Request for Information (RFI) - Student Recruitment Transformation

Overview The University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) has issued this Request for Information (RFI) to gather information from vendors, industry experts and solution providers on current market capabilities, leading practices and transformational solutions relevant to UniSC's student recruitment transformation. Purpose This RFI activity is for information gathering purposes only and does not constitute a tender process, nor a formal approach to market. However, it may inform the development of the requirements for a subsequent procurement process. Participation from entities (Respondents) is voluntary and at the sole risk, cost and expense of the Respondent. UniSC is undertaking a transformation of its student recruitment processes, systems, data and operating model. This is an opportunity to consider transformational change to the way the University attracts, engages, assesses, converts and supports prospective students, with a clear focus on simplifying processes, improving system capability and enhancing the applicant experience from first contact through to commencement. UniSC seeks information from vendors, industry experts and solution providers to better understand current market capabilities, leading practices and transformational solutions. Responses should help UniSC validate its assumptions, identify practical improvement opportunities, and explore how student-centred processes and systems could be reimagined. About Current State Student recruitment is an end-to-end institutional capability that crosses organisational boundaries. It requires coordinated processes, data, and visibility across marketing, recruitment, admissions and student administration functions. The current application-to-census journey spans approximately 12 systems and almost 200 process steps across the student lifecycle. Independent UX research and extensive stakeholder consultation identified recurring challenges relating to fragmented experiences, excessive process complexity, limited visibility of applicant progress, and reliance on manual intervention to bridge gaps between systems and teams. These issues create friction for prospective students at critical decision points and increase operational effort across recruitment, admissions and enrolment functions. See Appendix A for high level architecture of current state. Problem Statement Current challenges are compounded by increasing recruitment volumes, growing expectations from prospective students for personalised digital experiences, and operational inefficiencies. UniSC's student recruitment processes and systems need to evolve to support future enrolment growth, improve applicant conversion rates and deliver a more consistent, student-centred experience. UniSC currently expects this to occur as a phased delivery, setting a vision and future state for how this transformation can be realised, designing the target state processes, modernising the technology landscape, and using this as a roadmap to prioritise and align the uplift, replacement and/or removal of systems and processes along the journey. Objectives The expected key impacts of this change will be improved: Student Experience: A simpler, more connected and more transparent recruitment journey Operational Efficiency: Reduced staff effort, operational costs of supporting systems and improved consistency Organisational Capability: Improved scalability, visibility and agility Strategic Outcomes: Improved recruitment conversion and stronger student outcomes Information Requested Respondents are asked to provide information that helps UniSC: Validate its assumptions regarding current market capabilities and leading practices Identify practical improvement opportunities for the student recruitment journey Explore how student-centred processes and systems could be reimagined Enquiries Contact: Jacqui Small, Senior IT Vendor & Contracts Officer Phone: +61 7 5456 5820 Email: jsmall@usc.edu.au