The University of Nebraska is committed to cost-effective business operations, including maximizing the potential of information technology to support the university’s mission. Among the most important initiatives in this regard is the implementation of a new student information system serving the entire university and the state colleges.

Student Information Systems (SIS) are used to plan and manage the academic and operational side of the student relationship to the institution and deliver information and services to faculty, staff and students. In early 2007, the University of Nebraska and the Nebraska State College System were advised by the current SIS vendor that the company would not provide updates to their student information systems after 2011.

The Legislature appropriated $20 million for a new system during the 2008 legislative session. However, this amount was only an estimate due to the fact that total project cost could only be determined after a vendor was selected. Since the conclusion of the 2008 legislative session, a vendor has been selected for purchase and implementation of the new system. A one-time appropriation of approximately $11 million is necessary for project costs that remain unfunded. In addition, ongoing operating costs of $2.1 million are included in the university’s state appropriation request beginning in 2010-11 when the new system goes online.

The new SIS will provide substantial benefits over the previous system, including:

• Increased educational opportunities through more flexible course offerings
• Increased revenues with increases in students and credit hours
• Improved access to University-wide information on a more timely basis
• Increased student success due to ability to offer better services, including improved advising and progress monitoring capability

The new SIS will eliminate the need to develop and operate campus-level applications to supplement base SIS system functions, as there will be one universal, 24-hour SIS in place. This will benefit the University system’s 48,000 students, 13,000 faculty, staff, and administrators, prospective students, parents, high school advisors, non-traditional students who seek professional development or career enrichment, and ultimately, the State of Nebraska, via a better educated work force.