FOCUS

As higher ed institutions take steps towards innovation, strategy and technology need to be developed together. On this episode of FOCUS, Heather Fraser of Dalhousie University (Dal) discusses the strategic approach the institution is taking to manage campuswide digital transformation. Fraser, the Director of Enterprise Application Services at Dalhousie, is responsible for managing recent efforts...

Higher ed institutions are constantly innovating to fit the changing needs of students to support their success. Kevin Smith, Assistant Vice President and Director of Student Records and Financial Services at Canisius University, joins FOCUS to share how the university’s experience in evolving the one-stop shop with a new solution from TouchNet, Student Account Advisor. Smith offers insights on ho...

Many higher education administrators are called to their positions for the same reason: to help students succeed. Lisa Mazure, Associate Vice Chancellor for Finance and Fiscal Services at Alamo Colleges District, joins this episode of FOCUS to share her experiences with supporting students while keeping accounts receivable and revenue flow healthy. Listen to hear her journey of improving account s...

As higher ed institutions continue to evolve to offer more cashless payment solutions, automated clearing house (ACH) payments are becoming more popular. This week, Brad Smith, senior director of industry engagement and advocacy at Nacha, joins FOCUS to discuss the benefits of ACH payments for campus transactions. Learn more about ACH payments on campus, Nacha, and efforts to update the ACH rules...

On this episode of FOCUS, Doug Vanderpoel joins from Mount Holyoke College to share insights into how his institution uses the TouchNet OneCard Campus ID system to enhance the campus experience. From student ID management to ensuring campus safety and smart data monitoring, Mount Holyoke College has developed numerous unique and innovative uses for their OneCard system. Mount Holyoke College Mount...

Guiding international students through account payments can be tricky. With currency exchange rates constantly changing, it can be difficult for students to be confident that they are paying the correct amount. On this episode of FOCUS, Mike Pilman, System Administrator for the Account Receivables Office at Tulane University, joins us to give insight on how Tulane works with TouchNet and TransferM...

On this episode of FOCUS, Kristy Pritchett, Director of Student Account Services at the University of Alabama, joined us to discuss how a student-friendly approach to past-due accounts lead to higher retention rates. The university created their approach out of a need to give additional support to students that were facing financial hardship. Through an integration with TouchNet, the University of...

Smartphone use is ubiquitous, especially on college campuses. With nearly every student carrying a smart device with them all the time, it was only a matter of time before colleges began investigating whether mobile IDs could help enhance the student experience. Joe Harting, a leader in campus operations, joined the Focus podcast to discuss what he learned from pioneering Mobile ID for Apple and A...

Sustainability is an increasingly present topic in higher education. Today’s students value sustainability in their lives - on and off campus. Karen Dickinson, General Manager of TAFE Queensland Gold Coast, recently joined the FOCUS podcast to share how their new Robina Campus has taken a holistic approach to sustainability since its inception. From finding best practices to how sustainability is...

With all the high-tech innovations coming to campuses, it’s easy to overlook the need for a human factor in the spirit of transformation. Joe Abraham, operating partner at Beyond Academics, recently joined the FOCUS podcast to weigh in on how to encourage innovation by understanding teams through the lens of entrepreneurship. Abraham is also the author of Entrepreneurial DNA, which explores four e...

As higher ed institutions continue to implement more digital technologies, data breach tactics have become increasingly sophisticated. Universities and colleges process and store massive amounts of sensitive personal and payments data, which are increasingly the target of cyberattacks. On this week’s episode of FOCUS, Sean Davidson, Senior Manager of Security Solutions at Verizon, shares the lates...

During this week’s episode of FOCUS, Fredderick Simmons discusses how Portland Community College (PCC) is bringing together siloed services to create a powerful one-stop shop for student success. Simmons is the Student Account Services Manager, overseeing PCC’s relationships with Ellucian Banner and TouchNet. Since PCC’s recent administrative reorganization, the school has put bettering student se...

This week on FOCUS, we’re joined by Rob Sparks, Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Partnerships at Anthology, to discuss how creating intelligent experiences can support student success. Sparks is responsible for supporting Anthology’s corporate and global strategies, identifying new opportunities, overseeing their integrated partner ecosystem, and computer information science (CIS) m...

On the first episode of the new season of FOCUS, Cheryl Friesenhahn joins us to discuss the adoption of GradGuard tuition insurance at the University of Texas at Dallas. Friesenhahn is the Senior Director of Financial Services, leading the Bursar Office in overseeing all aspects of student finance for the past 18 years. Under her leadership, UT Dallas transformed their tuition refund appeals proce...

As cryptocurrencies continue to rise as a payment method, applications of crypto have yet to be realized in many industries, including higher education. Some early adopters have started accepting cryptocurrencies for donations, and a few have even begun to take crypto for tuition payments. But the question remains, how practical are cryptocurrencies as a form of payment in higher education? With t...

Campus card office operations are at the forefront of higher ed innovation. With more campuses pushing for highly integrated solutions for student and faculty ID management, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL) serves as a model of success with their Cajun Card. Kari Foti, Director of the Campus Card Office at ULL, joins the FOCUS podcast to share how their integrated campus ID has combi...

Michelle Ziegmann and Vicki Breitinger of the California College of the Arts (CCA) recently joined the FOCUS podcast to discuss their experience redesigning student services. CCA is a nonprofit art and design college in San Francisco, California, with around 1,500 students across 34 degree programs. The college serves as a great case study for other campuses as they begin to rethink their student...

This week on FOCUS, Jen O’Quinn from George Washington University (GW) shares her experience in building an integrated student payments experience that puts student support first. O’Quinn is the Student Accounts Director at GW where she dedicates her time to finding the best solutions to fit students’ financial needs. The university is a robust user of TouchNet, and together they ensure that imple...

In the world of higher education, innovation is the constant goal. Institutions and solution developers continuously work together to create the best and most efficient experiences possible for both students and staff. But identifying where to start in the process of innovation can be difficult. Lauren Ipsen, CEO of Ellucian, sheds light on this topic as she joins the FOCUS podcast and discusses s...

As more higher ed institutions explore becoming cashless campuses, schools like Eastern Michigan University (EMU) can be used as a model for success. EMU is a four-year public university with 20,000 students that has been completely cashless since 2017. Beth Hardcastle, Assistant Controller for Student Business Services at EMU, joined the FOCUS podcast to discuss how no longer accepting cash payme...

Like most facets of higher education, campus IDs and card offices are evolving. With the need for more contactless solutions and increased security, the introduction of mobile IDs poses many questions for card offices and data management. On the latest episode of FOCUS, Dawn Thomas, CEO of the National Association of Campus Card Users (NACCU), sheds light on the innovations coming to campus ID man...

Modernizing Payments with Canberra Institute of Technology Karl Caig, director of corporate services at the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT), joined the FOCUS podcast to share his experience with the Ellucian Payment Center by TouchNet. At CIT, Caig is responsible for maintaining key systems and processes that support operations and student management. His next goal is to reposition the inst...

The latest version of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) was recently released and higher ed institutions should start preparing to comply. Adherence to the new PCI DSS 4.0 will require colleges and universities to update how they manage PCI compliance campuswide. To outline the major points of the new standards and how to approach, FOCUS podcast invited Walid Barakat to sh...

Streamlining Payments for Campuswide Compliance with College of Charleston Institutions are always on the search for solutions to streamline payments and ease the processes of accounts receivable and reconciliation for student and administrative use. David Katz, treasurer of the College of Charleston, found the solution in consolidating all payment systems under one platform, TouchNet, which he sh...

Stranded credits are a significant issue in higher ed institutions, impacting both schools and students. With new data arising on the subject, there is much to learn about potential solutions to the problem of stranded credits and how to keep students on track. James Ward joined a recent episode of Focus to shed light on the topic of stranded credits and solutions campuses can employ. Ward is a se...