Monterey Sims serves as Director of Admissions and Evaluation at University of Phoenix and is directly responsible for the Office of Admissions Document Processing division which includes overseeing the acquisition and processing of admission documents and transcripts from prior attended institutions for University applicants. During 30+ years at the University she has participated in a variety of process improvement initiatives including implementation of Electronic Transcript Exchange (ETX) and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI).
Monterey continually seeks out operational efficiencies and promotes interoperability and student mobility, serving on the Postsecondary Electronic Standards Council (PESC) Board of Directors and on the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) Standardization of Postsecondary Education Record Electronic Data Exchange (SPEEDE) Committee. She also serves on the eTrans California Steering Committee and is a member of the Pacific Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (PACRAO). Monterey co-authored the article “Electronic Transcripts 2021: The Landscape and Future of Electronic Document Exchange” published in the AACRAO quarterly journal, College & University.
Recognizing Monterey Sims’s extensive expertise in university admissions and evaluation at University of Phoenix, this exclusive feature offers invaluable insights into the challenges of streamlining the admissions process and strategies for leveraging digital transformation to create a seamless, efficient experience for students and applicants.
From my firsthand experience, I have seen how streamlining the admissions process can lead to a more timely and personalized experience for applicants and students. In today’s fast-paced digital world, we expect real‐time service where students and applicants appreciate a seamless application process with quick turnarounds on admissions and transfer credit decisions. This builds trust and enables students to focus on their educational goals and learning outcomes rather than the process of applying for college.
"Currently, universities are seeking to streamline admission processing to provide a more timely and personalized approach to serving applicants and students."
These expectations have institutions looking for solutions to enable admissions operational efficiencies, real-time processing and head count neutral staffing. Continuous process improvement is critical to remain relevant in the higher education space and can be successfully applied in admissions processing. Making the digital transformation journeys into the areas of cloud computing, artificial intelligence and machine learning can create a connected experience for students and automate the most redundant tasks.
Here are six keys to help you successfully leverage technology and improve efficiency of your institution’s admissions process.
Get Up to Speed
One of the most difficult challenges for professionals in the higher education sector is remaining technically savvy. However, there is a plethora of knowledge at our fingertips to help gain insights and learnings about technology trends and solutions such as:
• Industry associations
• Whitepapers and case studies
• Webinars and podcasts
• Online training
• Conferences and summits
• Mentors in the field
• Industry publications
Zoom Out & Zoom In
Look at both the big picture of what is happening in the higher education space from a technical lens and then drill down on technologies being used in the processes most relevant to your areas of accountability and influence. Keeping in mind your institution’s strategic initiatives will help you to key in on process improvement opportunities and technical solutions that align well and achieve the desired future state. For example, if your institution is moving toward a cloud-based solution then you would want to ensure you can check that box for the solution you are selecting. Mobile friendly may be another consideration. Focusing on what serves those strategic initiative leads to more buy-in, support, and implementation success.
Document Current State
There is no silver bullet: planning is the key to process improvement. A great first step is identifying your why and what in your area of accountability. It might be something obvious, something mandated, or something a bit more experimental. Mapping current state processes with subject matter experts (SMEs) will shine a light on redundancies and pain points.
Consult your institution’s technology or project management teams to identify if there is a specific project management philosophy, resources and/or support staff to help guide your team through the necessary analysis. Once you have identified the project management resources to fit your process improvement initiative and have identified the specific areas of opportunity, continue the collaboration with SMEs to design and process map the desired future state. This will help to tease out areas that may have otherwise been overlooked and is essential for both their buy in for impending change and to ensure the technological solution leads you to the desired future state with greater efficiency.
Data is King
As you design the future state of your process, consider what data you currently measure and how the data needs will change in the future. Let your Key Performance Indicators (KPI) guide you in effective decision making. Analyze how the results of the deployed changes are stacking up against your expectations.
• Are you looking to automate a percentage of the work?
• Provide faster turnaround?
• Reduce errors?
Take a temperature check.
• What impact has the change had on students and/or applicants?
• Are tech partners and vendors hitting the milestones on time?
• Do you up and downstream partners see any positive or negative impacts?
• Are SMEs following the new standard operating procedures?
• Are leaders providing needed tools, information and support?
Prepare Staff for Iterative Change
Being transparent and communicating about the learning curve, the change curve, and need for iterative development to reach the desired future state will help prepare staff for the changes ahead. The constant change of iterative development can feel uncomfortable, so leverage collaboration tools to enable the ability to:
• Create dedicated channels for SMEs and tech partners
• Organize procedural documents and business requirements
• Collaborate in real time through Q&A sessions and shared document editing
Topics that are valuable to communicate about might include:
• Setting clear expectations
• Identifying pain points and solutions
• Follow up regarding suggestions
• Technical releases, timeline and desired result
• Acknowledgement & recognition
Linking stakeholder feedback to any technical or processing changes during the project can close communication loops and help SMES and others see that their ideas and input are valuable and contributing toward the overall project’s success.
Remain Agile
Knowing when to pivot and adapt is just as important as having a plan. Inspect results and share outcomes to keep all stakeholders informed on the process improvement status. Here are key considerations in your quest to remain agile:
• How is the change impacting how we interact and provide services to students?
• Have you set up staff for success by providing necessary tools and resources?
• What additional tools and resources will be needed to sustain the change?
• What are projected future investments and costs?
• How are you measuring up against your timeline?
• What is going well and what are the areas of opportunity?
• Do up and downstream stakeholders understand and accept the change?
• Who are the key contributors, have they been acknowledged and recognized?
• Have you celebrated the successes?
Large technically based process improvements like that required for college admissions can be both stressful and rewarding. It is important for leaders, stakeholders and SMEs to acknowledge the challenges, overcome the issues and celebrate the wins together.
