FOCUS

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 latest trends in payment security and data breaches. Davidson also imparts wisdom on the best practices of cybersecurity that institutions can follow to keep data safe and under payment card industry (PCI) standards.

Verizon in cybersecurity?

On the surface, the correlation between Verizon, a telecommunications company, and cybersecurity might not be easy to make. However, Verizon has maintained dedicated cybersecurity services for 23 years. They offer security management and assessment services out of nine global security operation centers. Verizon was an original contributor to the PCI compliance requirements, offering primary forensic investigation (PFI) and qualified security assessor (QSA) services to companies so they can confidently validate that their environment is secure and PCI compliant.

Data breach investigations report (DBIR)

Verizon’s most notable contribution to the cybersecurity industry is the Data Breach Investigation Report (DBIR). It’s seen as the foremost authority on data breach investigations and reporting and made up of data gathered by Verizon and 86 partners and industry experts. In 2022, the DBIR confirmed 5,212 data breaches out of the 23,896 security incidents reported under the DBIR’s framework. Davidson categorizes an incident as any time sensitive information is exposed, and breaches as anytime that information is then exfiltrated to outside environments.

“We analyze that data, and we boil it down and come up with a view of the cybersecurity threat landscape that companies can use to better understand their threats, their attackers, their motives, and the defensive areas that they should bolster to help prevent impact from these attackers,” said Davidson.

The DBIR’s findings are published annually to the public, with 2022 marking the 15th publication.

Trends

In Davidson’s observations, ransomware is five times more likely to affect education. Ransomware typically refers to sensitive information being compromised and held for a financial ransom. Even if the company pays the ransom, they might not regain access to the data or the data could still be leaked. A human element drives 82% of these breaches, mostly through phishing — which is when a scammer pretends to be a credible person within the victim organization to gain access to protected data.

System intrusions are also a rising threat to higher ed institutions. A system intrusion is an instance of hacking through physical means or modems. This type of cyberattack can also take place due to miscellaneous errors like sending valuable details to a third party, leaving ports open on web applications, and other sometimes human mistakes.

Web application attacks have decreased across the higher ed sector, possibly due to cloud service adoption.

Protecting institutions

One best practice to protect institutions is to have a solid security program with a good security posture. Cybersecurity insurance is a necessity, especially in the event of a breach. Davidson believes hiring a cybersecurity advisor is on the list of best practices to aid in cases of ransomware or phishing.

Zero-trust environments are quickly becoming a proven safeguard for cybersecurity breaches. The environments are created by sharing data on a need-to-know authorization. This eliminates the amount of access given to data sets, limiting potential leak opportunities.

Moving logins to two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of protection to accounts. This second step of identification could be as simple as a security question, or verification codes sent through text, email, or a phone call.

Although the threat of cyberattacks never goes away, putting these best practices into action and being vigilant of system weaknesses can make all the difference in security.

Resources from episode:

Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) is available to download for free from Verizon: https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/reports/dbir/

Payment Security Report (PSR) is available to download for free from Verizon: https://www.verizon.com/business/reports/payment-security-report/

Contact Sean Davidson at [email protected].

Special Guest: Sean Davidson.

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 services at the top of their priorities with the “One Together, Together One” model. Simmons shares insights on the model and what steps PCC has taken towards greater student success.

Unified for better student services

PCC has since adopted a “One Together, Together One” model to re-engage and reshape their community. The initiative takes an all-hands-on-deck approach to support student success, extending to all departments, including student accounts services, financial aid, enrollment, and more.

“You want to make sure that students are prepared in the classroom, and it's our job and our responsibility to make sure that they are financially settled outside of the classroom,” says Simmons.

On-site flex schedule

Zoom Rooms

A resource beyond payments

Looking forward

Simmons also shared what’s next for the institution. Currently, the enrollment and orientation processes are being re-imagined to be more hands-on so students have more access to staff. Overall, Simmons says the school wants to be more mindful of the population they serve and strategize how to eliminate barriers in enrollment so more students can have the experience of “One Together, Together One.”

Special Guest: Fredderick Simmons.

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) market penetration. With more than 25 years of experience in the higher ed tech industry, he shares the mission of Anthology, how they create more intuitive solutions with data, the keys to successful partnerships, and upcoming trends in the ed-tech industry.

Inside Anthology

Data-driven experiences

“The definition of an intelligent experience is finding ways to use data to actually optimize on creating an action or an outcome that changes the behavior and the experience for the individuals involved,” says Sparks.

This data-driven experience also extends into student financials and the ability to provide informed predictions for student progression and retention based on student records. The data highlights critical factors that impact the likelihood of individuals succeeding.

Creating successful partnerships

In relation to the success of Anthology’s partnership with TouchNet, Sparks gives credit to open communication. The approach was to engage as early and often, looking up to each other as a trusted advisors. This dedication to engagement creates a more entrepreneurial relationship, where both companies can be focused on accelerating growth together.

Next in ed-tech

Special Guest: Rob Sparks.

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 process by implementing GradGuard, enabling students to protect themselves against financial hardship in the event they have to withdraw due to a covered medical reason. We’re diving into the university’s former refund appeal process, what the addition of GradGuard has brought to the school, and Friesenhahn’s words of advice to other institutions considering tuition insurance.

UT Dallas overview

Refund policy and appeals

Before the implementation of GradGuard, the business office handled an average of 20 tuition refund appeals from students each month, approving approximately 10 per month. Students with appeals based on approved medical reasons were granted a one-time exception to the state refund policy. The students’ tuition fees were then refunded.

Granting up to 10 appeals per month meant UT Dallas was refunding close to a million dollars each year in tuition. Friesenhahn wanted to seek out a better way to aid students in need in case they had recurring circumstances and mitigate the university’s loss of income.

Finding a better way with GradGuard

GradGuard is available at no cost to its partnering institutions, can be offered directly to students when they go to pay their tuition through an integration with TouchNet, and offers coverage for situations beyond what UT Dallas grants. Their insurance policies extend to tuition, housing costs and dining plans for as low as $110 for up to $10,000 of coverage.

The university launched GradGuard in the Spring of 2022, offering tuition protection plans at the same time the student is presented with the financial responsibility agreement that all students must sign through TouchNet Consent Manager. Parents and other authorized users could also purchase a policy through the student’s account for added convenience.

Since the addition of GradGuard, the number of appeals granted by the Bursar Office in the last calendar year dropped to two, far lower than the 120 offered in previous years. Friesenhahn hopes to increase the number of covered students by continuing to communicate with students about GradGuard. She also plans to work with the Accessibility Office to target students who might be in greater need of a policy to get them covered.

Implementing GradGuard

Friesenhahn's advice to other schools interested in GradGuard is simple: just do it.

“It doesn’t cost you anything. You're giving your students an opportunity to protect their investment in their higher education,” says Friesenhahn.

Interested in adding GradGuard to your TouchNet payment solution? Contact us here: https://go.touchnet.com/GradGuard

Learn more about GradGuard: https://hub.gradguard.com/

Special Guest: Cheryl Friesenhahn.

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 this comes many questions about how cryptocurrencies work and if there is a place for them in higher education. Gloria Rismondo, Senior Director of Product Strategy at Global Payments, joins in the conversation on this week’s episode of FOCUS to answer these questions and impart wisdom for campuses looking to crypto for the future.

The basics of cryptocurrency

Decentralized crypto is the most popular, with the original crypto Bitcoin and the popular Ether being part of this category. This type is not issued or managed by any one group, and value is only based on what someone is willing to pay for it. The downside with decentralized crypto is that value can be volatile, which can cause highs and lows in value.

Stablecoins are issued by a private entity and their value is tied to something else of value, such as a fiat currency or an algorithm to avoid unexpected swings in value. Some stablecoins have a collateral reverse of fiat, or money backed by a country’s government rather than a physical commodity, for the value of any coins issued. While this added stability can decrease risk for some investors, stablecoin is only as secure as the entity that issues it and the collateral that supports it.

CBDC is issued by different countries similarly to how they issue fiat currency, just in a digital format. The risk factor of this crypto is tied to the risk of the issuing government’s fiat currency. A few countries have fully launched a CBDC, and many others are either in piloting, development, or research phases.

How crypto works

Acquiring cryptocurrency can be done by either buying or mining, with most people choosing to buy due to mining’s heavy tech and power reliance. Purchasers buy crypto by exchanging fiat currency, or through a credit card or bank withdrawal. The buyer also pays a fee, called a gas fee, for the cost of running and supporting the blockchain.

Once purchased, cryptocurrency is stored on the blockchain and accessible with a private key. This is a unique password that can be over 200 digits long or in a hexadecimal code. The private key is the only way to claim cryptocurrency and can be stored on secure devices or in custodial wallets like Venmo, CashApp, or Coinbase for ease of use.

What is needed for institutions to accept cryptocurrency?

Rismondo also recommends campuses understand their audience’s attitude towards crypto and how many people would use it, what they would use it on, and how many even have cryptocurrency.

Where to start

“I could really see donations being a more popular scenario in crypto. It’s more popularly viewed as an investment today. So, this could be very similar to someone donating their investment portfolio in stocks or bonds to the university,” Rismondo said.

Long-term strategy for maintaining cryptocurrency will depend on institutional needs, and Rismondo suggests that campuses look at payments as investments. Payments can be held in a crypto wallet and managed, or immediately converted into fiat currency immediately through provider companies.

Get the most out of crypto

Paying attention to new regulations is also integral in getting the most out of an institution becoming crypto-friendly. While the US views it as an investment, the EU just approved the markets in crypto assets regulation, which requires stablecoin to be pinned to the euro with one for one collateral reserve. This also prohibits algorithmic cryptos, but nothing regarding decentralized currency has been covered yet. Working with the right providers and understanding the risks involved with cryptocurrency are the best paths forward for colleges and universities as they explore the world of cryptocurrencies.

Special Guest: Gloria Rismondo.

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 combined different departments and uses to enhance their campus experience. From dining services to housing access, declining balance programs, campus vendors and beyond, ULL has been able to get the most out of their student ID with the help of TouchNet’s OneCard and other solutions.

Institution overview

Foti’s position at ULL allowed her to take part in the opportunity to expand their robust campus card, known as the Cajun Card. Their student ID works with identification credentials, dining services, parking and dorm access, the classroom and library, athletic events, and other campus vendors. With this high level of integration, ULL also needed to have the right back-end support to keep the Cajun Card running smoothly.

Finding the right management

For the Cajun Card to hold such important cross-departmental credentials and financial information, security is a top priority. ULL partnered with their IT department in combination with OneCard to centralize access management. Access still funnels through the card office, who verify and print ID cards, but IT security is responsible for setting permissions. The card office handles temporary access through the Cajun Card for special circumstances like student workers on game days, dorms, and other campus facilities.

Cajun Card functions

ULL’s student ID is integrated with almost every department on campus. Dining services are the main use of the card and students are able to add funds and meal plans through the dining office. The ID cards also keep transaction reports to help dining services with their internal reporting. Sodexo, ULL’s campus dining services client, has expanded into food trucks and accepts Cajun Cash. Recently, the university is working with Sodexo and TouchNet to create online ordering for the cafeteria for students. Students can also use their Cajun Cash on their IDs at different campus vendors to buy food items.

Declining balances have also been made easier with the Cajun Card. When a student goes to the dining hall and their card is swiped, the transaction is programmed to first run the meal plan, then it goes to declining balance and Cajun Cash last. The card office does not take declining balance payments, instead students can check their balances online and make payments there or with food services.

The Cajun Card also allows professors to pull data on what students are using on-campus resources for check-in purposes. ULL’s recreation center uses their own software, but pulls information from the card to manage access levels for students. StarRez, the app used for the dorms, is integrated with the IDs for student access and other services. The Cajun Card and Cajun Cash can also be used on game days at concessions and other event vendors.

COVID innovation

Room for growth

“Getting more student organizations involved with using it. With all the Greek life there's so much opportunity there, you know they're trying to fundraise… When they have events if they don't want to take cash, then they can use Cajun Cash, or even if it was for within the sorority or fraternity. It’s just kind of getting the word out and expanding to let all of them know that there might be a solution to an existing problem that they have,” says Foti.

ULL is hoping to use the Cajun Card to get more data engagement from different departments. They are still working on streamlining the data received from the card to map out the student journey from start to finish. This key data will also be able to fill gaps in other processes and act as a source of truth for the university.

Final advice

Special Guest: Kari Foti.

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 experiences.

Ziegmann is the Associate Vice President for Technology Services and oversees enterprise systems, network cybersecurity, application development, the help desk, data governance, computing, and staff. Breitinger is CCA’s Director of Student Accounts, managing student financial service processes and policy, maintaining alignment to student success initiatives, and supporting enrollment management goals. Together, they were able to work with their teams to undertake new initiatives to redefine CCA’s student experience. Read more to learn about their process, what they discovered and implemented, and their advice for other institutions getting ready to redesign their student services.

The right foundation

CCA also implemented TouchNet payment and ID management solutions with Workday to create comprehensive student services. The college focused on creating an ecosystem of secure, reliable, and robust solutions that worked well together in terms of data exchange and user experience. They also sought innovative partners to offer the features Ziegmann and Breitinger’s teams were looking for. With the combination of strategic partners, CCA created a solid foundation going into the pandemic years that could properly respond to the changing campus needs.

Services Redesign Initiative

The Service Redesign Initiative took a closer look at the opportunities and problems posed, ultimately developing a strategy to move forward. Comprised of an interdisciplinary group of staff, the initiative took on researching the dilemma, conducting interviews, surveys, and focus groups to identify the pros and cons of remote service deliveries and working. The team sought to radically reenvision how CCA delivered services that maximized staff capabilities, minimized the on-campus staff footprint, and allowed them to be more effective in meeting student and faculty needs.

Reengineering services

The second is called The Business of Being a Student, focusing on integrated student services and how to deliver those in a way that meets student needs. This comes from stronger department collaborations and understanding the interdependencies of each role within divisions and the systems around student service goals.

“This change really means that we are focusing on integrated services, and this has optimized the student experience and strengthening of our students and people resources, providing a more streamlined and targeted experience as students focus on the business of students,” says Breitinger.

Breitinger’s focus is on billing, financial aid, access and registration, advising, and housing, the office of Student Accounts discovered that a hybrid model worked best to deliver these services, allowing students to get help on-campus or virtually from the OneStop Shop.

This allowed CCA to convey to students the ins and outs of how to navigate their business needs effectively. This holistic approach gives students a better understanding of what they need to do, why they need to do it, how they do it, and who they need to talk to. Reevaluating communication and maintaining consistency across communications to students was also integral in this second initiative.

CCA also began to look at on-campus workspaces, which was greatly informed by the newly defined staff work modes and how student services would be delivered. They looked at spaces to strategize how to optimize them for the student experience. The institution primarily ended up with a hot desk model with smaller collaboration spaces and very few dedicated private offices.

CCA’s final focus area was staff wellbeing. Fully remote staff were struggling to stay connected to campus and their peers. They are working to make sure all staff feels valued, connected, and collaborative no matter their work mode.

Bringing it all together

With their OneCard Campus ID, Ziegmann wants to aid departments in understanding that while it’s one system, each office uses it uniquely and needs processes that work together. They focus on department goals, extending beyond the technology into how they can help divisions accomplish their goals. When problems do arise, their toolkit made of TouchNet, Google, and Workday is able to solve them almost immediately.

Final thoughts

Their greatest piece of advice for other institutions seeking to reimagine their student experiences is to work collaboratively with faculty and make sure the right platforms and strategic partners are in place for success.

Special Guests: Michelle Ziegmann and Vicki Breitinger.

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 implemented processes and systems work together to best support students. O’Quinn gives insight into GW’s priorities for an integrated student experience, payment plans, what’s on the horizon for their payments process, and advice for other higher ed institutions looking to enrich their payments experience.

The Integrated Student Experience

“Our goal is to get the students what they need as early as possible and as concisely as possible because they’re there for academics, they’re not there to learn GW systems. So, our goal is to be as easy as possible,” says O’Quinn.

Student-Focused Payment Plans

To combat the issues with the one payment plan and its effects on the university’s enrollment process, GW expanded its payment plans to include four-month, three-month, and targeted plans for undergraduate and graduate students and eliminated the five-month plan. Term balances are now more streamlined and automatically adjusted for students who add or drop courses. If students re-enroll for the upcoming semester with missed payments, they are able to use those balances as a down payment on their next enrollment. This encourages students to stay on top of their bills and sign up for classes early so they can space their payments out as much as possible. O’Quinn says GW just started a late enrollment plan for students who might not have received as much aid as they expected and need a last-minute plan.

GW has been able to implement Consent Manager through TouchNet to efficiently handle financial responsibility and refund policy agreements for students to sign. The university is looking forward to the upcoming functionality with implemented TouchNet solutions in terms of delinquency reports, holds placements, automated and targeted deposits, and better communication with students when issues with their payments arise.

The Future of the Payments Center

Reducing manual processes is one of the university’s goals for the future — with GW opting for on-demand statements that reduce calls to action for students to request an itemized statement within the payments center. They are still sending monthly invoices to protect the school from student notification issues. The integration with ECSI for 1098-T forms has also lessened the manual workload.

O’Quinn says the school is pushing for more direct deposit (ACH) refunds to cut down the number of paper checks being sent, with a successful adoption rate of 80%. They are working on implementing direct-to-debit refunds after an increase in debit card refund requests. GW hopes that these refund changes will help with the reconciliation of uncashed checks.

How Other Institutions Can Become Integrated

Special Guest: Jen O'Quinn.

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 supporting student success, and how partnerships throughout the higher ed tech community have become the driving forces toward innovation.

How Ellucian Helps Higher Ed Institutions

Supporting Student Success

At the core of student success, Ipsen believes that financial success, mental health, and community all need to come together on a platform level—and keeping students enrolled. The majority of students who drop out of higher education do so because of financial or mental health issues. If schools work to simplify and reduce stressors in students’ lives, they will be able to focus on the bigger picture of their education. Ipsen is driven to help campuses provide new opportunities to make the student experience better on- and off-campus. One opportunity to aid students is to expand AI advising, so all students can access academic support whenever they need it.

When it comes to enrollment, Ipsen suggests that schools also look at retention data rather than just new enrollees. To keep retention up, explore payment plans that can be flexible for students. Then, if they go through issues with financial aid, mental health, or their health, students do not need to worry as much about the burden of paying their bill. The most important thing is to implement support that will bring back students who have dropped out, which will raise retention while helping students in need.

Better Together

For Ellucian, Ipsen says that they also had to start with their people, going from delivering best-in-class capabilities on-premises to operating through the cloud. She believes moving from on-premises to SaaS is one of the hardest things to do, but with partners like TouchNet, it can be made possible.

“There is more of an urgency now more than ever. You [have] to be resilient. It’s hard to get all the technical stuff that you need. You think tech companies are challenged [by] what institutions are dealing with, but you can’t innovate in the future unless you’re in a platform that lets you build your own future,” says Ipsen.

Tech companies and institutions have to work together in order for schools to be successful. Within that partnership, it’s also important to focus on data privacy and building in compliance with different policies and regulations. Ipsen also notes how much Ellucian values its partnership with TouchNet because of PCI compliance integrated into solutions. With the right partner, institutions can be assured their students’ data will be protected.

What’s next for Ellucian

Special Guest: Laura Ispen.

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 payments, closing the in-person cashier’s office, and implementing payment plans have impacted their operations over the past five years.

How EMU Became a Cashless Campus

To remain accessible to those who opt to use checks, drop boxes are available across campus to deposit checks. The cashiering staff can then pick up checks and process them through TouchNet’s cashiering to be posted to student accounts. EMU also has a credit union on campus that allows students who still prefer cash to receive cashier’s checks. Some departments like health services and the childcare center still accept cash, which then use the TouchNet web deposit to put the payment into an account with the credit union.

Going cashless also meant a role change for campus cashiers. Now, the cashiers at EMU are integrated into a one-stop shop helpdesk in customer service-oriented roles dedicated to student account needs.

Benefits of Reducing Cash on Campus

An unforeseen benefit to going cashless was how easy it became to transition to fully remote learning during the pandemic. Because they were already used to not having a physical cashier’s office, students, parents, and staff were unfazed by making payments online. For the students who used the drop boxes, EMU was able to have minimal staff on campus to take care of processing.

Improving Payment Operations

Payment plans have also helped the university with their accounts receivable. One condition of the five installment plan is that students must make their first payment during registration. Once EMU rolled this out, they saw immediate positive results with more students paying their bills on time. Over the past five years, this has remained consistent for the approximately 1000 students who use the plan on an annual basis.

TouchNet Payment Plans have greatly improved payment operations for EMU as well. Not only can students set automated recurring payments, but TouchNet will send them reminders before money is taken out of accounts. These fully automated messages have cut back on staff work, allowing them to focus more on customer service.

Final Thoughts

As the future of higher ed institutions approaches, EMU has put the concept to the test and come out better for it. By implementing TouchNet Payment Center and Marketplace, EMU has been able to succeed without cash payments, putting the institution at the forefront of cashless universities.

Special Guest: Beth Hardcastle.