Case Study
Blackboard and Edmonds
Community College
Executive Summary
Edmonds Community College utilizes both the Blackboard Transaction System™ and the Blackboard
Learning System™ to enhance the level of service for busy commuter students. As the campus has
increased the use of these solutions they have increased revenue and lowered operating costs. This has
helped Edmonds meet the financial and service challenges of a growing campus population in a very
difficult economic climate.
About Edmonds Community College
Edmonds Community College is a public two-year college located in Lynwood, Washington. The
attractive and user-friendly campus sits on 50 acres of land within 15 miles of Seattle. The physical
proximity of Edmonds to the “Tech and .com boom” of the 90’s places them in the middle of an area
full of economic challenges. Serving the academic needs of the greater Seattle area, Edmonds is focused on using technology, business partnerships and creativity to provide quality educational services
to a rapidly expanding student population. Over 1000 public access computers are made available to
Edmonds 10,000 students. Additionally, more than 6000 enrollments in 160 on-line courses illustrate
Edmonds commitment to on-line education. Students have the ability to earn a two-year degree online that could lead to a four-year degree with their partner Washington State University.
The Challenge
Community Colleges are frequently faced with the task of doing more with less. In periods of
economic challenge many people turn to education as a way to learn a new trade as path to career success. Edmonds is located in an area facing one of the highest unemployment rates of in the country.
With 66% of the college’s operating budget coming from state funding, decreases in state tax revenue
resulted in budget challenges. To compound the issue, the decrease in employment opportunities is
resulting in increases in student enrollment. For the 2002 Fall Quarter Edmonds student enrollment
increased by 10%. The task of quickly and accurately identifying individuals and verifying their enrollment has never been more important. Additionally, the need to expand class offerings and class size
challenges the instructional space available on campus. The campus Administration must be able to
respond quickly to these very changeable and “fluid” situations.
Description of Solutions
Service Enhancements Via a Campus Transaction System
With the axiom of “do more with less through the use of technology” Edmonds management team set out to identify ways to enhance services to each Edmonds student. In 1995 a special
“Campus Card Committee” was established to study the “ID Card” issue and advance the process of
developing a cost effective and better way to identify students and deliver services. The committee
discovered that four-year colleges were using technology rich transaction management systems to solve
identification issues while building a suite of creative student service opportunities. It became clear
that Edmonds needed to be a pioneer for two-year schools and build a one-card program focused on
their unique needs. Of particular interest were enhancements to student services such as card controlled electronic access to spaces, library lending control and debit based transaction opportunities.
The committee’s work led to a phased approach in the development of a comprehensive one-card
transaction system. The following phases illustrate the evolution of the Edmonds transaction system:
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Phase 1
A committee representing the Library,
Bookstore, Business Office, Institutional
Technology, Community Transit, Student
Government and Student Programming
would research and select a business
partner to supply hardware, software and
support.
Phase 2
Campus implementation of a new
photo image based identification card
system and identification of services that
could be connected to this new card
system named EdPass.
Phase 3
Expand the EdPass functions to include services identified in Phase 2. The
expansion of card functions were both a
step-by-step process as well as an evolutionary process based on campus needs
and funding ability.
Maximizing Resources via Blackboard’s Academic Solution
When the demand for academic
services began to exceed the ability of Edmonds to provide appropriate space for
teaching and learning the “do more with
less through the use of technology” axiom
once again became the challenge.
Edmonds was an early adopter of the
Blackboard Learning System and was familiar with the opportunities it presented
for elasticity in enrollment management.
Through a conscious effort to promote
the advantages of on-line education offerings, Edmonds effectively built a reputation in the e-learning community and
became a leader in on-line degree granting Community Colleges. The scalability
and intuitive nature of Blackboard’s
Academic Solution has eased the ability
of transitioning traditional courses to
on-line courses. Students residing in
the community served by Edmonds take
full advantage of the on-line educational
services of Edmonds. For the Fall 2002
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Quarter over 90 courses were offered online providing time challenged students
the ability to earn a 2-year degree when
they have the time to learn.
Implementation and Results
Shortly after the initial committee was
formed a small group attended the 2nd
Annual Meeting of the National Association of Campus Card Users held in La
Jolla, CA. Following this meeting a plan
was developed to move forward with the
project. With full support of senior campus administration the committee began
to determine what would be needed in a
system. A Request-for-Proposal was issued and the responses carefully weighed.
The Blackboard Transaction System was
selected as the best fit for Edmonds. A
system was designed to enhance services
to the campus and meet the needs of Edmonds. The first carding event occurred
on April 1, 1996. Since the beginning
the college community has come to
expect a transaction system that provides
a variety of services or values to each
constituency. As new ideas for system
enhancements are suggested they are built
into a planned implementation process.
The following service opportunities are
now part of the EdPass program:
• Ability to participate in the FLEX
account program to purchase goods
and services from the Campus Store,
Triton Marketplace, Fine Dining and
Vending.
• Use of EdPass as Free Transit Pass
• Library Circulation Services
• Discounts on admission to theaters and
the ballet
Conclusion
Both the Blackboard Transaction System
and the Blackboard Learning System have
made life easier for students, faculty, and staff
at Edmonds Community College. The technology of Blackboard has brought about efficiencies and savings, some of which have even
been passed along to the local community.
The ability to build sales with FLEX accounts,
protect space with access control and track
the use of both helps management make more
informed decisions. The Blackboard Learning System has allowed the campus to expand
its reach without the requirement to expand
physical space. Edmonds Community College is meeting the axiom to “do more with
less through the use of technology” in ways
that benefit the entire campus community.
For more information about the
Blackboard Transaction System,
please call 1.800.528.0465 or visit
www.blackboard.com.
• Serves as a key to buildings and rooms
• Pays for copier use
• Access to Campus Entertainment,
Computer Labs, Recreational Facilities,
Counseling Services, Testing Center
and other Academic Services
Phoenix, AZ Campus
22601 North 19th Avenue, Suite 200
Phoenix, AZ 85027
1-800-528-0465
+1-623-476-1400
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