Economic Downturn and Federal Regulations Spur Greater Focus on Placement Rates

DENVER, July 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- TopSchool, a leading SaaS provider of Student Lifecycle Management (SLM) solutions for higher education, has published a new white paper, "Taking Career Services to the Next Level in Higher Education." Author Justin McMorrow highlights the career services trends colleges and universities must consider in order to deliver a higher level of support to students beyond the learning experience.

"In the past, if a college was successful in training a student for the workplace, and that student met or exceeded the standards in his or her chosen field, then the college had done its job – that's not enough anymore," said McMorrow, who serves as Chief Customer Officer and co-founder of TopSchool.  

McMorrow continued, "The weakened economy and new federal regulations, such as Gainful Employment, are holding colleges and universities more accountable when it comes to career placement. Schools need to step up their efforts to help students navigate the process, connect with employers, and secure a well paying job in their field of study."

As institutions look for new ways to help graduates succeed on a professional level, a more strategic approach can produce better student placement rates, which in turn can also support stronger student recruitment and higher student retention rates.  Colleges and universities should address the following within their career services organizations:

1. Stronger relationships between employers and institutions
2. Automated communications between students and the school's career services team
3. Dedicated career services staffing
4. More student self-service functionality
5. Increased tracking and measurement

McMorrow's white paper, "Taking Career Services to a New Level in Higher Education, Part I" is available in the resources section on the company's website.  Stay tuned for Part II where McMorrow will outline the steps colleges and universities can and should take to advance career services, achieve higher placement rates and better support students and graduates.

About TopSchool

TopSchool (www.topschoolinc.com) built the first SaaS student administrative system in higher education to address the key aspects of the student lifecycle.  The company's Student Lifecycle Management (SLM) system goes beyond the capabilities of traditional college student information systems, and includes a customizable student portal, easy-to-use CRM and SIS components, and an intelligent reporting suite.   Schools can easily manage all student information from recruiting through retention in a central location, and they can deliver more student services more efficiently.  The TopSchool system gives student-centric institutions the power to direct their own administrative tools, empowering them to drive growth, reduce costs and meet accountability requirements.

SOURCE TopSchool

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