Administrative & Business | News

Alabama Colleges Adopt Banner for Data Work

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 09/13/12

Three small Alabama institutions are adopting applications from Ellucian (the firm formed with the merger of Datatel and SunGard Higher Education) at the recommendation of their accrediting body. J.F. Drake State Technical College in Huntsville with nearly 1,300 students, Northwest-Shoals Community College in Muscle Shoals with 5,300 students, and George Corley Wallace State Community College in Selma with 2000 students are all implementing Banner software to manage student, alumni, financial, and personnel data.

The schools are also licensing:

• Banner Operational Data Store;
• Luminis Platform, a Web-based portal environment;
• Banner Workflow, a business process management program;
• Banner Flexible Registration, for Web-based registration;
• Banner Document Management Suite; and
• Ellucian Degree Works, a set of Web-based academic advising, degree audit, and transfer articulation tools.

"We envision the Banner system as a technologically advanced solution for managing academic and administrative information vital to our institution," said Helen McAlpine, president of Drake State. "Our students will benefit from the improved service levels that we can provide by leveraging the capabilities of our faculty, staff, and administrators through a quality management information system like Banner."

The school was recently accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, McAlpine noted, and the use of the new software should help the college with accountability requirements. "Accurate information about student progress and a convenient method for students to register and maintain a sound academic plan are all keys to sustaining our focus on students. We believe Degree Works and Banner Flexible Registration are essential to supporting our students," she said.