Released: December 18, 2020
Colleges announce Shared Services Enterprise Resource Planning Collaborative and Request for Proposals
Five public New Mexico colleges today announced a ground-breaking partnership that will fundamentally change the higher education student experience. Clovis Community College, Central New Mexico Community College, Northern New Mexico College, San Juan College, and Santa Fe Community College have come together to develop a single, shared system of student, continuing education, workforce, financial, and human resources services. The first of its kind in the nation, this project will transform the student experience. It has received endorsement from New Mexico Independent Colleges, the New Mexico Higher Education Department and institutional leaders. Their leadership will serve as a model for other higher education initiatives.
“Bringing together five diverse colleges from five unique communities to reimagine and implement a life-changing college experience for our students is the most important action we can undertake to improve the education and quality of life for New Mexicans,” said Becky Rowley, Ph.D., president of Santa Fe Community College. “With a student-focused perspective, together we will transform what higher education can offer so that all students may reach their potential more quickly, more fully, more affordably and with personalized cross-college support.”
Prior to the pandemic, and without having received a directive from any oversight entity, these five colleges had the foresight to acknowledge a new approach was not only necessary, but imperative, and have committed to work together to identify a solution: The Shared Services Enterprise Resource Planning system. There are many benefits to sharing an integrated system across colleges, most important of which is to better serve students. Once actualized, the Shared Services ERP will eliminate the need for multiple applications for admission or employment; reduce duplication of student and employee records; streamline student transfer; provide academic programming and staff reinforcements when needed; increase interaction with prospective and current students, community members, business partners, public officials; and more. All five colleges will share one system while protecting personal information and managing data in a secure environment. To further advance the project and provide guidance, the group is in the process of forming a nonprofit.
The Shared Services ERP will support students by breaking down barriers and eliminating obstacles for students as well as saving degree-seeking students time and money. The solution will provide students more flexibility and allow the colleges to improve communications and relationships with students, faculty, staff, and their communities. Participating colleges will share decision-making, data and processes, resulting in more effective and efficient operations and cost savings all while maintaining their independence which allows them to directly address the unique workforce needs in their own communities. All users will find the new platform more agile and more intuitive. For more details on how the Shared Services ERP will positively impact student success, visit Frequently Asked Questions.
Multiple teams comprised of dozens of representatives from participating colleges with expertise in specific areas have been collaborating for many months to develop a comprehensive Request for Proposals. The five-college collaborative is soliciting proposals from qualified vendors and system implementors to provide a comprehensive, state-of-the-art ERP solution and configure and implement this product as a single, shared ERP, with a single, shared data repository for all the participating institutions. This solution will increase modernization, accessibility, and mobility resulting in higher enrollments and better student retention; increase college productivity, efficiency, capacity, collaboration, and access to data and reporting; share staff and skillsets across institutions to support hiring specialized technical talent across the state and prevent delays in continued service to students, faculty, and staff; and contain technology costs by leveraging economies of scale by together selecting a single system, allowing for modern technology currency and reducing the need for many third-party systems.
Responding proposals will address recruitment, admissions, registration, financial aid, advising, and student services systems as well as student records, accounts, and scheduling transactions and in addition to aligning human resources and financial operational processes. The phased implementation is a multi-year project that will serve as a long-term solution. Shared student records will safeguard privacy while providing college-specific restrictions as needed. The deadline to submit proposals is Fri., Feb. 12, 2021.
The Shared Services ERP Request for Proposal is available now. To be assured of receipt of the RFP and the ability to respond please go to the Shared Services ERP RFP site. On the left is the tab Online Vendor Registration. Interested parties should click on that tab and register as this is the mechanism to respond as well. For questions on the Shared Services ERP RFP, contact Gerrie Becker, Chief Procurement Officer, 505-224-4551.
Santa Fe Community College celebrates its 40th Anniversary as the pathway to success for individuals and the community. SFCC provides affordable, high-quality programs that serve the academic, cultural, and economic needs of the community. The college welcomes over 10,000 students per year in credit, noncredit, workforce training, personal enrichment, and adult programs.
A “Best for Vets” and a “Military Friendly” school.
Visit sfcc.edu or call 505-428-1000.
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