Bernard M. Baruch College, Rowan University and Several Others Maintain Top Rankings, despite Declining Economic Opportunities in U.S. Higher Education

The 2016 Social Mobility Index (SMI) – a measurement of US higher education’s commitment to growing success and opportunity for economically disadvantaged students – has identified several consistently high-ranking institutions, based on their success at admitting economically disadvantaged students and ensuring their graduation and transition to well-paying jobs. Institutions that have remained at or near the top since the SMI began analyzing data in 2014 include CUNY Bernard M. Baruch College, which ranked number-one in 2015 and 2016, and Rowan University in New Jersey, the only institution to be ranked in one of the top three slots all three years.

"We have a campus-wide ethos related to quality, access, affordability and serving as a regional economic engine," says Dr. Rory McElwee, Associate Vice President for Student Retention at Rowan University. "These are our four strategic pillars, and they reinforce our student success mindset. We don’t have a sink-or-swim mentality. And we have many support structures in place so students can reach their full potential. We understand the impact that higher education can have when it comes to social mobility."

While many institutions either made no SMI gains or slipped in rankings over three years, others showed marked improvement. Webster University in Missouri, North Carolina A&T State University and Granite State College in New Hampshire all showed significant gains in economic inclusion.

Among other notable findings were that almost every one of the top 60 SMI slots is occupied by a public institution; the California state system represents nearly 50 percent of the top 20 rankings over the past three years; and the New York state system holds about 20 percent of the top slots.

The SMI ranks schools according to five variables:
Published tuition
Endowment
Percentage of student body from families below the US median income
Graduation rate of low-income students
Reported salary after graduation for low-income students

For more information about the SMI and the 2016 SMI rankings, visit www.socialmobilityindex.org.

Students Earn Scholarships totaling $2 Million for Participating in Online Discussions

CollegeNET.com, the online forum that awards weekly scholarships based on students’ participation, has now given more than $2 million towards college tuition and loan repayment. 

Students searching for scholarship opportunities soon discover additional benefits this online student community offers. According to one scholarship winner: 

“I don't see how a scholarship could get any better: I'm given the opportunity to discuss things with people from all over while potentially getting some of my college tuition paid off!! How much cooler does it get?!  

I also must say, with complete honesty, that CollegeNET has really opened my eyes to different people's opinions about things. I'm from a small farming town where almost everyone's views are the same. It's like a whole new world on here! There's so many viewpoints I never even knew existed!"

Established in 2007 as the first truly democratic scholarship process, CollegeNET.com allows students to earn points for creating and contributing to discussions, and vote for the forums they consider most interesting. Five scholarships are awarded each week to the participants who have accumulated the greatest number of combined points and votes. 

Read current student forums on CollegeNET.com

North Idaho College Moves to SaaS Scheduling System -- Improves Efficiency and Campus Security, Reduces Energy Use, and Saves Money

North Idaho College recently migrated its 25Live course and event scheduling a hosted (SaaS) system. The school reports that the SaaS service keeps them current with the latest 25Live version and saves them money.

According to Tammy Robertson, Senior Systems Analyst/Programmer at North Idaho:

“Before, when we were maintaining the system on our campus servers, we didn’t have administrative time to stay current with upgrades. Now that we’ve moved to SaaS, we’re always current with the latest version, and we’re saving so much administrative time that the hosted system actually costs us less.”

25Live SaaS has improved North Idaho’s institutional optimization, maintenance efficiency and security. Now, executive leaders can identify scheduling inefficiencies and make improvements. They can identify which rooms are sitting empty, for example, and adjust HVAC scheduling to reduce energy consumption and save money.

“The system is very intuitive and user friendly,” Tammy reports. “We can have as many users as we want. Service providers and facilities staff can get reports for HVAC and check for maintenance needs. Security can run reports and see which rooms are occupied at any specific time.  It helps all departments do their jobs and improves security for students.”

Read more about CollegeNET's SaaS scheduling systems here.

Clemson Grows Application Completion Rate and Reduces Administrative Time with the Prospect Relationship Management and Recruiting System

Clemson University Graduate Admissions reports that it has significantly improved recruitment communication efficiency and effectiveness, thanks to Prospect, the online relationship management system from CollegeNET.

According to Kathleen Costello, Clemson’s Director of Graduate Admissions & Recruitment:

 “Prospect definitely helps us follow up on prospective students in a way we never could before. Now that communication is automated, we’re keeping closer contact with students and spending much less administrative time. Instead of one or two emails, each prospect now gets four or five over a few months, and the messages automatically change as the student’s status changes. We can even send out automated surveys to find out why a student hasn’t completed their application, and then follow up with the help they need.”

Learn more about Prospect Relationship Management and Recruiting, and other CollegeNET admissions systems here.

Indiana Wesleyan University Finds SaaS Integration to Colleague Seamless and Beautiful!

Indiana Wesleyan University, a CollegeNET Series25^® customer for the past 10 years, made the move to 25Live^® a few years back, and then moved everything to the SaaS platform last year.

Lori Haisley, Events and Scheduling Coordinator at Indiana Wesleyan, comments:

"This is my first full semester vCal load since our migration from DBCS to SaaS, and it was BEAUTIFUL and seamless ...this has been the best vCal Colleague/25Live(r25) transfer semester in the five years I have been working with this system! KUDOS!"

Learn more about Series25 SaaS here.  

Why Switch to SaaS? Read what these Customers have to Say…

We recently overheard this conversation on the CollegeNET customer listserv, and thought it provided useful insights for anyone considering moving their campus scheduling to CollegeNET SaaS.

Central Washington University asks:
"We are currently using 25Live as a DBCS school and are considering moving to SaaS. Has anyone upgraded from being a DBCS environment to SaaS? I would love to know any pros and cons of doing this upgrade.”
     - Amy Alder, Academic Scheduling Supervisor, Central Washington University

Response #1 from UMASS, Boston:
“Hi Amy, A primary reason to choose SaaS is it gives the vendor a controlled environment allowing it to really hone in on the best technology. For CollegeNET in particular, SaaS right now offers you the new asynchronous SIS interface that runs circles around the one DBCS customers have.  Plus, additional releases are yours at no cost -- either monetary or time or staff.  All the upgrade tasks go away. We went from "DBCS" to SaaS in the R25 world and found it to be a world of difference.”
     – Robert Caron, Senior Business Systems Analyst, University of Massachusetts

Response #2 from Northwestern University:
“Hi Amy- I'll chime in. I believe all of us old timers made the transition from DBCS to SaaS at some point. I'm very strongly in favor of SaaS. Since 25Live is a web based product, it makes more sense for it to be handled that way. I've found that DBCS schools often aren't upgrading at a pace remotely close to what SaaS if offering. It isn't their fault. I remember being DBCS and I understand you're at the mercy of your school's IT department and the million other products they're trying to maintain. However, for a software like 25Live, that can put you behind the curve. For example, sometimes on the listserv I see schools complain about 25Live being slow. Then they say they're on version 23.  Version 23 was released in May 2013. Could you imagine using a browser like Chrome or Firefox if it hadn't been updated since 2013? For a web software, SaaS just makes better sense.”  
     – Dustin Levell, Business Systems Analyst, Northwestern University

Response #3 from Millikin University:
“I concur with Dustin; we went from R25 DBCS to 25Live SAAS, and for the most part, it's been a good decision. There have been some small hiccups along the way, but it's quite nice to be able to delegate issues from upgrades along to the support folks, rather than having to do a ton of research on our own and passing details back ;)

“There have been some things that we can't do now since we don't have direct database access, but that's forced...er...enabled and encouraged...me to break out my webservices API developer hat to build that integration, and I must say that they do have a very nice full-featured API available. The whole prod vs test setup is awesome as well - when we need a clone, we just shoot off an email, and usually within 30 minutes, test == production. No more bugging my DBA coworker one desk over for a time slot to do a db clone on top of the 50,000 other things on his plate.

“It's also nice to be able to tell the "advanced functional" users that when they have problems, just email ‘asktrainers.’ That way we don't have to act as intermediaries in between the CNet staff and our staff - they can talk things out in the language they understand, rather than me trying to act as a translator or relay host. And when I'm in one of my 50,000 meetings, or deep in another project, it doesn't slow them down because I'm not available to put a ticket in.

“And, I don't put off upgrades for fear of what will break anymore. They handle it, and I don't have to deal with it :)” 
     – Chris Myers, Systems Analyst, Millikin University

Response #4 from University of Central Missouri:
“University of Central Missouri made the transition to SaaS two years ago, so I have experience with both. We have realized a direct monetary savings as the server which formerly hosted our R25 3.4 instance was re-purposed and our IT staff has been able to invest their time on other projects. I would absolutely encourage you to strongly consider SaaS.”
     – Daniel Ayers, Event Technology Manager, University of Central Missouri

Learn more about CollegeNET SaaS services here

University of Virginia Gives the new 25Live Mobile Scheduling Rave Reviews

University of Virginia was one of the first schools to test the new 25Live^® Mobile event scheduling tool, and it passed with flying colors.  “The new Mobile tool makes the space request process simple and easy,” says John Moore, UVA Systems Administrator.  “A requester can quickly pull up a list of rooms for a specific date and time and immediately see their reservation options. And they can use the pop-up help messages to immediately resolve any scheduling conflicts they may encounter.”

John predicts students will especially appreciate being able to reserve event space from their phones, and he’s looking forward to making the product available for them to use starting this summer.

The new 25Live Mobile feature includes:

• Responsive Design

             -Automatically fits to any size screen on a variety of browsers and devices
             -Accesses your customized images and colors from the main 25Live application

• Faster Location, Event and Resource Searches
• Easy to View Event, Location and Resource Details
• Simpler Event Creation – Complete all Fields on one Convenient Screen
• Quick Task Viewing and Completion on the Go

25Live Mobile is available as a free upgrade to 25Live customers.  Get more information about the web-based 25Live class and event scheduling system here

2016 CollegeNET User Conference Line Up!

Below is a sampling of the engaging customer presentations that will be on tap at this year's conference.  Come hear how other institutions have creatively addressed their institutional challenges using CollegeNET products and services. We hope to see you here in July!

Admissions
Clemson & KU	-	To Trigger or not to Trigger
Emory University	-	Expanding the Reach of Admissions Infrastructure
Kansas State University	-	Efficiently Managing & Processing Int'l Applications
U Michigan, Medical School	-	Integrating with AMCAS
University of Pennsylvania	-	iThenticate Plagiarism Detection Integration
Standford University	-	Why Admissions Offices Should Worry about FERPA
Scheduling
Lane Community College	-	3rd Party Integrations using Webservices
Cal Poly State University	-	Implementation Dos and Don'ts
Montclair State University	-	OrgSync Integration with 25Live®
University of Maryland, BC	-	Digital Signage Implementation
Coastal Carolina University	-	Student Event Scheduling
Northwestern University	-	Basic Reports:  What to Expect
University of Pittsburgh	-	Scheduling Final Exams in Campus Solutions

The User Conference is July 17-20.  Register today!

The Latest Institutions to License Admissions Systems from CollegeNET

	Adams State University		Northwestern University Grad School
	University for the Arts		University of Florida
	Albany Medical College		Syracuse University Grad School
	Sinclair Community College		Winthrop University Grad School
	Washburn University		Western Washington State University

These institutions have chosen CollegeNET’s integrated electronic admissions and recruiting systems to improve efficiency, reduce administrative time and paper consumption, and improve the application experience for students. ApplyWeb^® application processing, evaluation, and CRM systems help you target and stay connected with your prospects, from first contact through decision -- a powerful way to maximize yield.

Get more information about CollegeNET’s comprehensive admissions solution here

Latest Schools to Upgrade to 25Live

	Kirkwood Community College		Vanguard University of Southern California
	Gwinnett Technical College		Bucks County Community College
	Florida Gulf Coast University		University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth
	Syracuse University		Eastern Washington University

Upgrading to the 25Live^® all-in-one scheduling system makes course and event scheduling, resource  management, and campus-wide calendaring easier and more efficient. CollegeNET technology assures schools the highest level of security and maintenance-free service.

Learn more about CollegeNET Scheduling, Calendaring, and Event Management systems.

Western Wyoming Community College Reports Major Improvements to their Events Scheduling Process

Western Wyoming Community College has been using CollegeNET’s 25Live® course and event scheduling system for about a year, and has significantly increased administrative efficiency as well as user satisfaction.

According to Britney Lewis, Welcome and Facility Scheduling Assistant at WWCC, “25Live enables users to directly input exactly what they need for their events, whether it’s a specific resource or a setup requirement. Now that they can easily communicate the details of their events, they’re more invested in the process. This has greatly reduced the need for us to follow up for additional information. The process that used to require my sending six or more emails just to get details for each event, is now accomplished in one task in 25Live.” 

Britney says, “Now that I can simply review and approve events as they come in, instead of actually building each event, myself, the system saves me a tremendous amount of time.”

Learn more about CollegeNET Scheduling, Calendaring, and Event Management systems.

CollegeNET Summer User Conference Registration is Now Open

Every summer CollegeNET software users gather in beautiful Portland, Oregon, for three days of seminars, workshops, and Q&A sessions. The User Conference gives academic schedulers, event planners, admissions and recruiting managers, and other administrative professionals a rare opportunity to catch up with colleagues from around the country and get up-to-speed on the latest technology for their schools. This year CollegeNET welcomes attendees with hosted receptions, evening entertainment, and tours of the region’s cultural and scenic attractions. Register before May 20 to take advantage of the discounted rate.

The Details:
Conference Dates:  July 17-20, 2016
Location:  Portland Hilton & Executive Tower, Portland, OR
Cost:  $450 Early Bird / $550 Regular
Early Bird Deadline: May 20, 2016

For conference schedules and registration, go here:

Series25 Midwest Regional User Conference 2016

Come share and learn from other Series25/25Live users from institutions around the Midwest. There will be presentations, demos, and panel discussions. If you’re an event scheduler, academic scheduler, functional administrator, webmaster or technical administrator, this is an excellent opportunity to see how your peers are using the software’s products and features.

Registration is open for the Series25 Midwest Regional User Conference at Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois February 11 - 12, 2016. On-site housing is also available, please add housing to your conference registration if you'd like to stay in our Wabash building during the conference.

Conference Website: http://www.roosevelt.edu/ConferenceServices/Events/CollegeNet.aspx

February 11 - 12, 2016
Conference starts at 8:00 a.m.
 
Wabash Building Room 418
Roosevelt University
425 S. Wabash Avenue
Chicago, IL 60605

Stories From the Road: Where Am I?

That is a question I often have when trying to find a school or hotel, particularly when the map or GPS is not being helpful [a couple of years ago the GPS took me to a bridge that was closed because of flooding and offered no alternative route].  But occasionally the need for location information doesn’t involve going someplace, but rather staying put and out of harm’s way.

Several times I’ve been in a hotel room in the evening, watching sports [well, actually, bad TV] and the program will be interrupted with an emergency notice about a storm/rain/flooding/blizzard/tornado … take your pick.  The problem is, those notices usually include a map and the name of the county, but not the city and nothing on the map to give clues as to where things are really happening.

To someone in a hotel a thousand miles from home, a warning such as “the SW corner of XYZ county is due for record rainfall and flash flooding, and is under tornado watch until 8:00am” is not much help.  I need specifics.  Do I get under the bed or just go sleep on it?  Head for the hills or stay put? Usually I just close the drapes and pretend nothing is happening, if the storm wakes me, then I’ll deal with it then.

That has worked fine thus far, the only mishap was waking to a flooded parking lot, some cars up to the bottom of the doors, but as fate would have it, my car was in the upper lot and fine and I left without incident.  Always an adventure, finding where I am and where I should be, in life as well as on the road.  Where to next?

--James VanArsdel, VP of Client Relations 
As CollegeNET's ambassador and VP of Client Relations, James travels the globe visiting with customers, gathering inputs and bringing it all back to CollegeNET so we can improve our products and services in ways that are meaningful to you.  If you'd like his next stop to be your institution, please let your account manager know!  Just be sure you give really specific directions to your campus!