Since 2021, Independent Higher Education Australia (IHEA) has partnered with My eQuals to assist member engagement with the higher education credentials digital platform.
With IHEA’s diverse membership including Independent Universities, University Colleges, and Institutes of Higher Education, small, medium, and large, how can smaller providers benefit from My eQuals?
This case study outlines My eQuals implementation by BBI – The Australian Institute of Theological Education, a smaller provider and IHEA member.
BBI-TAITE My eQuals Story
In September 2021, BBI-TAITE began using My eQuals to digitally certify and issue official academic records. With less than 200 students annually, BBI-TAITE is a smaller education provider compared to other higher education providers. They have, however, gained equivalent efficiencies and cost savings comparable to the size of their institution.
Efficiencies Gained and Printing Costs Reduced
BBI-TAITE has issued over 700 digital credentials (on average 35 credentials/month) since going live, resulting in a significant cost reduction of over 50 percent from the unit cost of producing hard copies.
An immediate benefit has been the reduction in issuing time, previously taking three-four days to get records out the door.
“It was an extremely manual process for us. We had to manage multiple systems, print out the documents, physically sign them, and check for errors along the way,” said Prof Gerard Moore, President/CEO of BBI-TAITE.
Since moving to My eQuals, BBI-TAITE have seen a significant reduction in time to issue.
“We are now issuing within one day. We prepare a file and upload it to My eQuals. It’s really quite an efficient system. And not having to worry about human error along the way is certainly an added benefit”, added Prof Moore.
“In postage alone, it cost us more to send out physical records. When you factor in foils and staff time, it was a significant cost. With every document we send out through My eQuals, we are seeing a cost saving of around 50 per cent from previous means of provisioning. That’s important to us and certainly a huge benefit.”
Implementing My eQuals
My eQuals implementation has demonstrated that education providers of various sizes and usage expectations can realise the same benefits that larger universities have seen. Regardless of the size of the institution, it’s important to engage key stakeholders to ensure that the project is supported.
When considering implementing My eQuals, BBI-TAITE was conscious of how different the new process would be from what they were doing.
“Implementing My eQuals required a cultural change in the institution's approach to graduation. Traditionally, graduations were associated with paper and a range of other things that people were used to. To implement the platform successfully, we had to ask ourselves how we were serving our students and how being of service could make the workplace more interesting and better,” said Prof Moore.
BBI-TAITE went live via a well thought out month-long implementation process, considerate of the needs of the institution.
“Once time was set aside, the implementation of My eQuals was smooth, and there was no lag in the project or process,” added Prof Moore.
Benefits for Learners
BBI-TAITE wanted their ‘digital native’ students to know their online education was supported by digital solutions throughout their educational experience. By providing learners to online access their academic records any time, they met the learners’ expectations by delivering an experience they were comfortable with.
“It ticked a lot of boxes for us. To think about our online experience, but to still be mailing paper didn’t align with where we wanted to go,” said Prof Moore.
Additionally, BBI-TAITE learners are mobile, pursuing different jobs in different states. To meet these needs, BBI-TAITE wanted a solution that would promote the ability of learners to access their records quickly and efficiently, with the security measures deemed necessary by the institution. With My eQuals, learners now receive greater recognition for their academic achievements and when accessing the job market, they can claim, send, and share their credentials efficiently and securely.
“BBI-TAITE is now delivering a digital and accessible service that learners and graduates can access and request their credentials to be issued through My eQuals in a way that makes sense to them and makes sense for us. It’s a win-win. The learners clearly appreciate it, which I think is evidenced by our 87 per cent claim rate on issued credentials,” added Prof Moore.
Happier Staff
One of the ancillary benefits of My eQuals implementation has been the positive impact on staff morale and enthusiasm, knowing it has real benefits for their own process, while also providing a benefit to learners.
“Our staff feel like they are doing something that is a bit innovative…keeping them well engaged in the competitive tertiary market is really important,” said Prof Moore.
About My eQuals
My eQuals is the official tertiary credentials digital platform for the higher education sector, students, and verifiers. It provides secure access to certified, official qualification records for Australian and New Zealand universities, higher education providers, and their learners.
My eQuals was conceived in 2015 in response to the need for higher education institutions to have an easy and secure place to issue and manage official credentials for their students and graduates. It also recognised the need for those learners to have an easy and secure place to view and share the same credentials in a way that they could be easily verified by employers, recruitment professionals, and verification agencies.
For further details about My eQuals visit www.myequals.edu.au
IHEA Member Discount and My eQuals
IHEA members receive exclusive membership savings as part of an agreement between with My eQuals and IHEA.
IHEA members can learn more about the IHEA - My eQuals exclusive member discount by contacting IHEA Operations Manager, Scott Clayton via scott.clayton@ihea.edu.au
Information for this news item was produced by Digitary in partnership with - and modified by - IHEA.
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