Celebrating 30 years of AACRAO's SPEEDE Committee

May 5, 2020
  • Electronic Records and Document Exchange
  • SPEEDE
  • Academic Records
  • Data Exchange
  • Data Governance
  • Electronic Data Interchange
  • Records Management
  • SPEEDE
group of people wearing business casual clothing pose together for a photo

This summer, AACRAO will celebrate 30 years of the EDI Transcript.

Yes, the first EDI Standard Transaction Set for Higher Education was developed over 30 years ago and is still in use today. To spotlight this standard, we had something special planned with the AACRAO SPEEDE Committee at the Technology & Transfer Conference in July. Although the conference is cancelled, we are still committed to celebrating this incredible standard and the work of the Committee to create, maintain, and promote usage over the past several decades.

What is SPEEDE?

The Standardization of Postsecondary Education Electronic Data Exchange Committee (SPEEDE) is an AACRAO Committee that works in developing and promoting the implementation of standards for electronic exchange of student education data. They have pioneered the development of electronic student records exchange. 

Electronic Data Exchange (EDX) describes various formats of electronic education record exchange. The most common formats used today in North America and Canada are the following:

  • EDI

  • PESC XML structured data formats

EDX differs from other modes of data exchange like PDF as it contains machine readable data that heightens efficiency and automation. With a PDF, there is still a manual component that adds extra work for the involved institutional member. 

The history of SPEEDE

SPEEDE was founded in 1988, when few people owned a computer. With the collaboration of people at University of Texas at Austin, Miami Dade College, George State University, Purdue University, University of California Irvine and Queens University in Ontario Canada, the development of the first EDI Transaction Set or standard, was completed in 1990. Then, a milestone was achieved in the realm of student records and data. The EDI standards have withstood the test of time boasting over 35 million records exchanged via the historic Texas SPEEDE Server at UT Austin between 1995 - 2013 and millions more since the migration of the SPEEDE Server to the National Student Clearinghouse in late 2013. 

Future projects? SPEEDE is working with the Postsecondary Electronic Standards Council on GEO Code and EdExchange

Join today 

SPEEDE is currently composed of twelve members, and is always looking for new applicants. Outside of being committed to their work, they are incredibly friendly and committed, so ask them a question if you’re wondering how your institution can switch from PDF to EDX. 

And if you want to go one step further, don’t be shy. You don’t need to be an expert to join

 

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