Why Small and Mid-Sized Non-Profit Schools Choose Campus Cafe
Tailored Solutions for Complex Schools
See how smaller colleges and universities can increase productivity with Campus Cafe’s integrated student information system.
Smaller colleges and universities face a unique challenge in finding a student information system (SIS). Large vendors have too many complex features, a hefty price tag and a long implementation timeline. At the same time, smaller vendors lack the higher-ed experience and analytical sophistication to understand your school’s unique needs.
Campus Cafe has worked directly with smaller colleges and universities for over 35 years. With a commitment to customer service, we offer a tailored SIS solution that fits the needs of smaller educational institutions.
A recent survey among four private colleges rates Campus Cafe’s system an average of four out of five for value and a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of eight out of 10. NPS is the likelihood that a customer to recommend a company, product or service.
Outlined here are five key reasons that smaller colleges and universities choose to partner with Campus Cafe.
“I like working with companies where we can come together quickly. As a small school, I never felt like we got lost in the shuffle.”
– Anneliese Spaeth, Chief Technology Officer
1. Adaptability
Extracting data from admissions, financial aid, registration, faculty and alumni departments is a complex process, especially when third-party applications like accounting software and learning management systems (LMS) are integrated into the mix.
Today’s non-profit schools are under pressure to adapt and innovate. Smaller schools often add new undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as expand their online offerings. Campus Cafe is lauded by clients for its ability to keep up with the pace of change.
“For over 20 years, it’s been tweaked to do what we do. We have online divisions and we now have a graduate division. It’s been flexible enough to do whatever we ask it to do.”
– Steven Rich, President
Amy Wilson, Director of IT Business Services at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, notes that the Campus Cafe staff is willing to meet their specialized needs and ad-hoc requests.
2. Personalized Service
Smaller institutions need an SIS partner that has both responsive customer support and can meet the unique needs – and budgets – of smaller institutions.
Campus Cafe bridges the gap by offering comprehensive implementation services and a dedicated team, while offering a personalized touch. It’s a balance that many institutions appreciate.
“Everyone’s first choice was Campus Cafe.”
– Amy Wilson, Director of IT Business Services
Schools that work with Campus Cafe not only get a dedicated project manager, they also get direct attention from company leaders to ensure you get the most out of your student information system.
Wayne Kliewer, IT Director at Tabor College, highly recommends Campus Cafe for schools with around 1,000 students, emphasizing the company’s dedication to quality and value.
Dedicated Account Manager
U.S.-Based Help Desk
Online Knowledge Base
3. Modern and Intuitive Software Design
With a diverse user base, including students, faculty, staff, administrators, and sometimes parents and alumni, an easy-to-use SIS is essential.
Campus Cafe’s non-profit clients love that the system is easy to navigate, even for those who aren’t technically inclined. And for school administrators who manage duties across departments, the simplicity helps everyone stay organized.
“[Campus Cafe] allows the day-to-day user to easily gather information, reports or look up information.”
– Wayne Kliewer, IT Director
For example, Campus Cafe’s integration with Google facilitates single sign-on (SSO). One username and password for the system prevents juggling multiple login credentials.
4. Smart Integrations
A critical aspect of selecting an SIS is its ability to integrate with existing systems. Campus Cafe excels in this area by accommodating many third-party integrations, and can even build custom integrations to meet the unique needs of each institution.
Common integrations for non-profit schools include LMS software, as well as billing, financial aid or admissions-related programs.
“Their willingness to add things into the system, which normally would take forever to do – or you wouldn’t get a company to agree to – is huge. I don’t think we’d be where we are today if they hadn’t agreed to build some of the things.”
– Anneliese Spaeth, Chief Technology Officer
Huntingdon College uses several third-party systems, including its LMS, a financial aid program, and the communications platforms Constant Contact and MessageMedia.
Albany College, for example, integrated several specialized programs. The college uses Slate to support admissions functions but needed custom integrations for the housing program and bus passes, all of which Campus Cafe helped implement.
5. Improved Efficiency and Productivity
Campus Cafe’s integrated, cloud-based SIS significantly enahnces data access and collaboration, resulting in better data accuracy and more streamlined operations.
For example, Campus Cafe has “revolutionized” course registration at Huntingdon College. Instead of creating individual student schedules that must be uploaded one by one, the registrar now uploads batched schedules. The result is more accurate scheduling and enrollment information, which frees registrars to work on more strategic tasks.
Additionally, Campus Cafe’s degree audit features help minimize the time spent on data entry and fixing errors.
Campus Cafe Delivers for Small and Mid-sized Institutions
In a crowded technology industry, Campus Cafe stands out as a valuable partner for smaller institutions.
The system helps improve productivity, data accuracy, and day-to-day operations by providing smaller non-profit colleges and universities with the tools they need to succeed in today’s competitive education landscape.
“The software hits that middle ground. It offers enough functionality that we can do what we need to do.”
– Anneliese Spaeth, Chief Technology Officer