Ajman University is the Only University in the Middle East to Win the 2021 Ellucian Impact Award for its innovation Efforts to Support Students During Pandemic
Ellucian, the leading higher education technology solutions provider, today announced that Ajman University has won a 2021 Ellucian Impact Award. The university was honored for its innovative efforts to support students during the pandemic.
The annual Ellucian Impact Awards celebrate visionaries who are inspiring others to push the boundaries of higher education technology and innovation. The announcement was made during Ellucian Live, the industry’s top global technology conference. This year, Ellucian recognized six institutions that represent excellence across the categories of student well-being, innovation and digital transformation. Ajman University won in the innovation category.
The other winners include Community College of Baltimore County, University of Southampton (United Kingdom), University of Hartford, University of the West Indies-Cave Hill and New Jersey Institute of Technology.
“It has been inspiring to see how these Ellucian customers are using technology to operate more efficiently, overcome challenges and offer a unique student experience. This year’s Impact Award Winners truly exemplify what it means to be a transformational, digitally focused and student-centered institution. I’m honored to recognize them for their remarkable efforts and look forward to continued partnership in navigating the future together,” said Laura Ipsen, President and CEO, Ellucian.
“At a time when we face a devastating global pandemic, being chosen as the only higher education institution that has won the Ellucian Impact Award in the Middle East for the innovation category, has never felt more important or had more to contribute to UAE higher education and innovation,” said Dr. Karim Seghir, Chancellor of Ajman University. “We are truly honored & thrilled on winning this Award which is a result of the collective efforts of students, staff and faculty within AU. I would like to take this occasion to thank and congratulate the AU Family on their well-earned achievement."
Ajman University’s submission noted that 2018 was a year of transformation and innovation. Since then, the university has been focused on developing strategies for improving work cycles, adopting smart solutions that focus on both digital and “green”, and automating manual processes. Some of the key improvement initiatives the university has undertaken include:
- Digitization of 86% of its processes
- Conversion of 100% of its documents to electronic archived format, including more than 75,000 student records
- Adoption of digital signatures for contracts and official documents
- Integration of the online request system with the digital government application program, UAE Pass
These initiatives helped the university improve its student satisfaction score to an impressive 91%.
In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Office of IT at Ajman University successfully developed an innovative campus accessibility management system to ensure the safety of students, staff and faculty members. The accessibility solution which is integrated with the existing SIS Banner system uses unique QR codes to validate Covid-19 test status of individuals and determines their eligibility for access to the campus. This has proven highly effective in ensuring a safe environment within the campus for students and staff members during the pandemic.
Ajman University continues to take innovation to new heights, where a culture of innovation is embedded among students, faculty and staff members, as well as all stakeholders and partners. The university is ranked among the top 2.5% universities worldwide, #35 in the Arab region as per the 2021 QS Arab Rankings and one of the top 150 young institutions worldwide.
