To help make internal processes more efficient to keep pace with growing enrolment as well as to provide students with quality support services, GUtech has implemented PowerCAMPUS Digital Campus, a complete Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution. This is the first time that such a technology has been introduced in Oman. Through PowerCAMPUS, GUtech faculty and staff can easily access statistics related to students, staff, enrolment, retention, finances, spending and other data that impact the day-today operations of the university. The ability to share data between the academic staff andstudent affairs provides them with a more complete picture of a student. For example, at the end of every semester, professors meet to discuss the academic progress of individual students. ERP solution Explaining the concept, Dr Barbara Stauble, Deputy Rector for Academic Affairs at GUtech, said, "PowerCAMPUS is a complete Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution for higher education built on Microsoft technologies, designed to help institutions like GUtech meet growing demands for improved accountability, performance and productivity. The solution automates processes and provides online self-service functionality for recruitment, admissions, registration, student records, and bill processing etc. She added, "At GUtech, PowerCAMPUS will help automate core processes and improve communication and collaboration for students across the campus community so that staff have more time to focus on meeting students' academic needs. Moreover, the solution will help GUtech deliver the kind of learning experience necessary to produce qualified graduates with a strong sense of responsibility and experience with technology that is needed in today's workplace. "The first phase is providing faculty and staff with a solid base of administrative functionality by automating creation and maintenance of records, tracking and managing registration and monitoring academic progress. Accessing statistics "Reports generated through PowerCAMPUS detail a student's grades and performance in a particular course as well as overall performance, and help the professors make decisions that are in the best interest of that particular student. Prior to the implementation of this system, all this information was extremely difficult to access. With the implantation of PowerCAMPUS, we have gained the ability to make more informed decisions about academic programs. "With the varying backgrounds of different students, it helps us track their performance, and identify their needs so that we can provide them with the right support. For example, if administrators see a pattern of students performing well in their engineering courses but poorly in language ones, they might offer additional tutoring and support in this area. With the self-service functionality, students can access much of the data housed in PowerCAMPUS online. "The PowerCAMPUS portal provides students with personalised, role-based, single sign-on access to campus information and services. Using self-service functionality, students can register online and have access to grades, financial aid information, automated scheduling, attendance and online degree audits,- explained Dr Barbara. She said that in addition to providing students with convenient access, the self-service functionality gives them the opportunity to become familiar with online technology -" a skill many of them lack as first year students. "And once they have used PowerCAMPUS longer, and understand how to navigate online, they appreciate the accessibility and transparency they gain through the self service functionality,- she said. The university is proud that this is the first time that such a technology has been introduced in Oman. "We deployed PowerCAMPUS at GUtech to help us meet our ambition to become the leading university of knowledge in the region and to set the highest standards in teaching and research,- she says and adds, "There are five other private universities that we are competing with in providing the best education and research facilities. Amidst increased competition, PowerCAMPUS has given us the added advantage of cutting-edge technology that enables us to provide students with enriched learning experiences and an experience with technology that will equip them better in their professional lives.- PowerCAMPUS is accessible on smart phones through Ellucian's Mobile Connection framework. "The flexible mobile framework supports all types of campus-designed applications and delivers them to a variety of mobile devices,- informs Dr Barbara. Zawya
