Bow Valley College Transforms Student Experience With Mobile-First and Future-Proof Digital Platform from Unit4

Expandable cloud solution will help refine business processes, improve overall productivity and provide learners with increased access to campus information and services

Unit4, a world leader in enterprise systems for higher education, today announced Bow Valley College has selected Unit4 Student Management running on the Microsoft Azure Cloud to transform their student experience with a mobile-first and future-proof digital platform.

Integrating with other applications used on campus, Unit4 will streamline and enhance the student experience at the college by providing both students and staff with increased access to critical data and information such as admissions, registration, program content, financial aid and account information.

As the largest comprehensive community college in Alberta, Canada, Bow Valley College is a multi-campus institution that provides students with access to a broad program offering, including certificates, diplomas, post-diplomas, and foundational learning. The college is internationally connected and dedicated to providing learners in Calgary and the surrounding region with access to high-quality, efficient and effective lifelong learning opportunities. Additionally, Bow Valley College boasts a diverse population of students from 142 countries speaking 128 languages and collectively, the college’s faculty and staff speak over 80 languages.

When approaching their campus digital initiative, Bow Valley College was looking to update its core system, the student information system (SIS), with a modern solution that could easily handle student and faculty activity on a day-to-day basis. They wanted a modern student-centric cloud solution that could be configured rather than customized while offering a comprehensive feature-set to meet new requirements such as flexible program structures and tools to automate student engagement. Additionally, the college was looking for a learner-driven and learner-focused solution that would take into account how students access and consume information – namely, on their mobile devices. The college selected Unit4 Student Management to significantly enhance the information available to learners and to help faculty and staff to automate common tasks and increase overall productivity.

“We went into this process with the belief that selecting a Student Information System is a generational activity, so our approach was to find a product that could sustain future growth and educational trends,” said Puja Rai, IT Program Manager, at Bow Valley College. “Unit4 Student Management stood out to us not only because it is a flexible and adaptable solution, but also because we believe that we have found a true partner in Unit4, not just a vendor providing a tool.”

Overall, Unit4 Student Management will enhance the security and stability of Bow Valley College’s technology infrastructure. The platform’s built-in CRM capabilities will ensure compliance with Canadian privacy laws while fully supporting APAS requirements, Alberta’s provincial-wide common application system.

“Bow Valley College’s forward-looking approach to digital transformation will help the college deliver on its mission to provide competency-based learning for many years to come,” Austin Laird, Higher Education Product Director at Unit4. “We’re proud to be working with them to provide a superior user experience for both students and staff. Campus workflows will be significantly enhanced so staff can focus on higher-value activities that boost student success and institutional growth.”

About Bow Valley College: Calgary and region’s only Comprehensive Community College – with more than 15,000 full- and part-time students, is a leader in business and health career training, community studies, creative technologies, adult upgrading, and English Language Learning.

About Unit4: A leading provider of enterprise applications empowering people in service organizations. Unit4 provides student management, ERP and research management solutions to over 1000 colleges and universities globally to help them accelerate growth, boost student success, improve institutional effectiveness and deliver research excellence. Clients include Oxford and Cambridge Universities, HEC Paris, University of Waterloo, American University of Paris, Robert Morris University, Baylor College of Medicine, Hult International, and University of Dubai. Unit4 is in business for people.