Northern Marianas College Vice President for Administration and Advancement Frankie Eliptico, center, works with various staff members of NMC’s Information Technology, Finance, Admissions and Records, and Financial Aid departments during a live simulation training of Ellucian Colleague, a new cloud enterprise resource planning software.
NORTHERN Marianas College is enhancing student experiences through its ongoing digital migration project, OneProa, which involves transitioning to a new cloud enterprise resource planning software, Ellucian Colleague.
According to Frankie M. Eliptico, NMC vice president of administration and advancement, the initiative aims to streamline administrative processes and improve the management of student data, ultimately creating a more efficient and supportive environment for students and staff alike.
Ellucian Colleague is an enterprise resource planning or ERP system specifically designed for higher education institutions. It serves as a comprehensive student information system that streamlines various administrative processes and enhances the management of student data throughout their lifecycle, from admissions to graduation.
As part of this migration to a new system, NMC’s new self-service platform, Portal+, will consolidate all academic and administrative services into one centralized software solution.
The adoption of this cloud-based technology significantly reduces cybersecurity risks, improves resilience during natural disasters and emergencies, enhances user experiences, and meets accreditation requirements by streamlining operations and ensuring reliable, accessible data.
“As with any new system, the migration to a new ERP system will not be without challenges,” said Eliptico. “However, we are working to ensure that staff and faculty and students are supported and adequately trained as we roll it out.”
Since April 2024, college employees have undergone training with representatives from Ellucian and NMC’s information technology personnel. In October 2024, the finance component went live and all financial services were transferred to Colleague. Earlier this month, the Human Resources and Payroll components of the program went live, and to date, all employees are now submitting their timesheets and leave requests virtually.
Currently, college employees are participating in live simulation training with the software. This simulation mimics the entire student journey from admission to financial aid, registration, and billing.
“As we embark on this exciting digital transformation with OneProa, I am thrilled about the opportunities it presents for our students and staff,” NMC President Galvin Deleon Guerrero, EdD, said. “Together, we are committed to fostering an environment that prioritizes accessibility and data reliability, ensuring that we meet the evolving needs of our community. I want to thank everyone involved in this initiative for their dedication and hard work as we continue to build a brighter future for NMC.”
Current and prospective students of NMC are slated to start using the new Portal+ for class registration in the Fall of this year.
