There are a variety of benefits associated with using student information systems for parents and students as well as educational institutions and their staff. Solutions in this category provide channels for communication between school officials and students, act as a singular source of student-related information, streamline billing processes, and more.
Information storage — SIS software houses many types of student information, consolidating all records in one place so they can be easily accessed by school officials, parents, and the students themselves. In a single system, a school official can view student attendance, financial aid status, class rosters, student enrollment, and more. On the other side, students can see unofficial transcripts, enroll in classes, check tuition and fees, and access a schedule builder. Keeping all student information in a singular system allows users to make and track changes, as well as maintain a holistic view of both individual students and the student body as a whole. Information in an SIS is not siloed in disparate systems, which makes organization easier overall.
Facilitate communication between parents and teachers — This benefit is applicable primarily to K-12 SIS software, as those systems offer parent portals and communication channels between parents and teachers. This portal allows parents to gain insight into how their children are doing in school as well as in-depth information on classroom behavior, attendance, academic planning, and more. Parents can use the portal as a channel to communicate quickly and easily with their children’s teachers, which is particularly helpful in case of a time-sensitive question or classroom misbehavior that requires parental intervention.
Facilitate communication between students and faculty — The student portal is a vital part of a quality SIS, particularly at the university level. As college classes tend to be larger and professors are typically less accessible, giving students a direct line of communication to their professor is of increased importance. Students can communicate with both their teachers and the administration in one place, as well as maintain records of those conversations. If a student is reluctant to ask a question about a topic or assignment in class, they can ask it via the portal and receive clarification.
Facilitate interdepartmental communication — Departments within an educational institution can be extremely siloed and uncommunicative with each other. SIS systems have the ability to break down the barriers to communication and allow departments to work as a singular unit, as opposed to disparate forces. Unifying access to information and giving everyone equal access is the key to bringing together departments and potentially an entire institution.
Handle student admissions — The admissions process is complex and multifaceted, making it difficult to manage as an administrator. SIS software can help by allowing the responsible officer to track prospective students during the admissions process; the software also updates students’ profiles with changes as they happen. SIS software can often handle the entirety of the admissions process, from initial inquiry to acceptance and enrollment. The result is a seamless transition of the individual from a prospective student to an enrolled member of the university. All of the relevant information is in one system as opposed to multiple distinct pieces of software that may prove difficult to integrate.
Improve security — The majority of SIS software today is cloud-based, which is a better option than on-premise legacy systems for a variety of reasons. Cloud-based systems provide easier setup, universal access, immediate technical support, improved data security, and an increased ability to adapt to changes in the marketplace and update the product with minimal hassle.
Billing and payment processing — SIS solutions offer tuition payment processing features so that students can handle all of their billing issues in one place. Higher education capabilities allow bill students and students or parents can pay those fees directly through the application.
Reporting — School officials can use SIS-gathered data to create data-driven reports on student progress for individuals as well as the whole student body. From the perspective of a designated school official, SIS provide an easy way to handle student information management. Officials can use the software to create reports on everything from how many students have nonimmigrant status to what the average GPA in a given class is.
