My eQuals: Accelerating Regional and Global Opportunities

HoSA Conference, 11 August 2017 1

Neil J RobinsonChair, My eQuals Project Group

Outline

Global TrendsGroningen Declaration NetworkEvolution of My eQualsRoll-out learnings, Next Steps and Key IssuesFuture opportunities

2

Key international trends impacting student data portability

• ‘Massification’ and internationalisation of higher education• Globally, tertiary education enrolment increased from 124 million

students in 2003 to 200 million in 2013 or a 61% increase (World Bank)

• Projected to expand to 263 million in 2025 (UNESCO)

• Developing countries will soon have the greatest share of worldwide tertiary enrolment (World Bank)

• ‘Diversification’ of Higher Education provision and online learning • Explosion in providers, provision and student demographics

• Growth in Massive Open Online Learning Courses (MOOCs)

• E-learning to account for 30% of all higher educations provision by 2025 (European Union)

Key international trends impacting student data portability

• Increasing focus on employability of graduates • Challenges around privacy, security and fraud• Quality assurance is paramount to academic mobility

• Broader social justice and equity issues• democratisation of education, non-discrimination and human

rights, particularly for refugees; displaced persons and persons in a refugee like situation

In Summary, as Professor Jane den Hollander said yesterday – given the scale and pace of change, we will be expected to do more with less, at twice the quality but at half the cost, with more complexity but with a more personalised approach

International developments

• In 2015 Universities Australia and in 2016 Universities New Zealand agreed to participate in the Groningen Declaration Network

• “The Groningen Declaration seeks common ground in best serving the academic and professional mobility needs of citizens world wide by bringing together key stakeholders in the Digital Student Data Ecosystem”

• Groningen Declaration Network - Annual Meeting and Taskforce discussions drive directions and initiatives: opportunity for ANZ institution and individual participation

• Focus on data standards and data transfer 2017/18• My eQuals provides Australian and New Zealand Higher Education

Institutions with the platform to engage with global initiatives of this kind as well as bi-lateral initiatives with regional and international partners and employer organisations

The original concept that would become My eQuals was prompted by the Groningen Declaration

6

2013

• ANZ University Registrars (KB and NR) attend the AACRAO Conference where the Groningen Declaration is discussed

• Groningen Declaration presented at Australian and New Zealand Heads of Student Administration (HoSA) Conference

• Informal discussions begin on ‘going digital’

2014

• Universities Australia representatives attended Groningen Declaration Annual Meeting

• HoSA endorse the Going Global, Starting Local concept proposal

• Thomas C Black, Associate Vice Provost & Registrar, Stanford University presents to HoSA on the Stanford experience of moving to digital student academic records

How did My eQuals come about?

Activity quickly ramps up over time…

2015 Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

2016 Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

2017 Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Due Diligence

RFP issued

Securing Agreement

Contract negation

DVCC endorse taskforce funded by 39 Unis

Feasibility and EOIUniversities Australia signs Groningen Declaration

Contract Signing

Funding starts

Contract Signing

Vendor selected & DVCC review

Pilot ImplementationLaunch

Implementation – runs through to mid 2018

What's next?

Pilot implementation

46 individual Universities – all but 1 across ANZ

Is, was and will be a team effort driven primarily by HOSA members freely giving their time

8

Steering Committee

Project Group

Coordinating Entity

Vendor

Senior executives

SA leaders

Higher Ed Services (HES)

Digitary, solution provider

Individual participating Universities across Australia and New Zealand

Participation and relationships governed by two agreements:•Participation Agreement between Universities and HES

•A Master Services Agreement between sector and vendor

Stakeholder Groups

DVC(C), DVC(A), DVC(I), UA, UNZ, SOUL, CAUDIT, TACs, vendors…

Who is involved in My eQuals?

Interest GroupsStudents, Staff,

employers, media, policy

makers…

My eQuals Sector Wide Benefits

• All but 1 universities across Australia and New Zealand are participating in My eQuals

• This has and continues to contribute towards a more cogent solution • Spreading the cost across a greater number has lowered the barrier

to participation• There has been collaboration and support across the Higher

Education ecosystem that has reinforced and created further opportunities to leverage the initiative and platform in the future –TEQSA; Commonwealth Government; UA and UNZ and Managing Agent – Higher Education Services HES

• The platform being created is scalable and offers opportunities for further participation – ANZ education providers, AsiaPac..

My eQuals - Update

Auckland, Monash, Griffith, Auckland University of Technology, RMIT (HE), Adelaide – LIVE; Melbourne shortly…63,219 documents issued7,352 documents shared of which 96% or 7,084 have been viewed by third partiesSystem Response Times, System Availability and Issue Response Times – all meet service levels defined in the Master Service Agreement (MSA)Wave 2 (May to September 2017) Roll-out proceeding according to plan… Wave 2 Institutions: ANU; USQ; VU; UniSA; ACU; USC; OtagoWave 3 (August to December 2017) Institutions are: Newcastle; UQ; UNSW; Deakin; Canberra; Swinburne; UTAS; UTS; QUTWave 4 (January to May 2018) Institutions are: CDU; ECU; Murdoch; UNE; UWA; Curtin; CSU; VUW; Sydney; Wollongong; CanterburyWave 5 (March to July 2018) Institutions are: Federation; Lincoln; Notre Dame; Flinders; CQU; La Trobe; Macquarie; SCU; Waikato; Massey; UWS

10

Implementation Learnings

12 week Wave roll-out can be achievedRegular engagement with Wave participants, HES and Vendor is critical to successful implementationEarly briefing and mobilisation of Institution Home Team, in advance of Wave Roll-out – facilitates implementationIdentification of Institution resources and capabilities, Project Manager etc –critical Adelaide: Single jpeg of Logo, Artwork and Signatures facilitates roll-outPDF/XML – institutions need to determine what is the most appropriate approach for them – the preferred approach is XML but there are 4 options to consider (Gary Tomlin at HES is available for consultation)

11

Key issues – from the Project Group perspective

Minimal contingency funds are available for variation in the program – we adopted a 5 Wave Roll-out program instead of the planned 4To manage cash flow, the Executive agreed to invoice early (given payment terms) – Prompt payment is criticalVendor engagement – we need the active engagement of vendorsMovement between roll-out waves – is not possible and institutional delays will be at the cost of individual institutionsScope change – is not possiblePriority is completing roll-out program by mid 2018 – evolution of benefits over time

12

What are the future opportunities?

• Opportunity to extend platform through digitisation of other documents, processes and products such as concession cards and other situations were student identification is required

• Assist students with improved pathways to study and employment – contributing to the Employability agenda

• Exploring with Public Transport Victoria (PTV) on digital delivery of documentation required for PTV Student Concessions• No need for students to submit hard copy applications to PTV

• Improves efficiency, speed and reduces cost

• Improves student experience

Opportunities for regional and international collaboration

• Regional and international data standards and qualification frameworks – an opportunity to influence, engage and assist with admissions and mobility

• Australian Government's National Strategy for International Education 2025 - seeks to improve trust in qualifications, reduce barriers to student mobility and strengthen international partnerships

• Article 26 Backpack• International agreements, networks and joint projects facilitate

opportunities• UNESCO Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications

• Asia Pacific Quality Network (APQN)

• ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework (AQRF)

• APEC Integrated Referencing Framework

• Mutual Recognition of Credits among Universities in the APEC Region (APEC Project No: HRD 02 2016A)

15

Exploring expansion opportunities

• Opportunities for other countries such as Pacific island nations to join My eQuals – potentially facilitated by Groningen Declaration Network

• Opportunities for other parts of the education sector: • TAFE, VET, Professional Bodies• Regulators and Government (education, immigration, border

protection and trade)• Project Group agreed to develop future opportunities criteria and

discussion paper for its next meeting in October

17

Two frameworks guide the development of the Roadmap

Time

Value

0 – 18 monthsBuild and operate the core

18 – 36 monthsDevelop new opportunities

36 – 72 monthsVision and viable options

Three horizonsManaging the current, whilst maximising future opportunities for growth

Roll out My eQuals to the universities

Functional enhancement,

expanding participants

What is our long term

vision for My eQuals?

• Our focus to date has very much been on horizon 1 • building the core document certification and exchange functionality• Roll-out to participating universities

• New opportunities are emerging, both in terms of expanding functionality/services and roll-out to other education providers• Opportunities should be considered in the context of a long term vision, so that medium term efforts are prioritised accordingly

Roadmap

Participants

Func

tiona

lity/

Serv

ices

Two dimensionsExpanding functionality/services and participants

Document certification and exchange

XML standard

Employability/recruitment services

Other ANZ education providersInternational participants

Connectivity to other nodesAdmission integration

Credit assessment

Roadmap

Who is the client?

Core or baseline functionality

Universities

StudentsIndustry

Functionality Development Axes

University stakeholders will like focus here when developing a potential roadmap.

My eQuals should consider functionality along this axis as it provides a pathway for developing a self-sustaining business model.

Thank you…

My eQuals is an initiative of HOSA and it has been HOSA members who have nurtured and continue to steer the roll-out program.The Project Group need particular acknowledgement as it has been they who have freely given of their time and efforts to sustain the Digital Student Data Project:Murray Alessandrini; Joan Angel; Kathryn Blyth; Joanna Browne; Jo Calmer; Sue Colvin; Peter Corbett; Richard Frampton; Edwina Grose; Neville Hiscox; Grant Jacobs; Anne Kealley (CAUDIT); Dave Lamb; Cathy McGrath; Brendan Nelson; Julianne Paltridge; John Reed; Di Regan-Roots; Neil Robinson; Claudia Sepulveda; Richard Stewart; Allan Tabor; Samantha WinterPlus huge contributions from the following who are less involved now:Mark Erikson; Brett Harris; Anthony Manahan; Maddy McMasterThe Steering Group chaired by Peter Marshall have been phenomenal in getting us to where we are.Huge thanks to Kate Whight from HES who was there at the startJay Segeth; Gray Tomlin; Andrew Trnacek and Jacqui Elson-Green - the HES team who are managing the roll-out and My eQuals world dominationAND all of you for your support, encouragement, guidance and chasing of your internal stakeholders as we have navigated our way through – we are on our way!

19