The Unified Digital Campus FAQ 2006

What is a Unified Digital Campus (UDC)?

A Unified Digital Campus is not a product, or set of products, it is the vision of an environment in which people, processes, and technology interact seamlessly to strengthen institutional performance through improved constituent services, increased accountability, and better educational experiences.

What product set constitutes a UDC?

Because every institution is unique, so are the specific components that make up an institution's UDC—varying according to each institution's own vision, mission, and objectives. There are, however, a core group of systems that serve as the foundation of a UDC such as administrative applications, a campus portal, and information access components such as a data warehouse.

Does a UDC include only SunGard Higher Education solutions?

No. SunGard Higher Education aims to help every client create an environment that unifies its systems of choice—be they SunGard Higher Education, homegrown, and/or other vendors' systems—and ensure they will work together successfully.

How can SunGard Higher Education help my institution achieve its UDC vision?

To help colleges and universities each realize the full promise of their unique UDC, SunGard Higher Education offers an array of software, strategic services, systems integration, and technology management services that work together and with other systems of choice to achieve the digital campus outcomes that each customer seeks.

We're interested in working toward a UDC vision, but where do we start?

SunGard Higher Education's Strategic Consulting Services help your institution think differently about how to advance the levels of information and service that you provide to students, staff, and faculty. And through our unique, proprietary methodology, we help you take a holistic look at your institution's environment and lay out a plan to achieve a UDC.

How does a UDC address key challenges institutions face today?

Achieving a UDC addresses key challenges in the following areas:

A UDC helps institutions improve performance and accountability.

• Cross-organization data access, reporting, and decision support
• Productivity and efficiency gains
• Support for regulatory compliance requirements
• Improved experiences and outcomes in learning, teaching, administration, and research
• Demonstrate organizational and higher education return on investment (ROI)

A UDC helps institutions improve constituent service.

• Anytime, anywhere access and real-time convenience and services
• Increased value and effectiveness for all stakeholders
• Delivery of personalized education experiences and lifelong institutional relationships

A UDC helps institutional competitiveness with solutions to attract and retain students, faculty, staff, and funding by improving the quality of experience provided to each constituent.

• Personalize interaction to each individual, increasing his or her vested interest in a relationship with the institution
• Differentiate the institution from competitors through the education experience delivered
• Build or extend competitive advantage as delivered via the online experience
• Compete more effectively against competition from traditional and non-traditional sectors

The UDC helps address funding and resource allocation concerns.

• Streamline processes
• Enhance efficiency and productivity
• Cost-effectively broaden services and reach
• Extend the value of existing investments

The UDC helps address security and privacy issues

• Provide support for security and privacy-related compliance requirements
• Help address constituent expectations and demands for a secure environment
• Create a unified environment to support cultural, process, and technology change in favor of security and protection

Do we have to rip out our current Banner^® applications and implement a different set of enterprise resource planning (ERP) modules, in order to achieve a Unified Digital Campus?

No, in fact Banner is a key component of your UDC. A UDC is not a product that is bought and implemented; it is not a new ERP module. A UDC is an environment that merges your people, processes, and technologies, including your ERP. Banner, as your administrative system, is a foundation for building your UDC that provides various capabilities to address your unique institutional goals.

How does a UDC vision or roadmap tie into other institutional strategic planning initiatives?

Your UDC directly correlates and is driven by your institutional vision, goals, and initiatives. It is these strategic goals that identify the areas of greatest needs as well as where the biggest benefits exist by unifying your digital campus. The identification of these goals put into place the roadmap for implementing which products, solutions, and services will achieve your objectives.

A "Unified Digital Campus" sounds a lot like another initiative we already have in progress. Can we talk to you about our vision for this initiative using our own terminology and approach instead of "Unified Digital Campus"?

Of course. A UDC is just a name that represents a vision. SunGard Higher Education works with our institutional partners to bring together your people, processes, and technology to achieve your institutional objectives. Just as those goals and objectives are unique, the name and terminology can also be unique to an institution.

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