Chancellor’s Initiatives
STUDENTS FIRST
Students First is an initiative that will allow students to benefit fully from the breadth and depth of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system with its diverse offerings and strong campuses. Specifically, this systemwide initiative will redesign online systems to better meet students’ needs when it comes to searching for a college or university, program or course, as well as applying for admission, registering for courses, planning for graduation and viewing or paying tuition bills. In addition, expanded shared services will promote efficiency and provide improved services to students.
The initiative includes six projects to benefit students through redesigning systems and aligning policies, procedures and practices. The initiative is scheduled for completion by June 30, 2011.
The following six projects designed to make online services simpler, faster and easier for students:
- Single search will allow prospective and current students to search more effectively for colleges or universities, programs and courses across the system.
- Single application will enable students to complete a common application for one or more system colleges or universities.
- Single registration will identify equivalent courses across the system more easily and make it possible for students to register for courses at more than one college or university.
- Graduation planner will allow students to access course and program requirements, create customized plans for timely graduation/completion, share information with advisors and create "what if" scenarios to explore options.
- Single billing/single payment will let students view and pay one bill if they take courses from more than one system college or university at the same time.
- The shared services project will improve operational efficiencies and initially focus on providing uniform processes, such as applying for financial aid regardless of where courses are hosted.
Detailed information about the Students First initiative is available at www.studentsfirst.project.mnscu.edu.
John O’Brien is serving as director of the Students First initiative, and he can be reached directly at john.obrien@so.mnscu.edu.
