Higher education is facing growing pressure, and it is not just due to the demographic cliff. In addition to rising operational costs—which typically increase faster than inflation in higher education—there is the growing challenge of tuition discounting, particularly at private colleges. Furthermore, declining public trust and an uncertain policy environment add to the complexity of the situation.
The time for efficiency, innovation, and leveraging new technology solutions has come. Institutions are shifting their focus to strategies that will help them navigate financial challenges. These strategies range from identifying operational efficiencies to investing in areas of strength. When it comes to technology, many of the software solutions currently used in higher education were implemented before the advent of Amazon, Netflix, or even social media. While these systems have been upgraded over the years, many of them are patchwork solutions struggling to meet the demands of today’s digital-native students and faculty, as well as evolving educational models.
The most critical technology solution on campus is the Student Information System (SIS). A typical SIS in higher education integrates programs that help institutions manage data and processes throughout the student lifecycle. This may include functions such as financial aid, faculty management, student records, curriculum management, degree audit, and compliance reporting.
However, SIS platforms have evolved into monolithic systems that bundle multiple functions together and do not focus on engagement. This raises some important questions: Do these functions truly need to be housed within a single system? Or, could some of them be better served by specialized solutions?
Yes, almost every SIS has recruitment and admissions functions, but far and few institutions are using that function within their SIS.
Introducing the Student Information System on Salesforce Education Cloud
At Cloud for Good, we pride ourselves on being an agile and innovative organization that stays closely aligned with Salesforce and its roadmap. That’s why we were the first partner to go live with Education Cloud for Student Success, Recruitment and Admissions, and Advancement.
When Salesforce announced at Dreamforce 2024 that they were developing functionality traditionally managed within an SIS, we were thrilled. We immediately began ramping up our team and investing in this practice.
When people ask me, “How will Salesforce build an SIS?” my response is: “How does a chicken eat an elephant? One bite at a time!“
This new approach is a shift in the way we think about Salesforce. It is no longer just a system of engagement. It is also a shift in how we should think about the SIS market, no longer a system of record.
The new approach focuses on:
From disjointed experience to personalized experience: The combination of SIS and CRM is a way to unify institutional data into a best-of-breed platform. Unifying and harmonizing the data will allow institutions data-driven decision-making and help them to increase their engagement with both faculty and students.
Trust and security: Salesforce is all about managing relationships, and at the core of every relationship is trust. Over the last few years, we have seen major data breaches in key technology players in the education ecosystem, including Blackbaud and PowerSchool. Salesforce is built with security to protect your data and applications.
Salesforce is taking a methodical, innovative approach to redefining Student Information Systems. As Salesforce continues to build, Cloud for Good is excited to help institutions leverage these advancements to drive transformation in higher education.
