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SPSU Cuts Manual Work, Ensures
Same-Day
Transcript
Processing
DATA EXCHANGE
services
for U.S. and International Students
An institution with a focused
curriculum on innovative
sciences and technologies,
Southern Polytechnic State
University (SPSU) naturally
wanted to introduce the
same level of innovation in the transcript services they offer.
Serving more than 5,500 students from 36 states and 64
countries, SPSU realized they needed a new way to meet
transcript request demand, and so they turned to the
Clearinghouse’s Transcript OrderingSM solution.
“Having been here at SPSU for nearly 36 years, I’ve been
through the ups and downs of our school’s growth,” said
Bennie Houck, Records Specialist. “Transcript Ordering
has been such a time saver! For a long time, we had a very
manual process, where we were collecting handwritten
forms and gathering student signatures.” Transcript
Ordering has created an expedient approach for SPSU,
helping to fulfill the level of urgency their students have.
Managing Special Ordering Needs
With only a small staff to manage their transcript request
process, SPSU found an advantage with Transcript
Ordering’s ability to view, sort, and filter transcript requests
to simplify the staff’s manual work. For instance, they can
filter out special processing requests such as “After Grade
Posting.” They can also determine if a student record isn’t
in the SPSU database, in the event they need to pull the
permanent record. Their staff found the interface intuitive,
and it was easy to identify and match student records with
the requests through Transcript Ordering.
Increased Customer Service Value
The implementation of their new system was efficient, and
it quickly elevated SPSU from a manual ordering system
to an electronic one, eliminating the need to keep a paper
trail. By setting up a computer station in their registrar
office, they were able to smoothly transition their students
and alumni over to an automated method of ordering
transcripts at SPSU in just a few months.
When a student calls to check on an order status, it only
takes a second for Houck or another staff member to
figure out if there’s a hold or if it’s been processed. Not
only that, they can eliminate duplicate orders through easy
access to order history. Transcript Ordering’s customeroriented approach has also significantly reduced the
volume of student calls and drop-ins. The service is
especially designed to enable students to do more for
themselves online — submitting a new transcript order
anytime, signing paperless consent, and tracking orders via
mobile text alerts.
overnight/air delivery options, which they’ve done in the
past to make sure it gets there in time,” Houck also added.
Currently, Houck mainly manages incoming transcript
orders, which can average 500 to 600 transcripts per
month. It previously
took three to five
“Transcript
business days to process
Ordering has been
and deliver a student
transcript. SPSU has
such a time saver!
a large international
For a long time, we
student population who
need speedy transcript
had a very manual
delivery, and Transcript
process, where we
Ordering enables their
office to provide
were collecting
same-day processing.
handwritten forms
Transcript Ordering has
and gathering
significantly relieved the
student signatures.”
administrative process
for SPSU. In the past,
Bennie Houck,
transcript processing
SPSU Records Specialist
was a full-time job. Now
it takes 20 minutes to one hour to complete the daily
queue of transcript orders, minimizing the amount of
manual work involved. Also, the administrative tool has a
cutoff date to eliminate older orders that students may no
longer want or need (e.g., orders with a “Financial Hold” or
“Missing Consent Form after 30 days).
“There’s no longer a need to deal with money collection,”
said Houck. “Our students can have the confidence in using
Transcript Ordering to complete their orders securely, and
they’ll never be charged until the order is done.” Protecting
student privacy is an important concern for SPSU, and
through years of working with the Clearinghouse, they
trust the security of the Transcript Ordering platform.
With Transcript Ordering, participating schools can
easily integrate electronic transcript delivery at any time,
including our digital signature, rights management, and
additional document delivery options. “Our next step is
being able to offer electronic transcript PDF delivery,”
commented Houck.
n n n
Learn more about Transcript Ordering and other
Transcript Services at www.transcriptservices.org.
If you have questions or would like to start using
Transcript Ordering, please contact your Clearinghouse
regional or managing director or email
service@studentclearinghouse.org.
Efficient Delivery Options
Transcript Ordering also provides valuable savings for
both SPSU staff and students, particularly international
students. “We are able to process requests in the same
day, so students don’t have to spend extra costs on
© 2014 National Student Clearinghouse. All rights reserved.
www.studentclearinghouse.org
0312-0
www.studentclearinghouse.org
© 2014 National Student Clearinghouse. All rights reserved.
0312-0