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NEW HIRE - Warren Stokes Professional

OA Solutions Welcoms Warren Stokes

VICTORIA, BC - 18 August 2023 - OA Solutions is proud to announce that Warren Stokes has joined the Consulting Services team in support of the company’s Ellucian ERP clients across Canada and the United States.

Prior to joining OA Solutions, Warren was the Registrar at Northern Lights College and Associate Registrar at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

“We are excited to welcome Warren to our Consulting Services Team”, said Jill Pimlott, VP Consulting Services at OA Solutions. “Warren's experience and skill sets are a great fit for our team. We are confident his expertise will greatly increase our resourcing capabilities.”
With over 20 years of experience in the registrarial field, and a career of over 30 years in the post-secondary sector, Warren has managed as a registrar, served as a member of the Leadership team, performed as a trusted advisor to executive, and served as a business and data analyst, information manager, educator, application developer, and support staff. Warren has also held a broad spectrum of roles in the public, private, labour, and non-profit sectors.
Warren holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration; a Bachelor’s degree in Adult Education; Leadership, Business Administration and Provincial Instructors diplomas; along with a certificate in Micro-Computer Electronics. Warren has also received training in Leadership Development, Freedom of Information, and Mental Health First Aid.
A welcome addition to the OA team, Warren is keen to share his knowledge and assist in the development and expansion of the company’s Consulting Services Practice. With extensive experience in the post-secondary industry, Warren is familiar with the Canadian post-secondary landscape. Our clients can be assured that they now have another valuable resource to access from OA Solutions.

About OA Solutions

OA has provided implementation, training, and consulting services to over 80 institutions across North America. Our consultants’ superior knowledge of the Ellucian® applications in conjunction with their experience and understanding of business practices employed at post-secondary education institutions, enables OA to provide the services needed for institutions to gain maximum benefit from their investment in these systems and gain the efficiencies needed to ensure their services to students are second to none.

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OA Solutions Partners with Coursedog®

VICTORIA, BC – 17 February 2023 - OA Solutions is proud to announce the signing of a partner referral agreement with Softdocs SC, LLC. As a Softdocs partner, OA’s post-secondary clients will have access to a robust set of solutions for document management, electronic forms, and workflow automations.

For over 20 years, OA has assisted post-secondary institutions in analyzing their business processes; recommending changes; and protecting their investment in the Ellucian® Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems.

OA has provided implementation, training, and consulting services to over 80 institutions across North America. Our consultants’ superior knowledge of the Ellucian® applications in conjunction with their experience and understanding of business practices employed at post-secondary education institutions, enables OA to provide the services needed for institutions to gain maximum benefit from their investment in these systems and gain the efficiencies needed to ensure their services to students are second to none.

With over 25 years of experience, Softdocs has developed a comprehensive platform which includes document management, electronic forms and eSignatures, and automated workflows. These solutions are designed to help organizations achieve greater operational efficiency, while reducing costs and improving the overall client experience, leading to greater student success across campus.

OA is excited to have the opportunity to form a relationship with Softdocs. Together, we will provide innovative solutions that help higher education clients reach their goals. This partnership is designed to support colleges and universities with complementary software and services that ensure institutions can achieve their missions.

About Coursedog

Coursedog is on a mission to bring people, processes, and data together to break down barriers to opportunity for students. Their Academic Operations Platform empowers higher education institutions to elevate the academic operations lifecycle from just-in-time, error-prone delivery into a streamlined engine that accelerates student success. Academic operations analytics, curriculum & catalog management, and academic & event scheduling solutions sync with your student information system to empower administrators to focus on what matters most: on-time completions. Visit Coursedog at www.coursedog.com.

About OA Solutions

Canada’s leader in the provision of professional services to Ellucian users. For over 20 years, OA has provided implementation, training and support services to post-secondary institutions, assisting them to maximize their investment and gain the efficiencies needed to provide A1 service to all stakeholders.

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OA Solutions Partners with Softdocs®

VICTORIA, BC – 17 February 2023 - OA Solutions is proud to announce the signing of a partner referral agreement with Softdocs SC, LLC. As a Softdocs partner, OA’s post-secondary clients will have access to a robust set of solutions for document management, electronic forms, and workflow automations.

For over 20 years, OA has assisted post-secondary institutions in analyzing their business processes; recommending changes; and protecting their investment in the Ellucian® Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems.

OA has provided implementation, training, and consulting services to over 80 institutions across North America. Our consultants’ superior knowledge of the Ellucian® applications in conjunction with their experience and understanding of business practices employed at post-secondary education institutions, enables OA to provide the services needed for institutions to gain maximum benefit from their investment in these systems and gain the efficiencies needed to ensure their services to students are second to none.

With over 25 years of experience, Softdocs has developed a comprehensive platform which includes document management, electronic forms and eSignatures, and automated workflows. These solutions are designed to help organizations achieve greater operational efficiency, while reducing costs and improving the overall client experience, leading to greater student success across campus.

OA is excited to have the opportunity to form a relationship with Softdocs. Together, we will provide innovative solutions that help higher education clients reach their goals. This partnership is designed to support colleges and universities with complementary software and services that ensure institutions can achieve their missions.

About Softdocs

Softdocs is the only education-focused provider of process automation and document management to enable schools to modernize campus & district operations and drive institutional success. Softdocs’s suite of solutions empowers institutions to work more efficiently, communicate more effectively and collaborate more freely. Cloud-first, browser agnostic, and SOC 2 Type I and II compliant, Softdocs is a trusted partner of over 700 organizations. Visit Softdocs at www.softdocs.com.

About OA Solutions

Canada’s leader in the provision of professional services to Ellucian users. For over 20 years, OA has provided implementation, training and support services to post-secondary institutions, assisting them to maximize their investment and gain the efficiencies needed to provide A1 service to all stakeholders.

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SIGConnect 2023

SIGConnect 2023 is a virtual technology conference designed for higher education professionals around the world. It is a place to share ideas on solving modern problems and streamlining operations both on and off campus. With over 80 different sessions covering a myriad of topics from Digital Transformation, Cybersecurity, Leadership, and Student Success, SIGConnect offers a unique opportunity to learn and connect with your peers. We share the challenges and ideas focused on creating a better learning environment for all our students.

Registrations is complimentary to anyone with an “.edu” email address.

Website Link: https://www.sigcorp.com/sigconnect/

Agenda Link: https://www.sigcorp.com/sigconnect/agenda/

Register link: https://sigconnect.vfairs.com/en/registration-form

Conference trailer video if you want something to use: https://vimeo.com/797779281/2a17e9ca26

We begin Tuesday, February 14 at 12:00 pm eastern time.

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OA Solutions Partners with DualEnroll®

For over 20 years, OA has assisted post-secondary institutions to analyze their business processes; recommend changes; and protect their investment of their Ellucian® Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems.

OA has provided implementation, training, and consulting services to over 80 institutions across North America. Our consultants’ superior knowledge of the Ellucian® applications in conjunction with their experience and understanding of business practices employed at post-secondary education institutions, enables OA to provide the services needed for institutions to gain maximum benefit from their investment in these systems and gain the efficiencies needed to ensure their services to students are second to none.

DualEnroll® powers college programs for high school students taking college-credit courses. These programs (variously called dual enrollment, concurrent enrollment, or dual credit) increase college completion and save families thousands of dollars. As one of the fastest-growing areas of college enrollment, dual enrollment is strategically important for institutions of higher education but has unique process requirements. DualEnroll® acts as a front-end to the college’s core ERP system, automating and streamlining these unique processes then synchronizing student data with the ERP as the college system of record. Colleges adopting DualEnroll® typically see a double-digit increase in dual credit enrollments and significantly reduce the time required to administer these programs.

OA is delighted to have been chosen to support DualEnroll® integrations with the Ellucian® Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. This partnership will support colleges and universities with complementary software and services to ensure institutions achieve their missions.

About DualEnroll
DualEnroll® combines a state-of-the-art cloud architecture, intuitive user interfaces and a configurable workflow engine to enable college-specific processes in an efficient integrated platform. Nearly 50 colleges and universities including Ivy Tech Community College, the Community College System of New Hampshire, Missouri State University, Boise State University, the University of Connecticut, and the Virginia Community College System use DualEnroll® to streamline and automate their dual and concurrent enrollment programs. Visit DualEnroll® at www.dualenroll.com.

About OA Solutions
Canada’s leader in the provision of professional services to Ellucian® users. For over 20 years, OA has provided implementation, training, and support services to post-secondary institutions, assisting them to maximize their investment and gain the efficiencies needed to provide A1 service to all stakeholders.

6 Reasons to Choose an Open ID Management Solution

Today’s campus card solutions can do much more than verify students’ identity and open doors. Fully integrated ID management systems have the ability to connect with an increasing number of technologies, departments, and services across campus, including libraries, gyms, laundry, vending, retail, meal plans, events, transportation and more.

To take advantage of these connections, campus ID systems must integrate with student and financial applications in order to work quickly, accurately, and seamlessly. The integration also includes hardware, locks, readers, point of sale and more.

Proprietary is problematic

If an ID management system runs on proprietary technology, you may have less options and control over how to implement and expand your system. Proprietary systems often restrict your ability to modify and connect to other applications and hardware, which can be particularly troublesome for colleges and universities, where offices across a campus employ a variety of hardware and software from multiple providers.

Technology is always evolving, adding new functionality, correcting bugs and errors, connecting to new solutions, and securing against the newest threats. An open ID management system makes it easier to keep pace with this evolution, while the limitations of proprietary solutions can be difficult to support and costly to customize.

Open and interoperable is beneficial

TouchNet OneCard is an open and interoperable ID management solution, meaning it is built with industry standards shared by hardware manufacturers and software vendors. The benefits of choosing an open and interoperable ID management system are multiple and recurring:

  1. Flexible and scalable to fit right

With OneCard’s interoperability, you have greater flexibility to choose software and hardware that fit your campus infrastructure now and adopt new technologies in the future. When needed, scaling your ID system up and reconfiguring it is quicker and more efficient.

  1. Synchronized and seamless processes

OneCard’s integrations create a seamless experience for students and staff by centralizing the administration of ID management. Being open means OneCard “speaks the same language” as the solutions and hardware it connects to, communicating to the entire campus continuously to make processes efficient and effective.

  1. Automations to save time and effort

A key benefit of a well-integrated campus running open, interoperable solutions is the automations it makes possible. When applications share development standards and languages they can automate processes for staff, reducing manual work and saving that time and effort for other, valuable projects.

  1. Improved and shared data

While OneCard connects with other technologies it collects and organizes data from them, and does so in real-time. To share the data, reports can be scheduled to email out to offices across campus. Administrators gain access to a new and wider range of data with fresh insights that lead to operational improvements.

  1. Better security

Better integrated technology is more secure technology and leads to a more secure campus and community. When all of the components in an ID management system integrate, administrators can best control access and permissions for physical security.

  1. Freedom to follow your priorities

Using OneCard means the freedom to make purchasing decisions and IT configurations based on the financial and operational priorities of your campus. With an open ID management solution, you are empowered to set up and develop your campus ID system.

The open and interoperable design of OneCard puts a campus and its users at the center of attention, working to support the changing shape of higher education today. Campuses have a complexity and diversity of activity similar to a city, and to support it all requires a bevy of hardware and software to interact without complications. TouchNet OneCard is open to support campus activity and interoperable to make it work smoothly.

How campuses are leveling up with ID management technology

Read our recent survey of higher education executives to learn how your peers are transforming their ID management technology to solve challenges and achieve their mission.

PayMyTuition streamlines the entire on-campus cashiering experience

December 8, 2022 - PayMyTuition's innovative cashiering module is here! This solution, powered by open banking technologies, will allow schools to have multiple campus cashier stations simultaneously while providing an all-in-one offering for accepting, transacting, and processing campus payments over the phone and in-person with direct integration into school’s student information systems (SIS) for the first time.

Their innovative module provides institutions a single cashiering solution with real-time funds verification and balance checks that enables them to securely accept and manage payments via desktop and mobile workstations anywhere on campus creating significant efficiencies for both schools and their students.

Learn more about this next-generation solution for cashiering.

Why Open Banking is Changing the Game for International Payment Plans

November  23, 2022 - Does your institution utilize the power of open banking in your student payments process? Open banking is a game changer for the international student payment plan space. This innovative technology is an important element within the emergence of alternative student payment methods bringing significant benefits for colleges and universities, while at the same time, eliminating invoice only payment plans for students and institutions saving them both time and money.

Read more about how PayMyTuition's open banking solution for international payment plans is changing the game with real-time financial positioning technology and payment plan scheduling with automatic withdrawal capabilities.

Digitizing the Entire Student Experience through eMarketplaces and eStores

November 15, 2022 - The idea of a completely cashless campus is a concept that higher education institutions need to consider more seriously. Cash as a form of payment is now considered a rarity and students have adopted digital alternatives for making payments as their new normal.

To support institutions in this demand shift, the team at PayMyTuition has developed an innovative eMarketplaces and eStores solution. This digital alternative will enable institutions to manage their campus payments and inventory more efficiently with direct integration into institutions campus finance systems and student information systems for the first time.

Read more about how this innovative solution for educational institutions will save time, money and offer a unique and enhanced digital experience for staff, students, parents, and alumni alike.

Unleashing the Power of Interac e-transfers for Refunds

November 9, 2022 - The traditional ways of processing tuition refunds have left schools reliant on archaic systems which have resulted in high levels of manual intervention, long lead times as well as causing added processing fees that are laid upon the school to absorb.

PayMyTuition’s innovative Interac eTransfer refund solution integrates the entire refund payment process into a single solution through real-time APIs that are directly integrated into school’s AP and student information systems (SIS) for the first time. Schools will experience a reduction in refund processing times, removal of the manual and multi-journal accounting entries within AP systems, the ability to eliminate the need for paper-based cheque payments, as well as allowing settlement in minutes so students can get refunds faster, while saving institutions money by eliminating additional processing fees.

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OA Solutions Introduces: Banner Service Line

VICTORIA, BC - 24 October 2022 - OA Solutions is proud to announce the introduction of our Banner® Service Line. As an Ellucian® partner, OA is now offering a full range of services to Banner® post-secondary institutions across North America.

We are excited to extend our service offerings to include Ellucian® Banner®.  Our new Banner® Service Line is led by Mike Tessier, a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and Senior Banner Consultant.  Learn more

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New Appointment to the Board - Conrad Bartels, Ex-officio, Ellucian

October 25, 2022 - As a community organization, CEUG is governed by a board elected by its members and as defined by our Terms of Reference.

The Board is honoured to welcome Conrad Bartels as Ex-Officio to the board. We are pleased to have his support and interest in bridging Ellucian and CEUG to support you, our members.

Conrad is Ellucian’s Strategic Account Executive for Canada and brings almost three decades of Canadian Post-Secondary experience to the role.

As the Executive Director of Higher Education Information Technology BC (HEITBC), Conrad was responsible for Post-Secondary sector-wide procurements and collaboration, including both Banner and Colleague. He has been actively involved in the Ellucian client community and has acted as a chair or board member for several Canadian Banner, Colleague and CEUG conferences.

Conrad has wealth of experience working with institutions helping them navigate the wide range of available technology options, find efficiencies, and provide services to core constituents.

Please join us in welcoming Conrad to CEUG! 

Webinar Week 2022

October 19, 2022 - CEUG is pleased to announce that “Webinar Week” is back for its second year and will be held on November 22 to 24, 2022.

We are currently looking for presenters and topics of interest across Ellucian’s suite of products (Banner, Colleague, PowerCamput). Topics for Webinar Week 2022 may range from experiences with Ellucian products, institutional projects, challenges, and innovations over the last year.

We believe that you, our members, are our best resource in shaping this year’s event. Help us spread the word about Webinar Week 2022 to your colleagues and to any member of the CEUG community who may benefit from this. By sharing your experiences, you may positively impact other CEUG members' journeys.

PayMyTuition's Open Banking Cashiering Module

September 21, 2022 - PayMyTuition has launched an innovative cashiering module for educational institutions. This launch, powered by open banking technologies, will allow schools to have multiple campus cashier stations simultaneously while providing an all-in-one offering for accepting, transacting, and processing campus payments over the phone and in-person with direct integration into school’s student information systems (SIS) for the first time. Learn more

TouchNet OneCard Upgrades Campus Experience for Students, Staff, and Visitors

August 24, 2022 - With TouchNet OneCard Campus ID, you get identity management that improves the student experience by meeting their expectations, increases staff productivity through automations and integrations, and provides campus visitors with better services.

The security of everyone on campus is improved, too. OneCard integrates door access controls and the student information system to synchronize and update in real-time. Staff can quickly and remotely manage access control to activate, suspend, resume, and remove permissions whenever and wherever needed.

Learn more about TouchNet’s OneCard Campus ID solution.

Learn more about how PayMyTuition will keep your institution safe from payment security risk and ensure your school is PCI DSS Version 4 compliant.

August 18, 2022 - Remaining in compliance as an educational institution requires regular audits and reporting as well as experienced, knowledgeable, and creditable staff. Payment security standards and regulations are always changing to ensure that cardholder data and payment system security is never at risk.

Institutions have the option to purchase a PA-DSS validated software application product themselves or work with a third-party provider, like PayMyTuition, who can relieve them of these compliance related burdens, allowing them to reallocate recourses and save costs. Learn more about how PayMyTuiiton will keep your institution ahead of the payments security game and safe from compliance-related risk.

PayMyTuition's direct integration into your Student Information System (SIS) takes the friction out of student payments.

Their implementation process has 4 simple steps:

  1. Exploration to develop your institution-specific deployment process.
  2. Initial implementation to install, configure, test and verify the integration in your test and staging environments.
  3. Production implementation to setup training, promote the solution to students, and push the solution into production.
  4. Finalize. We continuously monitor the integration in real-time to guarantee uptime and provide a seamless solution for your institution.

With PayMyTuition's plug-and-play containerized install, colleges and universities can experience seamless implementation of our innovative technologies directly into their Student Information Systems (SIS) to increase efficiencies with little to no manual intervention, all while being up and running in days, not weeks.

To learn more about this unique and next-generation offering visit www.paymytuition.com/proven-implementation

(July 18, 2022)

Enterprise Resource Planning Support

July 6, 2022 - For over 20 years, OA Solutions has assisted post-secondary institutions to analyze their business processes; recommend changes; and protect their investment through the implementation and support of their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems.

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New Appointment to the Board of Directors and Colleague Birds of a Feather Meetings

June 6, 2022 - The Board is pleased to welcome Dana Mackfall from Nipissing University in North Bay, Ontario to the Board of Directors. Dana will be heading the Communications position and as a Colleague user, leading a new Colleague Birds of a Feather group. Click for full announcement

Value Added Service

June 6, 2022 - For over 20 years, OA Solutions has assisted post-secondary institutions to analyze their business processes; recommend changes; and protect their investment through the implementation and support of their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. OA has partnered with industry leaders such as PayMyTuition and Prophix to provide value-added components for our client institutions.  Read more about our partners and contact us to arrange a private consultation so we can explain how our team of professionals apply the philosophy of “Advise, Deliver, Support” to assist your institution.

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“Some College, No Degree”: Engaging Former Students

May 26, 2022 - In an era where enrollments are decreasing for a variety of reasons, colleges and universities seek ways to bolster their enrollment and fulfill their mission of graduating students. A significant source of enrollment is the population referred to as “some college, no degree” — those who obtained some credits but discontinued their education before graduating.

Research by the Maritimes Provinces Higher Education Commission estimates that 31% of students who enrolled at Maritime universities did not graduate. Figures on individual institutions across Canada show a non-completion rate varying from 10% to 50% of students. No matter how you calculate it, engaging the “some college, no degree” population is an opportunity to re-enroll thousands of students.....

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PayMyTuition develops digital campus eStore capabilities for educational institutions

May 18, 2022 - PayMyTuition has launched an innovative digital campus eStore solution for educational institutions. This launch, adding to their recent all-in-one solution offering, will equip colleges and universities with a new contactless way to sell campus goods and services within a single online self-service web application, eliminating the friction that exists within traditional campus commerce payment processing solutions in the category today.MT

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PayMyTuition expands innovative real-time payment plan capabilities to educational institutions

April 5, 2022 - An exciting announcement from PayMyTuition with their launch of their innovative solution for student payment plans incorporating comprehensive enrollment criteria capabilities for colleges and universities.

This launch will enable educational institutions to provide students with increased flexibility through highly personalized installment plans that utilize financial position detection technology to validate student banking information and account balance status in real-time with direct integration into their student information systems for the first time. PMT

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This year for the Canadian Ellucian Users Group

March 3, 2022 - CEUG has hosted national conferences since 2015 with an attendance of approximately 500 registrants each year. Due to the global pandemic, we all had to pause any in-person conference. Since then we have pivoted to developing an online presence active throughout the year with news and events for our Canadian institutions and supporting our corporate sponsors. CEUG.CA serves as a focal point for Canadian Ellucian clients and their valued vendors together virtually to share and learn from each other. This year, we plan for the following actions:

  • Increase the Virtual Presence and CEUG Membership for support and advocacy
  • Virtual collaborations between institutions including webinars
  • Virtual Corporate Sponsorship to support CEUG and our members with information on solutions and services
  • CEUG 2022 Webinar Week
  • Point of Contact for members, Ellucian and Corporate Sponsors
  • Planning for 2023

Smart Steps to a Strong PCI Foundation

February 24, 2022 - Keep up with changing PCI Compliance Standards and what they mean for your campus. Touchnet highlights Smart Steps to a Strong PCI Foundation. 

Compliance with PCI standards is a substantial ongoing project for even the smallest organization. For higher education, where institutions have the size and complexity of an entire city, PCI compliance can be a formidable challenge. Managing and achieving compliance is made easier by creating a durable foundation that supports the people, processes, policies, and technology involved in payment processing. Read more on how starting starting with a strong foundation can ease the work of compliance.

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The Power of Financial Position Detection Technology in Student Payments

February 15, 2022 - Major pain points within the student payments process have always been the lack of transparency in transfer status, payments arriving at educational institutions without sufficient beneficiary information, or additional unforeseen fees being charged throughout the transfer process. Learn how the power of financial position detection technology from PayMyTuition that can verify account balances in real-time has revolutionized the student payment experience for educational institutions and their students. PMT Read PayMyTuition's blog

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New Chair to the Board

February 1, 2022 - As a community organization, CEUG is governed by a board elected by its members and as defined by our Terms of Reference.

The Board is honoured to welcome Wayne Weinheimer to the board of directors. Wayne is the Director of Applications, Infrastructure, Integration, and Middleware with Information Technology Services at Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. Wayne was previously actively involved with the Canadian Banner Users Conference (CBUC) that existed prior to this organization. Wayne will be a tremendous asset to help strengthen our goals and vision of the future of CEUG.

As a community organization, CEUG is governed by a board elected by its members and as defined by our Terms of Reference.