Establishing IT Governance and Digital Infrastructure for a Technology-Enabled Student Experience Case Study

Comprehensive IT management

In 2019, Saint Francis University decided to expand their online program offerings to reach students outside their immediate market. They first needed to transform their operations to deliver a quality, technology-enabled student experience, both on and off campus. Because of the campus’s remote location, they struggled with power outages, Wi-Fi issues, as well as attracting and retaining the right staff to help the university realize their objectives. The institution was searching for a partner that could support the entire IT department’s rapidly expanding list of daily operations and build a long-term strategic roadmap.

Situation: Technology roadmap and staffing

Saint Francis recognized the need to modernize their infrastructure to achieve their goals and provide long-term stability. They began a partnership with Collegis for a comprehensive technology management solution. Collegis designed a strategic, multi-year roadmap for digital transformation that first prioritized developing the infrastructure that would immediately improve the student experience and ultimately allow the university to expand its online programs.

Collegis worked collaboratively with school leadership to install a virtual CIO to oversee strategy and operations for the IT department. The virtual CIO quickly became a key advisor to the president and board, bridging the gap between technology initiatives and how they align with enrollment and revenue goals. Saint Francis staff also transitioned to the Collegis technology team, allowing the university to mitigate their talent acquisition and retention issues.

Results: Cutting-edge student experiences

The Collegis team has identified and completed several major initiatives to stabilize the university’s infrastructure since the start of the partnership:

• Simplified the technology infrastructure, resulting in $200K reallocated to help fund upgrades
• Upgraded the card access system for campus staff and students
• Implemented Active Directory, a secure and robust authentication technology
• Installed an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) backup to keep power running during outages
• Transitioned from the school’s overworked help desk to the Collegis Personal Support Center (PSC)
• Upgraded to a reliable campus-wide Wi-Fi network

The Collegis PSC has accommodated a wide variety of technology support calls while maintaining a high satisfaction rate. Between 2020 and 2022, Collegis has maintained an average Net Promoter Score of 88 – a measure that exceeds most industries’ benchmarks for excellent customer satisfaction. In other words, the implementation of the PSC has enabled a comprehensive, smooth student experience.

A variety of Collegis’s technology changes were immediately apparent to students, including introducing Active Directory for single-sign-on (SSO) authentication into a suite of programs, enjoying reliable Wi-Fi and feeling safer thanks to an updated card access system that helps keep the campus secure. In addition, behind the-scenes upgrades, like a state-of-the-art data center, stabilized the aging technology for more reliability. Overall, Collegis has optimized and transformed Saint Francis’s framework to offer a technology-enabled student experience. With their infrastructure now on the cutting edge, Collegis experts are rolling up their sleeves to develop and grow the university’s online programs across the globe.

About Saint Francis University

Institution Type:
Private Catholic liberal arts university

Location:
Loretto, Pennsylvania

Total Enrollment:
2,232

Services:

• Comprehensive IT Managed Services
• 24/7 Tech Support & Help Desk
• Application Administration & Support
• IT Leadership & Governance
• Infrastructure & Operations
• Virtual CIO

Key Takeaways:

• $200K reallocated toward technology upgrades
• 88 Average Net Promoter Score