What does a “computerized” school look like?
Here are two schools benefiting from being computerized using school business processes solutions.
The De La Salle University is an example of a university in the Philippines that has effectively used computerization to for a more efficient and effective service to students, faculty and other constituents.
My.Lasalle. The school’s Information Technology Center (ITC) that pioneered “My.Lasalle”, an Internet portal that gives teachers, students, personnel or alumni an active email account which grants access to the university’s information whenever and wherever they want.
With the system, course availability, course and section schedules, account balance information, campus calendar, news and events, and grades may be accessed online. Through the email system, teachers can also easily communicate with students.
More Ports. As a computerized school, De La Salle also beefed up the capability of their network bandwidth to encourage more people to use computers and the information services offered by the school. There are more than 400 ports in the campus for easy access to the Internet.
DLSU Wireless Information Services (WISe). With the help of Smart Communications and another telecom provider, the ITC can now text (send SMS) official school announcements and course-section availability to students. Emergency hotline numbers can also be accessed.
eNewsletter. Speaking of wireless information service, DLSU can also email newsletters for easy information and class schedules dissemination.
MBA online program. A convenient online program for the Graduate School of Business students who are technology-literate and self-propelled. Graduate students, because of geographic distance or financial difficulties, can now earn their degree from home.
ePurse. Introduced in 2003, students can now make electronic/cashless payments when making small purchases around the campus or dealing with the University Registrar and other offices using the system. A P100 initial deposit can activate the ePurse service.
Another campus issue would be security, given all the student, financial and school-related information available in computerized schools. The next school (or school district) that can be used as an example for this is the Alvarado Independent School District in Texas. Aside from the usual business and information needs, their school district also had to tackle security.
How can security initiatives pave the way to becoming more efficient in business processes, and trimming expenses at the same time? Through a new identity management (IDM) system.
Similar to the system of De La Salle’s student, teacher and staff accounts, they can gain access to the network. But instead of the school district allotting staff for the maintenance of said accounts, the Identity Manager is used.
When a student enrolls and indicates parental approval to use the computer, the system automatically creates the account, pulling in all the information on the student, and enabling the process (which could take days) to be finished in seconds.
Hopefully, a picture of how both computerized schools work can pave the way for more efficiency in your own school.
Sources:
“ITC Initiatives.” Retrieved January 19, 2009 from http://www.dlsu.edu.ph/offices/itc/initiatives.asp
Schaffhauser, Dian. "How a Security Play Streamlined a Business Process in a Texas School District," T.H.E. Journal, 12/11/2007, http://www.thejournal.com/articles/21722
(Published 26 January 2009, Smart Communications, Inc.)
