Thompson Rivers U Deploys Unified Digital Campus for ERP

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 09/04/08

Thompson Rivers University (TRU) in Kamloops, British Columbia has selected SunGard Higher Education's Banner Unified Digital Campus (UDC) to integrate its ERP systems. In an FAQ on its Web site, the school said it was making the change for its students. "Currently, students access services by navigating through a myriad of different Web sites and interfaces. Further, TRU operates using multiple student, finance, and payroll systems, which is neither efficient nor sustainable. By standardizing on a core administrative suite, we will be able to streamline processes and improve customer service."

Founded in 1970, TRU became a full status provincial university in 2005 when the University College of the Cariboo was granted ownership and access to the programs and courses of the former British Columbia Open University, creating British Columbia's newest university. TRU was using three different ERP systems from three vendors. After a five-month evaluation and procurement process, TRU selected Banner UDC.

"As a comprehensive university, we meet the needs of different students who may be in various learning modes," said Brian Mackay, TRU CIO and associate vice president, IT Services. "TRU has also established itself as an international university and has become the educational choice for students from across our region and from around the world. As a result of our diverse demographics, many students choose a combination of our learning methods. Our course offerings range from certification and trade and technical training to masters programs. Our goal is to provide a seamless and satisfying experience for all our learners, and help them feel connected to Thompson Rivers University."

By standardizing on the Banner Unified Digital Campus, the university hopes to gain simplicity and reduce the complexity of its administrative systems and services; improve access to information and increase the accuracy of data; and increase self-service functions to its constituents.

When deployment is completed, the new system will include an integrated student system (for both traditional classrooms and online learning), human resources, finance, advancement, financial aid, business intelligence modules, and self-service functionality via the Luminis Portal. The implementation is expected to be completed by summer 2010.

Nine other universities in British Columbia are using Sungard technology, including the University of Victoria, University of Northern British Columbia, and British Columbia Institute of Technology.