Oracle Research: Optimizing the Higher Education Student Services Experience with Emerging Technologies.

Oracle recently announced the results of its “Making the Grade: Optimizing the Higher Education Student Experience” report, which surveyed more than 1,000 undergraduate students and 180 higher education administrators to examine where student services stand today, the impact those services have on overall student satisfaction and how higher education institutions can improve services and address opportunities like social media and mobile apps.

According their message, Oracle will host a Webcast on Wednesday, September 19 at 2 p.m. ET to discuss the study’s findings and provide real-world examples of how technology can improve student services. Panelists will include Bill Carter, vice chancellor of information technology, Houston Community College, and Cole Clark, global vice president, education and research industry, Oracle. To register for the Webcast click here.

Cole Clark, global vice president, Education and research industry, Oracle said “While administering class registration or processing financial aid isn’t as headline grabbing as constructing a new building, the student services a school provides have a significant impact on a student’s educational experience. This report demonstrates that investments in student services’ technology pay long-term dividends. Schools that focus on the basics – such as ensuring information accessibility, providing multiple contact points for students and delivering consistent processes – and leverage mobile and social media platforms to engage students, will provide an unforgettable positive educational experience, and in turn, make institutions more competitive”

The key Findings of the report shows that sixty-six percent of students say the service they receive has a direct impact on their overall satisfaction with their school. Students who are satisfied with their school’s student services are significantly more likely than those who are not to recommend their school to other potential students and donate following graduation.

Only 60 percent of students say their school meets their customer service expectations and 57 percent say their school treats them as valued customers. Only 19 percent of administrators feel they have a 360 degree view of their students. A majority of administrative respondents note they either have multiple views of students and have to piece that information together(31 percent), or have multiple views of students and find the information conflicting (20 percent)

New forms of communication offer additional avenues for schools to engage students. Currently, only 39 percent of students and 27 percent of administrators rank their student services’ mobile access as very good. In addition, just 15 percent of students and 10 percent of administrators say their school is very successful at leveraging social media to keep students informed.

When asked which areas their school should focus on to improve services, 54 percent of students and 61 percent of administrators noted their schools should make it easier to determine where to go for answers. Other top responses included provide consistent information (24 percent of students and 49 percent of administrators) and improve response times (37 percent of students and 27 percent of administrators).

The question here is- How relevant will this finding be in Africa Higher Education Community? Oracle should leverage the opportunities like the Education Network Conference to show how technology can improve Education services.

Download the full report here