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Delaware County Community College Creates a “Culture of Evidence”
Technology Category
- Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration
Applicable Industries
- Education
Applicable Functions
- Business Operation
- Human Resources
Use Cases
- Predictive Maintenance
- Real-Time Location System (RTLS)
Services
- Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services
- Data Science Services
The Challenge
Delaware County Community College (DCCC) was focused on expanding its infrastructure and investing in its science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs. However, government appropriations to higher education institutions were becoming linked to performance, focusing on access, affordability, and outcomes. To support its growth and institutional effectiveness, maximize government funding, and ensure continued positive ratings from the Middle States Review, DCCC sought to create a culture of evidence and promote decision-making that is more data-driven. The college was using Microsoft Access-based reporting activities, which were not comprehensive enough for their needs.
About The Customer
Delaware County Community College (DCCC) is a 2-year institution that serves more than 28,000 students in Pennsylvania’s Delaware and Chester counties. The college offers 17 degree programs and 35 career and certificate programs. With approximately 1,600 faculty and staff members employed, DCCC has been named a “Great College to Work For” by The Chronicle of Higher Education five years running. The college has been devoted to expanding its infrastructure and investing in its science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs. Additionally, government appropriations to higher education institutions are becoming linked to performance. The focus of this performance-based funding has been on access, affordability, and outcomes.
The Solution
After assessing other solutions, the college chose Information Builders’ WebFOCUS business intelligence (BI) and analytics platform. WebFOCUS is used to develop several applications, including an Active Dashboard that allows deans and other senior administrators to perform deep analysis of student information and conduct end-to-end cohort tracking, and a financial reporting environment that improves budget management and fund allocation. Additional applications for the purchasing department and the Board of Trustees are currently in the planning stages. WebFOCUS also stood out for its broad data access capabilities. Delaware County Community College currently manages its operations using Banner ERP systems that run on the Oracle platform. DCCC also has data residing in SQL Server databases. WebFOCUS’ ability to seamlessly gather data from these sources, as well as flat files, was an important feature. To keep information protected, WebFOCUS integrates tightly with Banner roles and permissions, Banner Enterprise Identity Services (BEIS), and Active Directory.
Operational Impact
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