February 2021
ctcLink Provides 24/7 Access for Students, Staff & Faculty
The first in a series of informational articles for the Campus Community
You may know Steve Downing as BC’s Director of Enrollment and Registrar Services, but did you know he’s also on the leadership team for the transition to ctcLink? There are three primary areas called “pillars” affected by the implementation of ctcLink:
- Finance and Student Financials
- Campus Solutions and Financial Aid
- Human Capital Management
Steve leads the Campus Solutions (CS) pillar, which supports every aspect of the student life cycle, including admissions, enrollment, class registration, adding/dropping classes, financial aid, tuition payments, academic records, transcripts, and diplomas. Each area has business processes to carefully prepare for transitioning to ctcLink.
A Whole New World: ctcLink’s Web-Based Environment
Steve is excited by how the new system will work, even though it means getting used to a new look and ways of accessing it: “This will be a web-based environment, which means students and staff will be able to access it any time and from anywhere with a web browser and internet connection. And because it’s a mobile-first design, you’ll be able to access it on your device of choice, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers.”
Access will be 24/7, unlike the current system that becomes unavailable overnight in order to run data backups. Greater accessibility and availability of these systems is something students have been asking about for a long time, and ctcLink moves the system closer to that goal.
ctcLink Implementation: Keep Calm and Carry On
Implementing a whole new system as far-reaching as ctcLink is a massive undertaking. “We’re going to need everyone’s patience, for sure,” Steve says, but quickly follows up with, “I know the BC community well enough to be confident in our ability to embrace the challenge and make it happen because we’ll do it together.”
And the payoff? “There’s no doubt in my mind that students are going to absolutely love how much more control they’ll have with ctcLink to manage their student experience. It opens up all kinds of new channels for both self-help and automation that will make everyone’s lives easier.”
Steve also noted how much more intuitive the user interface will be compared to the current systems in use at BC. Everything in ctcLink will be plain language and easy to figure out, which is good news for both students and staff. The in-system reference materials, when needed, are very robust and easy to access.
Another advantage for Steve and other BC staff is knowing other campuses in the Washington State Board of Technical and Community Colleges are also making the transition, some of which are on a different implementation timeline. Seventeen colleges have already implemented ctcLink, which means many potential issues are being figured out before BC goes live in October. Those that implement after BC will benefit from our experience as well.
Last Updated August 15, 2021