In the era of social distancing and virtual workplaces, institutions that send paper transcripts, printed by a person in an office, faced a daunting task.
Electronic document exchange (EDX) can be an invaluable tool in preserving business continuity and improving process and financial efficiencies. But how can you make the case to those who can make a difference?
AACRAO’s SPEEDE Committee wants to help. Their unofficial
mission statement, is “Furthering the adoption of electronic transcript exchange through education and outreach,” according to committee members Doug Holmes (Manager, eTranscripts, Ontario Universities' Application Centre)
and Patrick Elliott (Associate Vice President at Harford Community College),
“For people with EDX questions, we’re your 12 new best friends,” said Holmes. And one of the most common question he hears is:
How do I get EDX buy-in on my campus?
“Often, those who are most interested in EDX adoption aren’t those who have the authority to free up resources to make it happen,” Holmes said.
In that case, two key assets can help you make the argument:
1. A calculator. Download the SPEEDE committee’s free cost calculator to help you articulate why EDX is a good investment.
“If you need to do a presentation, this calculator will help you show numerical proof of the efficiencies you’ll gain switching to EDX,” Holmes said.
2. An ally. Find a champion on campus — a CIO or Vice President, for example, who can help drum up support for change.
“Research shows that getting buy-in is very important,” Elliott said. “The success of EDI [electronic data interchange] is really related to having executive-level support and championship.”
The SPEEDE Committee offers resources, such as:
Join the webinars
September 23, a panel of experts from the AACRAO SPEEDE Committee will discuss the considerations and best practices for electronic exchange of student transcripts in the webinar "Considerations and Best Practices in the Electronic Exchange of Student
Transcripts: PDF, EDI, XML." Learn more and register.
September 30, join the AACRAO SPEEDE Committee for a roundtable “Discussion for Improving Business Continuity Sending and/or Receiving Electronic Transcripts” -- share experiences with EDI/XML/PDF; learn what others are doing, and have questions answered by the experts.