Student Information Systems

Ottawa's Algonquin College Modernizes SIS

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 12/02/20

A public college in Ottawa has chosen a new student information system, after an evaluation process that began in October 2019. Algonquin College recently announced that it would be using Unit4 Student Management cloud applications.

In a statement to the campus community, President Claude Brulé said the selection was made to "modernize our experience with our main system of record and support our efforts to provide personalized, flexible learning and student service delivery."

Unit4 is replacing a SIS that was developed in-house more than 26 years ago. The evaluation process occurred in tandem with other initiatives undertaken by the college as part of its launch of AC Online, a digital-only campus, including implementation of new identity and access management and data governance systems and a "modernization of the underlying system architecture."

Algonquin has three campuses, in Ottawa, Perth and Pembroke, with 20,000 full-time students and 26,000 continuing education students; 4,000 of those students are international.

According to Unit4, the SIS application provides automation and control across the student lifecycle, covering admissions, academics, financial aid, billing, communications, reporting and analytics.

"Algonquin College is a leader in personalized learning and Unit4 is the ideal partner to help us further enhance and customize the student experience," said Brulé, in a press release. "The company's cutting-edge technology is going to transform how we do business. Together, we will build a new student information system that will have a positive impact on both employees and learners — and position Algonquin for a dynamic future."