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Developing a mobile-first strategy across your campusToday’s evolving mobile technologies, coupled with students who often carry and use multiple mobile devices, calls for a flexible, affordable mobile management strategy. Develop a manageable mobile strategy that delivers a consistent user experience across platforms, and leverages data you already have — without extra expense and constant support from your IT staff.

A Campus Technology White Paper

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Executive Summary

Delivering on student expectations for mobile access is one of IT’s top challenges in

higher education. Students move among smartphones, tablets and iPads, using a wide

range of apps and platforms to register for classes, communicate with classmates,

look up courses and sports schedules, check social media, and more. They bring high

expectations of anywhere, anytime computing built on years of using mobile devices.

Attracting students to your campus means offering the computing capabilities they

expect, but doing so can take huge bites out of your scarce IT resources.

Vendor solutions also can have drawbacks. Some are not customizable; others focus

only on the learning management system, leaving a disconnect to wide-reaching

platforms with rich data sets, like the institution’s ERP, and neglecting the needs of

additional sectors of the campus community such as faculty and alumni. Tackling the

integration challenges using in-house staff is risky. In-house solutions may not address

security effectively, leaving personal data exposed as it travels between systems or

resides on mobile devices.

For most institutions, the overriding issue in all of this is simply the lack of a long-term

strategy to support mobile use. Technology changes too fast; a huge variety of devices

have flooded the campus in just a few years. The result has been stop-gap measures

that are expensive, overlapping, and lack any plan for the future. Institutions are, after

all, in the business of educating students, not managing mobile apps.

It’s time to step back, take a breath, and look at a cost-effective, over-arching platform

for managing the mobile experience on your campus over the long term.

Addressing Four Big Challenges in Mobile Device Use

If your IT department is overwhelmed by serving students who need constant, instant

access to apps and data via their mobile devices, you’re not alone. The explosion in

mobile device use on campus is universal. Colleges and universities are struggling to

meet the onslaught, sometimes making rash short-term decisions to manage mobility

and help students access the apps they need and want.

Here are four of the biggest challenges in mobile device use on campus today – and

an affordable, long-term solution from Ellucian, the leading software and services

provider for higher education institutions.

One: Are your mobile solutions short-term?

The Challenge: If you’re like many institutions, even as the number of computing

devices on campus has mushroomed, your budget has been static or shrinking. That

has forced colleges to scramble to meet mobile needs, often turning to students or

faculty members for quick, low-cost help. However, in-house-created mobile apps have

Table of Contents

Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Addressing Four Big Challenges in Mobile Device Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

One: Are your mobile solutions short-term? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Two: Are you confident in the security of your mobile apps? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Three: Are your apps flexible and customizable for your institution? . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Four: Do you have a long-term mobile strategy? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

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serious drawbacks. Short-term savings are usually lost over time as the code falls out

of date, students who developed the app graduate or move on, and the software no

longer works with the complex and rapidly changing platforms they link to.

Offerings from third-party developers can also have shortcomings – keeping up with

today’s enterprise platforms for higher education requires almost constant updates.

And while larger platforms such as your LMS might come with their own mobile

access apps, they are limited by definition -- they focus on students alone rather than

the broader campus community. That means you aren’t making good use of valuable

data already stored in broader administrative systems that form the hub of your

campus data. Equally important, you aren’t meeting the mobile expectations of your

broader campus community.

The Solution: Instead of fractured and piecemeal measures, a far better solution for

delivering a consistent, branded mobile experience to all of your users is a strategy

that leapfrogs limited in-house and software-specific apps to reach across platforms

and constituents, directly integrating with the ERP database to serve the right

information to students, faculty, alumni, staff and administrators.

Ellucian Mobile, a mobile offering from higher education leader Ellucian, offers

that strategy, with affordable pricing designed to fit the tough constraints of your

technology budget and move you out of the cycle of paying for constant software

updates.

Another benefit of a solid long-term mobile strategy is a predictable line item in the

budget and lower costs over time, without sudden spending needs. No more worries

about apps that suddenly fail to function as your core campus systems evolve. Ellucian

takes care of all the frequent updates needed to keep pace with each platform.

Two: Are you confident in the security of your mobile apps?

The Challenge: Data security breaches on college campuses are embarrassingly

frequent, often because institutions are amateurish in their approach to overall

security. Although laws such as HIPAA and FERPA mandate the security of student

data, studies show that colleges and universities are attacked more often than other

sectors, in part because of a general philosophy of openness in higher education, and

in part because of a lack of focus on security.

Mobile apps, because of the connections they make with other institutional platforms

teeming with student data, are highly vulnerable and need to be created and

maintained with a professional approach to data security. Unfortunately, mobile

apps written in-house often don’t follow best practices in security, and may fail to

properly secure data as it moves between systems or resides on the mobile device

itself. Third-party integrators, in turn, may not understand education-specific security

requirements, and are seldom experts in security in general.

Ellucian Mobile is a widely adopted mobile

app for higher education that easily integrates

with existing IT platforms and strategies, while

offering instant connectivity with the power and

services in Ellucian’s three core administrative

systems: Banner by Ellucian, Colleague by

Ellucian, and PowerCampus by Ellucian.

Its framework supports native and web

applications, and it comes in two editions, so

you can choose the product that best meets

your mobile needs.

• Ellucian Application Edition offers the

ability to create and release an application

within hours, without writing any code. It’s

typically the choice of smaller institutions

that lack extensive IT departments to

customize code. This easily configurable

pre-set package of applications can be fully

launched in just hours. Since it’s managed

and maintained by Ellucian, internal staff

can focus elsewhere.

• For more flexibility and control, Ellucian

Platform Edition allows you to build a fully

customized mobile environment. It comes

with the underlying code, so it’s a good

fit for larger institutions that have the on-

staff expertise to customize the mobile

environment more fully.

With either edition, you can customize screens

for different departments, colleges and

campuses, while retaining a universal look and

feel. Users access the mobile apps they most

need and want through a universal entry point.

Both options include deep integration with

the data and services in Ellucian’s core ERP

systems.

Ellucian is a long-time leader in higher

education – its mobile solution is the most

widely adopted in the world.

Extending the Digital Campus with Ellucian Mobile

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The Solution: Ellucian Mobile software is natively linked to Ellucian’s administrative

software out of the box, ensuring that professional levels of security are maintained.

The platform securely handles highly sensitive data exchanges such as registration,

two-way transfers, wait-listing, and course add-drop. When the underlying platforms

that the app is linked to change, Ellucian takes care of any necessary changes to the

code. There’s no last-minute software alterations that can lead to security lapses. And

with Ellucian Mobile, data stays securely in sync with the underlying platforms or apps

it links to.

Three: Are your apps flexible and customizable for your institution?

The Challenge: Not only is writing your own mobile app complex and time-

consuming, it also restricts software customizations to the code authors. Altering an

app can take additional expertise, time and money. If you have a number of campuses

or colleges that you want to unite under a single identity – while giving an individual

look and feel to each campus – that means separate mobile software must be written

and updated for each campus. Lacking an overall strategy, each app ends up with a

different look and feel. Also, supporting various popular platforms and apps used by

students means choosing which ones to integrate with, and when to support native or

web applications.

The Solution: Delivered as a platform that supports both native and web

applications, Ellucian Mobile is easy to customize. Design options in the cloud-based

configuration system make it easy to customize the look and feel. The core mobile app

can have a specific look for each campus, with customized portals that connect the

various departments, campuses, and colleges within your institution, while delivering

consistent navigation across all apps.

With or without customization, Ellucian Mobile’s professionally designed interface

makes it easy for students to find the information they want. It also lets you easily

customize the look and feel to deliver the next-generation functionality students

expect.

Web plug-ins are a snap, even for non-technical staff. You can deliver in-demand apps

like course registration with confidence, knowing that Ellucian keeps mobile in synch

with its administrative systems. With native integration, there’s no scramble to find

developers, write new code, and get the app tested and working again, and no users

or devices that are suddenly unable to connect.

The intuitive interface ensures you can go live with the app within a few hours. Most

support and management can be done without coding knowledge, freeing up IT for

other tasks.

Ellucian Mobile includes all the functionality

you’ll need right out of the box, without

additional coding or third-party middleware.

Students can:

• View courses, including class rosters,

assignments, maps and directions, and

events

• Register for classes, including add-drop

and wait-listing functions

• View grades as soon as they are entered by

the instructor

• Connect to the campus bookstore to order

and pay for books

• Receive notices when bookstore items are

ready for pickup

• Integrate with the campus directory to find

other students as well as faculty and staff

• Access social media, news sites, mapping,

and other apps

• Receive notifications of activities and

events

With the right permissions, staff and

administrators can also use Ellucian Mobile to

securely:

• Access records in the ERP system including

academic, financial aid, human resources

and admissions

• Access Google Analytics to view charts and

graphs on data in your core administrative

and LMS systems

Functionality in Ellucian Mobile

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Four: Do you have a long-term mobile strategy?

The Challenge: Finding the time to form a strategic, forward-looking strategy is likely

the biggest mobile challenge you face. Higher education institutions need to get out of

the business of supporting the rapidly changing world of mobile, and instead develop

a plan for long-term stability, growth and support in how content is presented on

mobile devices at their institution.

The Solution: Ellucian, a familiar and trusted partner in higher education for many

years for its core enterprise administrative software, now offers an affordable and

flexible solution for managing the mobile experience on your campus. Ellucian Mobile

supports many languages and is already in use at more than 900 schools in 20

countries around the world. Realistically priced, secure, and easily customizable,

it offers a long-term strategy that relieves the burden on IT and sets out a mobile

roadmap for the long term.

Ellucian Mobile works with the mobile devices students are bringing to your campus

most, including iOS and Android operating systems. It comes with instant, native

integration with Colleague by Ellucian, Banner by Ellucian, and PowerCampus by

Ellucian, and can seamlessly and securely integrate with existing software suites like

your LMS. Ellucian’s long-term roadmap for its mobile solution is built on the feedback

of higher education institutions that have detailed their current and future mobile

campus needs.

Ellucian4375 Fair Lakes CourtFairfax, VA 22033

(800) 223-7036

About Campus Technology

Campus Technology is one of higher education’s top information sources—delivering valuable information via a monthly magazine, website, newsletters, webinars, online tools and in-person events. It’s the go-to resource for campus professionals—providing in-depth coverage on the technologies and implementations influencing colleges and universities across the nation. You’ll discover valuable how-to content, best practices, industry trends, expert advice and insightful articles to help administrators, campus executives, technologists and educators plan, develop and successfully launch effective IT initiatives. Our annual conferences showcase expert speakers, thought leaders and technology solution experts exchanging ideas on the latest technological innovations in use on campuses worldwide—offering campus technology professionals opportunities to collaborate, network and gain valuable information that helps them succeed.

To learn more, visit www .campustechnology .com

About Ellucian

Ellucian helps education institutions thrive in an open and dynamic world. We deliver a broad portfolio of technology solutions, developed in collaboration with a global education community, and provide strategic guidance to help education institutions of all kinds navigate change, achieve greater transparency, and drive efficiencies. More than 2,400 institutions in 40 countries around the world look to Ellucian for the ideas and insights that will move education forward, helping people everywhere discover their futures through learning. Visit Ellucian at www.ellucian.com, follow Ellucian on Twitter (@EllucianInc), and like Ellucian on Facebook (/EllucianInc).

To learn more, visit www .ellucian .com .

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