Campus Review Volume 28 - Issue 11 | November 2018 | Seite 29

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support – will result in better retention
rates and reduce the likelihood of students
changing courses, deferring their education
or, indeed, dropping out altogether. Since
the university’s success – and in some
cases their survival – depends on keeping
those students, it is imperative to keep
their satisfaction top of mind throughout
the process of enrolling, supporting and
educating them for their entire time at
the institution. Further to the success of
the university itself, a large part of keeping
students happy comes down to their own
success. If a student is being nurtured,
their campus life streamlined, their course
administration simplified, and their ability
to manage and access their student files
improved, it is likely to have a positive
impact on their academic success.
Looking at the physical spaces that
students occupy on campus, there is a
push towards open areas, clean lines and
modern, high-tech environments. Sitting
down with an administrator at a streamlined
digital terminal in an open, inviting space is
likely to leave a positive impression on that
individual, rather than a more traditional
experience involving queues, manual forms
and filing cabinets. This also plays into
the common principle of the ‘paperless
environment’, which is often a matter of
importance to younger generations who
have been brought up in the digital age and
are also likely to have a heightened sense of
environmental concern. Again, improving
the student’s learning environment and
engagement will go a long way towards
creating a more harmonious campus and
reducing attrition rates.
With universities competing against one
another to attract and retain students,
the highly competitive market in Australia
is driving leaders to capitalise on any
advantage available to them, and their
reputation is one of their biggest drawcards.
Technology is a clear game-changer in
assisting to boost a university’s reputation,
and a streamlined enrolment process
– driven by increased content services
– is bound to make a strong, positive
impression on new students. A competitive
advantage at enrolment time may well
make the difference between meeting KPIs
and falling short.
While better management of documents
and files might seem like an obvious
step towards streamlining enrolments,
administration and campus life in general,
the field has evolved rapidly in recent
years. With so many interconnected
services across a campus, rolling all
applicable information into the one
platform and making it visible, searchable
and collaborative across multiple devices
and faculties will provide a clear pathway
towards a more successful university.  ■
Jamie Atherton is country manager, ANZ,
at Hyland.
* https://docs.education.gov.au/system/
files/doc/other/final_discussion_paper.pdf
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