Funding requested for IT modernization
Feb. 4, 2022
The State of Alaska has requested $20 million in federal infrastructure funding to overhaul student information technology systems for the University of Alaska system.
The University of Alaska requested this funding from the state late last year. Funding for this project will ensure modernization of the UA student’s higher education experience. Our current system was implemented in the 1990s, and while modern at the time, it is now outdated and inefficient.
This funding would permit implementing a new student information system (SIS) to serve the entire university system, while allowing autonomy, when possible, where business practices are differentiated between campuses. Through this solution, UA would retain the benefits of a single SIS system and a common reporting structure, while allowing each university to innovate and adapt the system more quickly to their changing requirements.
As part of this effort, UA will:
- Identify the best SIS vendor partner
- Seek opportunities to retire legacy customizations
- Identify new opportunities for each university to align the system to their needs
- Fully implement a modern student-facing online user interface
- Improve the operational model that supports upkeep of the systems
Enrollment is key to serving Alaska and to UA’s future budget stability. UA’s student information technology system needs to be modernized to compete well in the post-COVID environment. This one-time investment would allow UA to transition to a cloud-based, modern student information system, improve our online services, reduce barriers to enrollment and registration, and remain competitive in the modern marketplace.