all power, water, and wastage through Power BI. This data is used to weed out inefficiencies in resource management and help build better processes to fill those gaps. Green your campus While the road to a sustainable campus can be long, Robina serves as a model for greener possibilities. Dickinson attributes much of the institution’s success to engaging staff and local consulting early in the planning process. TAFE Queensland Gold Coast’s support and investment in the new campus’s mission also made the green transition as smooth as possible. Dickinson believes that the key to greening your campus is through the holistic approach, but it cannot be done without the support of your institution and staff. With Robina’s growing admission numbers and overall student satisfaction, it’s clear to see that sustainable campuses have a future in higher education. Special Guest: Karen Dickinson.

With all the high-tech innovations coming to campuses, it’s easy to overlook the need for a human factor in the spirit of transformation. Joe Abraham, operating partner at Beyond Academics, recently joined the FOCUS podcast to weigh in on how to encourage innovation by understanding teams through the lens of entrepreneurship. Abraham is also the author of Entrepreneurial DNA, which explores four entrepreneurial archetypes, and shares how each applies to higher ed. By understanding your team’s entrepreneurial DNA and build a team strategy with those strengths in mind, Abraham says we can see that the real key to innovation in higher ed is not technology, but the human factor. Beyond Academics As Abraham explains, Beyond Academics operates in three parts. The first is research and development into what the future holds for higher ed and how entrepreneurial behavior will affect the college enterprise. From the conclusions found in this research, Beyond Academics consults campuses in need of help developing and executing new strategies. “What we try and teach schools is look, figure out who you are, who are your people, and let's build strategy around you. Rather than trying to be someone you're not,” says Abraham. The final component of the operation is finding innovative tech companies to invest in and bring into Beyond Academics’ partner program to advocate for in the ed-tech space. Entrepreneurial DNA In Abraham’s book, he uses the BOSI model to categorize the four types of entrepreneurial DNA present across all people. This breaks down into having builder, opportunist, specialist, or innovator traits. He applies the BOSI model across institutions to gain a better picture of higher ed’s entrepreneurial makeup. Builders are focused on scaling a business fast and account for around 15% of staff in higher ed. Success for them is measured by infrastructure — which when applied to higher ed, could mean payroll and available square-footage on campus. Opportunists make up around 6% of people in higher ed and are money motivated. They tend to take high risks for high rewards and are natural promoters for what they are passionate about. Specialists are the most common in higher ed and found in 58% of staff. They are experts at what they do, consistent, and work hard to build a reputation for their institution. Specialists are the opposite of opportunists. Lastly are innovators, who are driven by a mission or purpose and the inverse of builders. They want to change their industry and see how their work impacts people. Innovators make up 21% of higher ed staff. DNA for greatness There are three principles for how a campus’ entrepreneurial makeup can be applied to strategy: individually, at a team/management level, and institutionally. Communication is key to create success at all levels. Abraham finds that grouping opposite DNA types can create a balance of behaviors in team dynamics. Each type has its strengths, which can be the perfect complement to another type’s weaknesses. Know your archetype Abraham’s BOSI assessment is available for free, or for a small fee for team use. With these DNA types, institutions can learn how to set their teams up for success, which in turn will set a solid foundation for encouraging innovation. Learn more about BOSI here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gYe7KlqFMo Get a copy of Entrepreneurial DNA here: https://www.amazon.com/Entrepreneurial-DNA-Strengths-Successful-Business/dp/0071754512 Special Guest: Joe Abraham.

As higher ed institutions continue to implement more digital technologies, data breach tactics have become increasingly sophisticated. Universities and colleges process and store massive amounts of sensitive personal and payments data, which are increasingly the target of cyberattacks. On this week’s episode of FOCUS, Sean Davidson, Senior Manager of Security Solutions at Verizon, shares the latest trends in payment security and data breaches. Davidson also imparts wisdom on the best practices of cybersecurity that institutions can follow to keep data safe and under payment card industry (PCI) standards. Verizon in cybersecurity? On the surface, the correlation between Verizon, a telecommunications company, and cybersecurity might not be easy to make. However, Verizon has maintained dedicated cybersecurity services for 23 years. They offer security management and assessment services out of nine global security operation centers. Verizon was an original contributor to the PCI compliance requirements, offering primary forensic investigation (PFI) and qualified security assessor (QSA) services to companies so they can confidently validate that their environment is secure and PCI compliant. Data breach investigations report (DBIR) Verizon’s most notable contribution to the cybersecurity industry is the Data Breach Investigation Report (DBIR). It’s seen as the foremost authority on data breach investigations and reporting and made up of data gathered by Verizon and 86 partners and industry experts. In 2022, the DBIR confirmed 5,212 data breaches out of the 23,896 security incidents reported under the DBIR’s framework. Davidson categorizes an incident as any time sensitive information is exposed, and breaches as anytime that information is then exfiltrated to outside environments. “We analyze that data, and we boil it down and come up with a view of the cybersecurity threat landscape that companies can use to better understand their threats, their attackers, their motives, and the defensive areas that they should bolster to help prevent impact from these attackers,” said Davidson. The DBIR’s findings are published annually to the public, with 2022 marking the 15th publication. Trends In Davidson’s observations, ransomware is five times more likely to affect education. Ransomware typically refers to sensitive information being compromised and held for a financial ransom. Even if the company pays the ransom, they might not regain access to the data or the data could still be leaked. A human element drives 82% of these breaches, mostly through phishing — which is when a scammer pretends to be a credible person within the victim organization to gain access to protected data. System intrusions are also a rising threat to higher ed institutions. A system intrusion is an instance of hacking through physical means or modems. This type of cyberattack can also take place due to miscellaneous errors like sending valuable details to a third party, leaving ports open on web applications, and other sometimes human mistakes. Web application attacks have decreased across the higher ed sector, possibly due to cloud service adoption. Protecting institutions One best practice to protect institutions is to have a solid security program with a good security posture. Cybersecurity insurance is a necessity, especially in the event of a breach. Davidson believes hiring a cybersecurity advisor is on the list of best practices to aid in cases of ransomware or phishing. Zero-trust environments are quickly becoming a proven safeguard for cybersecurity breaches. The environments are created by sharing data on a need-to-know authorization. This eliminates the amount of access given to data sets, limiting potential leak opportunities. Moving logins to two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of protection to accounts. This second step of identification could be as simple as a security question, or verification codes sent through text, email, or a phone call. Although the threat of cyberattacks never goes away, putting these best practices into action and being vigilant of system weaknesses can make all the difference in security. Resources from episode: Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) is available to download for free from Verizon: https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/reports/dbir/ Payment Security Report (PSR) is available to download for free from Verizon: https://www.verizon.com/business/reports/payment-security-report/ Contact Sean Davidson at sean.davidson@verizon.com. Special Guest: Sean Davidson.

During this week’s episode of FOCUS, Fredderick Simmons discusses how Portland Community College (PCC) is bringing together siloed services to create a powerful one-stop shop for student success. Simmons is the Student Account Services Manager, overseeing PCC’s relationships with Ellucian Banner and TouchNet. Since PCC’s recent administrative reorganization, the school has put bettering student services at the top of their priorities with the “One Together, Together One” model. Simmons shares insights on the model and what steps PCC has taken towards greater student success. Unified for better student services Portland Community College serves students across four campuses in the Portland area. Until recently, each campus operated under its own president and budget, reporting to the district president. To create a unified student experience, PCC restructured to bring the four campuses under the leadership of one president, currently Dr. Adrien Bennings. PCC has since adopted a “One Together, Together One” model to re-engage and reshape their community. The initiative takes an all-hands-on-deck approach to support student success, extending to all departments, including student accounts services, financial aid, enrollment, and more. “You want to make sure that students are prepared in the classroom, and it's our job and our responsibility to make sure that they are financially settled outside of the classroom,” says Simmons. On-site flex schedule Part of PCC’s new ideology extends to staffing. The institution wanted to find a way to serve students the best they could, while allowing faculty to have a hybrid work environment when possible. The answer came in the form of on-site flex scheduling, which uses account service data to identify three peak weeks each semester where students need increased on-campus faculty presence. The data showed the days and weeks that saw the most in-person student visits and made it possible for PCC to confidently maintain in-person office hours Monday-Thursday, while being remote-only on Fridays. Students are able to have their questions answered in person when they need it most, while faculty can enjoy a hybrid workplace outside of those three weeks. Zoom Rooms Staying true to PCC’s new model, the way the institution communicated with students in need of help also needed an all-hands-on-deck update. As Simmons puts it, students want instant service. With Zoom Rooms, students can reach out to chat during business hours for immediate aid. Account service providers can then get on a Zoom call with students or transfer them to another department without having to start over with the chat’s archive function. A resource beyond payments The student accounts team at PCC is also focused on serving students beyond taking payments. Simmons shared their vision is to be more involved during student orientation to provide educational resources on financial management skills by coaching students on budgeting and financial responsibility. Additionally, he hopes to better serve their ESOL students by considering the makeup of the student population while staffing the department. Looking forward As PCC continues to evolve their one-stop shop, Simmons is also excited about implementing TouchNet’s newest solution, Student Account Advisor. This tool will further advance the one-stop shop mentality in the Answer Center by retrieving student account data regardless of which department it’s stored in, so staff can have all the information they need to advise students successfully. Simmons believes the tool will break down barriers that both students and faculty experience, creating a better process. Simmons also shared what’s next for the institution. Currently, the enrollment and orientation processes are being re-imagined to be more hands-on so students have more access to staff. Overall, Simmons says the school wants to be more mindful of the population they serve and strategize how to eliminate barriers in enrollment so more students can have the experience of “One Together, Together One.” Special Guest: Fredderick Simmons.

This week on FOCUS, we’re joined by Rob Sparks, Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Partnerships at Anthology, to discuss how creating intelligent experiences can support student success. Sparks is responsible for supporting Anthology’s corporate and global strategies, identifying new opportunities, overseeing their integrated partner ecosystem, and computer information science (CIS) market penetration. With more than 25 years of experience in the higher ed tech industry, he shares the mission of Anthology, how they create more intuitive solutions with data, the keys to successful partnerships, and upcoming trends in the ed-tech industry. Inside Anthology Anthology strives to create an infinite world of learning without boundaries through data-informed higher ed experiences. The company offers enterprise-level technology including student information systems (SIS), customer relationship management (CRM), learning management systems (LMS), and more to 150 million users in more than 80 countries. After combining with LMS provider Blackboard last year, Anthology is now integrated with 370 campuses worldwide. Anthology’s key to creating this inspiring new world of education is putting the learner at the center of the experience, then giving instructors and administrators the tools and insights necessary to empower the learners they serve in their community. Data-driven experiences At Anthology’s user conference last year, the company launched the concept of intelligent experience. Their goal is to find an efficient way to monitor the success of students by finding moments of intervention or interaction for at-risk students. With the integrations between their LMS, Blackboard Learn, and their CRM known as Anthology Reach, the data tied to students would be able to notify instructors of missed assignments and allow them to help the student get back on track. “The definition of an intelligent experience is finding ways to use data to actually optimize on creating an action or an outcome that changes the behavior and the experience for the individuals involved,” says Sparks. This data-driven experience also extends into student financials and the ability to provide informed predictions for student progression and retention based on student records. The data highlights critical factors that impact the likelihood of individuals succeeding. Creating successful partnerships Sparks shares that the key to Anthology’s success in building partnerships with campus service providers is their ability to facilitate an open ecosystem that allows institutions to have choice. This open ecosystem creates more impactful and effective solutions through a multi-tiered approach — providing partners with the proper tools, resources and support to optimize integration. In relation to the success of Anthology’s partnership with TouchNet, Sparks gives credit to open communication. The approach was to engage as early and often, looking up to each other as a trusted advisors. This dedication to engagement creates a more entrepreneurial relationship, where both companies can be focused on accelerating growth together. Next in ed-tech This July, Anthology is holding their Anthology Together conference in Nashville. There, institutions can learn about how to build successful partnerships to be a unified front to take on the challenges facing the ed-tech industry. Details can be found at https://www2.anthology.com/together Special Guest: Rob Sparks.

On the first episode of the new season of FOCUS, Cheryl Friesenhahn joins us to discuss the adoption of GradGuard tuition insurance at the University of Texas at Dallas. Friesenhahn is the Senior Director of Financial Services, leading the Bursar Office in overseeing all aspects of student finance for the past 18 years. Under her leadership, UT Dallas transformed their tuition refund appeals process by implementing GradGuard, enabling students to protect themselves against financial hardship in the event they have to withdraw due to a covered medical reason. We’re diving into the university’s former refund appeal process, what the addition of GradGuard has brought to the school, and Friesenhahn’s words of advice to other institutions considering tuition insurance. UT Dallas overview The University of Texas at Dallas is the academic home of over 31,000 students in Richardson, Texas. In addition to their varied academic programs, the university is perhaps best known for their top-ranked chess team. When it comes to managing student finance, Friesenhahn says the focus is to assist the students. By keeping them informed and providing efficient tools for payment facilitation and partnerships across campus, the university works collaboratively towards student success. Refund policy and appeals As all other higher ed institutions in Texas, UT Dallas follows the state mandated tuition refund policy. This can be expensive for students who need to withdraw and pay back all tuition. The university recently added Consent Manager to their TouchNet Bill+Payment suite, which prompts students to acknowledge the refund policy before they can pay their tuition and fees. This helps ensure students are fully informed of the policy. Before the implementation of GradGuard, the business office handled an average of 20 tuition refund appeals from students each month, approving approximately 10 per month. Students with appeals based on approved medical reasons were granted a one-time exception to the state refund policy. The students’ tuition fees were then refunded. Granting up to 10 appeals per month meant UT Dallas was refunding close to a million dollars each year in tuition. Friesenhahn wanted to seek out a better way to aid students in need in case they had recurring circumstances and mitigate the university’s loss of income. Finding a better way with GradGuard To create a more forgiving experience for students while maintaining revenue streams for the university. The financial services office explored alternative options. Tuition insurance through GradGuard, had been of interest to Friesenhahn for a few years at this point. And with the ease of implementing GradGuard within TouchNet, the decision was a no brainer. GradGuard is available at no cost to its partnering institutions, can be offered directly to students when they go to pay their tuition through an integration with TouchNet, and offers coverage for situations beyond what UT Dallas grants. Their insurance policies extend to tuition, housing costs and dining plans for as low as $110 for up to $10,000 of coverage. The university launched GradGuard in the Spring of 2022, offering tuition protection plans at the same time the student is presented with the financial responsibility agreement that all students must sign through TouchNet Consent Manager. Parents and other authorized users could also purchase a policy through the student’s account for added convenience. Since the addition of GradGuard, the number of appeals granted by the Bursar Office in the last calendar year dropped to two, far lower than the 120 offered in previous years. Friesenhahn hopes to increase the number of covered students by continuing to communicate with students about GradGuard. She also plans to work with the Accessibility Office to target students who might be in greater need of a policy to get them covered. Implementing GradGuard Friesenhahn appreciates how easy it was to implement GradGuard. It was especially simple since UT Dallas already had TouchNet and PeopleSoft solutions in place. Customer support addressed any concerns or questions she had in a timely manner, making the process even more streamlined. Friesenhahn's advice to other schools interested in GradGuard is simple: just do it. “It doesn’t cost you anything. You're giving your students an opportunity to protect their investment in their higher education,” says Friesenhahn. Interested in adding GradGuard to your TouchNet payment solution? Contact us here: https://go.touchnet.com/GradGuard Learn more about GradGuard: https://hub.gradguard.com/ Special Guest: Cheryl Friesenhahn.

As cryptocurrencies continue to rise as a payment method, applications of crypto have yet to be realized in many industries, including higher education. Some early adopters have started accepting cryptocurrencies for donations, and a few have even begun to take crypto for tuition payments. But the question remains, how practical are cryptocurrencies as a form of payment in higher education? With this comes many questions about how cryptocurrencies work and if there is a place for them in higher education. Gloria Rismondo, Senior Director of Product Strategy at Global Payments, joins in the conversation on this week’s episode of FOCUS to answer these questions and impart wisdom for campuses looking to crypto for the future. The basics of cryptocurrency Although this intangible currency has been around for a while, it can still be a difficult subject to fully grasp. Cryptocurrency is a digital currency that is a representation or store of value, with no physical attributes, only a digital record of value stored online. There are three basic types: decentralized, stablecoins (USDT, USDC, DAI), and central bank digital currency (CBDC). Decentralized crypto is the most popular, with the original crypto Bitcoin and the popular Ether being part of this category. This type is not issued or managed by any one group, and value is only based on what someone is willing to pay for it. The downside with decentralized crypto is that value can be volatile, which can cause highs and lows in value. Stablecoins are issued by a private entity and their value is tied to something else of value, such as a fiat currency or an algorithm to avoid unexpected swings in value. Some stablecoins have a collateral reverse of fiat, or money backed by a country’s government rather than a physical commodity, for the value of any coins issued. While this added stability can decrease risk for some investors, stablecoin is only as secure as the entity that issues it and the collateral that supports it. CBDC is issued by different countries similarly to how they issue fiat currency, just in a digital format. The risk factor of this crypto is tied to the risk of the issuing government’s fiat currency. A few countries have fully launched a CBDC, and many others are either in piloting, development, or research phases. How crypto works Being a completely digital currency, crypto requires a hefty amount of technology to ensure proper processes and authenticity. Cryptocurrency value is stored on a blockchain, which Rismondo describes as essentially being an online, public, distributed ledger. Anyone can view the record of transactions and no single entity owns it or has the ability to add or make changes to the blockchain. A block of transactions cannot be added to the ledger unless multiple independent entities in the network process the transaction and validate its authenticity, which makes the change permanent. Blockchains solve record keeping issues while creating a secure public audit trail for cryptocurrency payments. Acquiring cryptocurrency can be done by either buying or mining, with most people choosing to buy due to mining’s heavy tech and power reliance. Purchasers buy crypto by exchanging fiat currency, or through a credit card or bank withdrawal. The buyer also pays a fee, called a gas fee, for the cost of running and supporting the blockchain. Once purchased, cryptocurrency is stored on the blockchain and accessible with a private key. This is a unique password that can be over 200 digits long or in a hexadecimal code. The private key is the only way to claim cryptocurrency and can be stored on secure devices or in custodial wallets like Venmo, CashApp, or Coinbase for ease of use. What is needed for institutions to accept cryptocurrency? As colleges and universities begin to explore whether accepting crypto is right for their organization, Rismondo shares her advice to aid the process. The first is to think of all the considerations tied to crypto. Cryptocurrencies are treated as an investment in the US, so if the currency goes up in value, institutions will have to pay taxes on profit. Consider the volatility of crypto and how fluxes in value could affect streams of revenue. There are fees attached to buying and cashing out, which can have lengthy authentication and transaction times. Thousands of cryptocurrencies exist that can be difficult to exchange for another. The management of transactions requires a lot of technology and maintenance to keep things running efficiently. Rismondo also recommends campuses understand their audience’s attitude towards crypto and how many people would use it, what they would use it on, and how many even have cryptocurrency. Where to start Institutions that decide accepting cryptocurrency is the right fit for their mission need to establish a starting point. Crypto is not frequently used for smaller purchases, ebbs in value can make it unpredictable and fees can make it cost-prohibitive. On the other hand, things like tuition, season tickets, cross border transactions, and other large purchases are more ideal candidates for crypto payments. Donations are a new frontier for cryptocurrency, and a potential fundraising method for university foundations to explore. “I could really see donations being a more popular scenario in crypto. It’s more popularly viewed as an investment today. So, this could be very similar to someone donating their investment portfolio in stocks or bonds to the university,” Rismondo said. Long-term strategy for maintaining cryptocurrency will depend on institutional needs, and Rismondo suggests that campuses look at payments as investments. Payments can be held in a crypto wallet and managed, or immediately converted into fiat currency immediately through provider companies. Get the most out of crypto To make cryptocurrency payments successful campus integrations, Rismondo gives some final advice. Institutions should contact their payment processor to find out if they already have a partnership with a crypto service provider. This is the easiest and lowest risk way to accept cryptocurrency. Educate departments on all things crypto and determine a policy in line with institution risk tolerance guidelines. These practices will take some of the uncertainty out of crypto transactions. Paying attention to new regulations is also integral in getting the most out of an institution becoming crypto-friendly. While the US views it as an investment, the EU just approved the markets in crypto assets regulation, which requires stablecoin to be pinned to the euro with one for one collateral reserve. This also prohibits algorithmic cryptos, but nothing regarding decentralized currency has been covered yet. Working with the right providers and understanding the risks involved with cryptocurrency are the best paths forward for colleges and universities as they explore the world of cryptocurrencies. Special Guest: Gloria Rismondo.

Campus card office operations are at the forefront of higher ed innovation. With more campuses pushing for highly integrated solutions for student and faculty ID management, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL) serves as a model of success with their Cajun Card. Kari Foti, Director of the Campus Card Office at ULL, joins the FOCUS podcast to share how their integrated campus ID has combined different departments and uses to enhance their campus experience. From dining services to housing access, declining balance programs, campus vendors and beyond, ULL has been able to get the most out of their student ID with the help of TouchNet’s OneCard and other solutions. Institution overview ULL is a public university in Lafayette, Louisiana, with 19,000 students enrolled across 80 majors and 30 graduate programs. The institution recently earned a Carnegie R1 designation, ranking them in the top three percent of research universities in the country. With the 2022 fall freshman class being their largest, ULL is looking towards the future of post-pandemic levels and the economic opportunities that follow. Foti’s position at ULL allowed her to take part in the opportunity to expand their robust campus card, known as the Cajun Card. Their student ID works with identification credentials, dining services, parking and dorm access, the classroom and library, athletic events, and other campus vendors. With this high level of integration, ULL also needed to have the right back-end support to keep the Cajun Card running smoothly. Finding the right management Foti thinks of the card office as the hub of campus services managed through the Cajun Card. They are able to connect to all areas of campus and build relationships and integrations with different departments. Any software that various departments use to manage their services taps into the campus ID through the card office and vice versa. While all of these departments work independently, everything is still able to run on the same card. For the Cajun Card to hold such important cross-departmental credentials and financial information, security is a top priority. ULL partnered with their IT department in combination with OneCard to centralize access management. Access still funnels through the card office, who verify and print ID cards, but IT security is responsible for setting permissions. The card office handles temporary access through the Cajun Card for special circumstances like student workers on game days, dorms, and other campus facilities. Cajun Card functions Overarchingly, the Cajun Card has helped ULL reduce their cash intake, and therefore their audit risk, with the addition of Cajun Cash being integrated onto the campus ID. Students can pay with Cajun Cash at different campus vendors, on game days, at non-dining hall food services, for overdue library book fees, or even to pay for materials in the 3D printing lab. ULL’s student ID is integrated with almost every department on campus. Dining services are the main use of the card and students are able to add funds and meal plans through the dining office. The ID cards also keep transaction reports to help dining services with their internal reporting. Sodexo, ULL’s campus dining services client, has expanded into food trucks and accepts Cajun Cash. Recently, the university is working with Sodexo and TouchNet to create online ordering for the cafeteria for students. Students can also use their Cajun Cash on their IDs at different campus vendors to buy food items. Declining balances have also been made easier with the Cajun Card. When a student goes to the dining hall and their card is swiped, the transaction is programmed to first run the meal plan, then it goes to declining balance and Cajun Cash last. The card office does not take declining balance payments, instead students can check their balances online and make payments there or with food services. The Cajun Card also allows professors to pull data on what students are using on-campus resources for check-in purposes. ULL’s recreation center uses their own software, but pulls information from the card to manage access levels for students. StarRez, the app used for the dorms, is integrated with the IDs for student access and other services. The Cajun Card and Cajun Cash can also be used on game days at concessions and other event vendors. COVID innovation Before the pandemic began in 2020, Foti and her team spent six months integrating My Photo with the Cajun Card. This meant that students could upload their own photo to be used for their ID when the university wasn’t able to have large orientation groups take ID photos on campus. In fact, around 60-75% of incoming students used My Photo, cutting down lines and potential exposures. Once students upload their photo, the card office could load it with all their other information and mail it out. Foti believes that the addition has more than paid for itself during the pandemic. Room for growth While ULL’s Cajun Card is a success, Foti still sees opportunities to enhance the card further. She wants to see digital IDs that students can access from their mobile devices. As well, Foti is looking at student organizations to start using the Cajun Card for their various activities and events. “Getting more student organizations involved with using it. With all the Greek life there's so much opportunity there, you know they're trying to fundraise… When they have events if they don't want to take cash, then they can use Cajun Cash, or even if it was for within the sorority or fraternity. It’s just kind of getting the word out and expanding to let all of them know that there might be a solution to an existing problem that they have,” says Foti. ULL is hoping to use the Cajun Card to get more data engagement from different departments. They are still working on streamlining the data received from the card to map out the student journey from start to finish. This key data will also be able to fill gaps in other processes and act as a source of truth for the university. Final advice Foti’s words of wisdom for other card offices looking to fully integrate their student IDs is to make it convenient. Look for the areas where people are having problems and try to find a solution for them that can help other departments with their issues. Work with all departments from a technical standpoint, so the cards can be maximized for the most efficient usage. Special Guest: Kari Foti.

Michelle Ziegmann and Vicki Breitinger of the California College of the Arts (CCA) recently joined the FOCUS podcast to discuss their experience redesigning student services. CCA is a nonprofit art and design college in San Francisco, California, with around 1,500 students across 34 degree programs. The college serves as a great case study for other campuses as they begin to rethink their student experiences. Ziegmann is the Associate Vice President for Technology Services and oversees enterprise systems, network cybersecurity, application development, the help desk, data governance, computing, and staff. Breitinger is CCA’s Director of Student Accounts, managing student financial service processes and policy, maintaining alignment to student success initiatives, and supporting enrollment management goals. Together, they were able to work with their teams to undertake new initiatives to redefine CCA’s student experience. Read more to learn about their process, what they discovered and implemented, and their advice for other institutions getting ready to redesign their student services. The right foundation Ziegmann has spoken at TouchNet’s annual user conference, COMTEC, about CCA’s digital transformations (https://go.touchnet.com/l/652093/2022-11-04/pb7lf) and how they set the institution’s processes up to be as successful as they are today. She believes the implementation of Workday kicked the institution into high gear and replaced on-premises enterprise resource planning (ERP) with fully-cloud functions. CCA also implemented TouchNet payment and ID management solutions with Workday to create comprehensive student services. The college focused on creating an ecosystem of secure, reliable, and robust solutions that worked well together in terms of data exchange and user experience. They also sought innovative partners to offer the features Ziegmann and Breitinger’s teams were looking for. With the combination of strategic partners, CCA created a solid foundation going into the pandemic years that could properly respond to the changing campus needs. Services Redesign Initiative Along with the obvious challenges it presented, the pandemic also brought new opportunities to CCA. Many departments reengineered the way they delivered services and collaborated with each other, and many staff did not want to return to campus, feeling their responsibilities could be better met remotely. Additionally, there were safety concerns for students and faculty coming back to campus during the pandemic, compounded by space issues due to postponed construction. The Service Redesign Initiative took a closer look at the opportunities and problems posed, ultimately developing a strategy to move forward. Comprised of an interdisciplinary group of staff, the initiative took on researching the dilemma, conducting interviews, surveys, and focus groups to identify the pros and cons of remote service deliveries and working. The team sought to radically reenvision how CCA delivered services that maximized staff capabilities, minimized the on-campus staff footprint, and allowed them to be more effective in meeting student and faculty needs. Reengineering services Based on the findings and recommendations, CCA developed four different initiatives to move forward. The first is to define staff work modes, which was previously an HR function. They worked with senior leadership to look at all faculty positions and make determinations of whether they were best served on campus, hybrid, or remote. The second is called The Business of Being a Student, focusing on integrated student services and how to deliver those in a way that meets student needs. This comes from stronger department collaborations and understanding the interdependencies of each role within divisions and the systems around student service goals. “This change really means that we are focusing on integrated services, and this has optimized the student experience and strengthening of our students and people resources, providing a more streamlined and targeted experience as students focus on the business of students,” says Breitinger. Breitinger’s focus is on billing, financial aid, access and registration, advising, and housing, the office of Student Accounts discovered that a hybrid model worked best to deliver these services, allowing students to get help on-campus or virtually from the OneStop Shop. This allowed CCA to convey to students the ins and outs of how to navigate their business needs effectively. This holistic approach gives students a better understanding of what they need to do, why they need to do it, how they do it, and who they need to talk to. Reevaluating communication and maintaining consistency across communications to students was also integral in this second initiative. CCA also began to look at on-campus workspaces, which was greatly informed by the newly defined staff work modes and how student services would be delivered. They looked at spaces to strategize how to optimize them for the student experience. The institution primarily ended up with a hot desk model with smaller collaboration spaces and very few dedicated private offices. CCA’s final focus area was staff wellbeing. Fully remote staff were struggling to stay connected to campus and their peers. They are working to make sure all staff feels valued, connected, and collaborative no matter their work mode. Bringing it all together With these four initiatives spanning across different offices and departments, Ziegmann’s team is now focusing on prioritizing systems and how to support offices and their processes. Her team works on making sure everything runs smoothly by holding regular meetings to discuss what’s working and what’s not, and interdependencies in business processes. With their OneCard Campus ID, Ziegmann wants to aid departments in understanding that while it’s one system, each office uses it uniquely and needs processes that work together. They focus on department goals, extending beyond the technology into how they can help divisions accomplish their goals. When problems do arise, their toolkit made of TouchNet, Google, and Workday is able to solve them almost immediately. Final thoughts Although CCA is a prime example of a successful redesigned student service experience, Ziegmann and Breitinger have their sights set on the future as they continue to reevaluate and better their initiatives. Breitinger is excited for the institution to embark on international student payment integrations and new ways to issue refunds. She sees opportunities driven by student finance best practices, federal regulations, and banking requirements. Ziegmann is ready to rebuild post-pandemic enrollment and continue down CCA’s path to data driven empowerment. She’s focused on cybersecurity as the institution has become cloud-reliant. Their greatest piece of advice for other institutions seeking to reimagine their student experiences is to work collaboratively with faculty and make sure the right platforms and strategic partners are in place for success. Special Guests: Michelle Ziegmann and Vicki Breitinger.

This week on FOCUS, Jen O’Quinn from George Washington University (GW) shares her experience in building an integrated student payments experience that puts student support first. O’Quinn is the Student Accounts Director at GW where she dedicates her time to finding the best solutions to fit students’ financial needs. The university is a robust user of TouchNet, and together they ensure that implemented processes and systems work together to best support students. O’Quinn gives insight into GW’s priorities for an integrated student experience, payment plans, what’s on the horizon for their payments process, and advice for other higher ed institutions looking to enrich their payments experience. The Integrated Student Experience GW is a four-year private institution in the heart of Washington, D.C., with 27 thousand students spread across ten schools. O’Quinn’s goal in her role is to support all students as best she can by developing a strategy to build an integrated student experience. GW uses Ellucian Banner integrated with TouchNet Payment Center to manage statements, payments, refunds, and 1090-T forms. When looking at ways to enhance students’ payment experience, GW wanted students to be able to access every financial service they need from their account in one place — from payment plans to tuition protection, refunds, and more. “Our goal is to get the students what they need as early as possible and as concisely as possible because they’re there for academics, they’re not there to learn GW systems. So, our goal is to be as easy as possible,” says O’Quinn. Student-Focused Payment Plans When deciding what was important to the payments experience, GW wanted to create payment plans that worked for varying student needs. The university had previously implemented one five-month payment plan that had five installments in the fall and spring, and a three-month plan over the summer. This ended up with one month of overlap, which they quickly learned was not going to work because of the impact on reporting for next fall semester’s enrollment and financial aid. Additionally, GW offered tailored administrative plans built specifically for students with unique needs. To combat the issues with the one payment plan and its effects on the university’s enrollment process, GW expanded its payment plans to include four-month, three-month, and targeted plans for undergraduate and graduate students and eliminated the five-month plan. Term balances are now more streamlined and automatically adjusted for students who add or drop courses. If students re-enroll for the upcoming semester with missed payments, they are able to use those balances as a down payment on their next enrollment. This encourages students to stay on top of their bills and sign up for classes early so they can space their payments out as much as possible. O’Quinn says GW just started a late enrollment plan for students who might not have received as much aid as they expected and need a last-minute plan. GW has been able to implement Consent Manager through TouchNet to efficiently handle financial responsibility and refund policy agreements for students to sign. The university is looking forward to the upcoming functionality with implemented TouchNet solutions in terms of delinquency reports, holds placements, automated and targeted deposits, and better communication with students when issues with their payments arise. The Future of the Payments Center O’Quinn shares that the university now offers health insurance to eligible student populations, which they can easily see and manage in the payments center. They have also just started offering tuition protection plans using GradGuard, a solution that allows students to protect their investment in their tuition should they need to withdraw from school due to a medical reason. Since GradGuard is integrated with TouchNet, students have the option to add tuition insurance directly in their payment center and GW has fewer manual processes to manage, while making sure students are being taken care of. Reducing manual processes is one of the university’s goals for the future — with GW opting for on-demand statements that reduce calls to action for students to request an itemized statement within the payments center. They are still sending monthly invoices to protect the school from student notification issues. The integration with ECSI for 1098-T forms has also lessened the manual workload. O’Quinn says the school is pushing for more direct deposit (ACH) refunds to cut down the number of paper checks being sent, with a successful adoption rate of 80%. They are working on implementing direct-to-debit refunds after an increase in debit card refund requests. GW hopes that these refund changes will help with the reconciliation of uncashed checks. How Other Institutions Can Become Integrated O’Quinn imparts some final words of advice for other institutions as they look at ways to enhance student payments experiences. The first is to always look for what is best for the student. Although it might create more administrative work, it’s worth it to be able to support students in ways that truly benefit them. Then look at other areas of student finance that can be more efficient or automated, that way there is more time to dedicate to helping students. Partnering with the right provider will help the process of building integrated student payment experiences exponentially easier for both students and the institution. Special Guest: Jen O'Quinn.

In the world of higher education, innovation is the constant goal. Institutions and solution developers continuously work together to create the best and most efficient experiences possible for both students and staff. But identifying where to start in the process of innovation can be difficult. Lauren Ipsen, CEO of Ellucian, sheds light on this topic as she joins the FOCUS podcast and discusses supporting student success, and how partnerships throughout the higher ed tech community have become the driving forces toward innovation. How Ellucian Helps Higher Ed Institutions Ellucian is a mission-based technology company focused on creating better outcomes for institutions and transforming that into student success. They provide institutions with operating systems from administration to HR and all student systems and help maximize the success capabilities for students. Ellucian serves 3,200 customers globally, taking out the friction in campus financial processes. Ipsen believes their capabilities will, in turn, solve some of the toughest challenges in higher ed. Supporting Student Success Institutions that work to find solutions and create processes that support student success will be at the forefront of innovation. Ipsen reveals that while being a user of campus interfaces is integral in understanding the user experience, schools should focus on the software-as-a-service ( SaaS) experience too. Many institutions are still working from on-premise systems that are more difficult than cloud systems to enhance and maintain. Ellucian is transforming both the institution experience and the student experience by helping institutions transition to a SaaS model with technology solutions delivered through the cloud. This newer approach allows teams to hone in on financial data, financial aid, and make sure transactions are PCI compliant and friction-free so students can make better decisions. At the core of student success, Ipsen believes that financial success, mental health, and community all need to come together on a platform level—and keeping students enrolled. The majority of students who drop out of higher education do so because of financial or mental health issues. If schools work to simplify and reduce stressors in students’ lives, they will be able to focus on the bigger picture of their education. Ipsen is driven to help campuses provide new opportunities to make the student experience better on- and off-campus. One opportunity to aid students is to expand AI advising, so all students can access academic support whenever they need it. When it comes to enrollment, Ipsen suggests that schools also look at retention data rather than just new enrollees. To keep retention up, explore payment plans that can be flexible for students. Then, if they go through issues with financial aid, mental health, or their health, students do not need to worry as much about the burden of paying their bill. The most important thing is to implement support that will bring back students who have dropped out, which will raise retention while helping students in need. Better Together In the last few years, institutions have seen how beneficial the right technology can be for them. Technology is quickly becoming thought of as part of “the staff,” with AI and more integrations creating a new digital transformation toward the Cloud. But even though technology is ever-expanding and infiltrating the higher ed space, we must not forget the valuable roles humans play. Schools need to understand how business processes and roles are going to change with new tech and how they can make sure they have the right staff in the right places. For Ellucian, Ipsen says that they also had to start with their people, going from delivering best-in-class capabilities on-premises to operating through the cloud. She believes moving from on-premises to SaaS is one of the hardest things to do, but with partners like TouchNet, it can be made possible. “There is more of an urgency now more than ever. You [have] to be resilient. It’s hard to get all the technical stuff that you need. You think tech companies are challenged [by] what institutions are dealing with, but you can’t innovate in the future unless you’re in a platform that lets you build your own future,” says Ipsen. Tech companies and institutions have to work together in order for schools to be successful. Within that partnership, it’s also important to focus on data privacy and building in compliance with different policies and regulations. Ipsen also notes how much Ellucian values its partnership with TouchNet because of PCI compliance integrated into solutions. With the right partner, institutions can be assured their students’ data will be protected. What’s next for Ellucian Ipsen explains that Ellucian has brought back their user conferences, with ELive 2023 coming up soon. In these conferences, which will take place at various locations around the world, Ellucian will show the tech community how they can come together to overcome new challenges. Ipsen believes community is the higher ed and technology worlds’ superpower, and in the future focusing on creating solutions that enhance student experiences—not just that of the institution—will be the key to success. Special Guest: Laura Ispen.

As more higher ed institutions explore becoming cashless campuses, schools like Eastern Michigan University (EMU) can be used as a model for success. EMU is a four-year public university with 20,000 students that has been completely cashless since 2017. Beth Hardcastle, Assistant Controller for Student Business Services at EMU, joined the FOCUS podcast to discuss how no longer accepting cash payments, closing the in-person cashier’s office, and implementing payment plans have impacted their operations over the past five years. How EMU Became a Cashless Campus For EMU, going cashless was the next step towards the future, but it required enabling debit/credit card and digital payments for every interaction across the institution, including student account charges and everyday purchases. As established partners with TouchNet, they were able to smoothly transition to a cashless campus with the TouchNet Payment Center and Marketplace. To remain accessible to those who opt to use checks, drop boxes are available across campus to deposit checks. The cashiering staff can then pick up checks and process them through TouchNet’s cashiering to be posted to student accounts. EMU also has a credit union on campus that allows students who still prefer cash to receive cashier’s checks. Some departments like health services and the childcare center still accept cash, which then use the TouchNet web deposit to put the payment into an account with the credit union. Going cashless also meant a role change for campus cashiers. Now, the cashiers at EMU are integrated into a one-stop shop helpdesk in customer service-oriented roles dedicated to student account needs. Benefits of Reducing Cash on Campus The two primary benefits EMU has seen from going cashless are increased security and improved payment management. Eliminating cash on campus greatly reduced the liability that comes with having large amounts of cash on hand. Staff no longer have to stress over all the safety precautions that come with cash. Additionally, with primarily digital payment methods, backend management and reconciliation became much easier to manage. An unforeseen benefit to going cashless was how easy it became to transition to fully remote learning during the pandemic. Because they were already used to not having a physical cashier’s office, students, parents, and staff were unfazed by making payments online. For the students who used the drop boxes, EMU was able to have minimal staff on campus to take care of processing. Improving Payment Operations In addition to relieving the stresses of cash and adapting to the pandemic, going cashless created the opportunity to reevaluate cash flow trends through the year, which resulted in exploring new payment plan offerings. EMU implemented the option for students to divide their balance over five installments with no additional fees. Spreading out tuition payments over several months encourages students and parents to make payments early, providing EMU with a more consistent revenue flow during summer months. Payment plans have also helped the university with their accounts receivable. One condition of the five installment plan is that students must make their first payment during registration. Once EMU rolled this out, they saw immediate positive results with more students paying their bills on time. Over the past five years, this has remained consistent for the approximately 1000 students who use the plan on an annual basis. TouchNet Payment Plans have greatly improved payment operations for EMU as well. Not only can students set automated recurring payments, but TouchNet will send them reminders before money is taken out of accounts. These fully automated messages have cut back on staff work, allowing them to focus more on customer service. Final Thoughts When EMU made the decision to go cashless, there were some who had doubts. However, the institutions that used to question the decision are now asking Hardcastle for advice on how to move in this direction after seeing the effectiveness of this strategy. As the future of higher ed institutions approaches, EMU has put the concept to the test and come out better for it. By implementing TouchNet Payment Center and Marketplace, EMU has been able to succeed without cash payments, putting the institution at the forefront of cashless universities. Special Guest: Beth Hardcastle.