August 11, 2020 4 min read
University of Central Arkansas
Industry:
Solution:
Located in Conway, Arkansas, the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) is a nationally recognized leader for its continuous record of excellence in undergraduate and graduate education. In 2019, UCA released an RFP to training vendors across the country to solicit the best solution for “online education courses for students, faculty, and staff” and selected Vector Solutions, the developers of the Vector LMS, Higher Education platform (formerly SafeColleges Training System), as the provider who best aligned with their vision and goals.
9,527
USERS
10,000
STUDENTS
600
EMPLOYEES
14,000
COURSE COMPLETIONS
“We chose to partner with Vector Solutions because their employee and student training solutions were direct and specific to our needs, and they didn’t try to sell us additional solutions outside our request. In addition, we were promised excellent client support and they delivered!”
“The Vector LMS, Higher Education platform is a practical and cost-effective solution to institutions on tight budgets. And, has helped us comply with OSHA, Title IX, and Workplace Harassment.”
Charlotte Strickland
Director of Professional Development and Training
The Challenge
Selecting the Right Training Partner
UCA released an RFP in 2019 to find the right vendor who could “provide online education courses for the university’s faculty, staff, and students.” UCA needed an affordable and experienced employee and student training provider that could meet a comprehensive list of content and system requirements, which included:
- Broad Selection of Higher Ed-Specific Courses for Employees and Students
- Employee Compliance Courses (ADA, Diversity, HIPAA, FERPA, PCI, Title IX, etc.)
- Employee Safety Courses (Asbestos Awareness, OSHA Procedures, Safety Data Sheets, etc.)
- Student Prevention Courses (Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Diversity Awareness, Mental Health, and Sexual Violence Prevention)
- Course and Email Automation
- Customizable Reports
- Easy-to-Use Management System with Extensive Categorizations for a Variety of Employee and Student Types
- Functionality to Upload and Present UCA-Specific Course Content
Along with these system and content requirements, UCA wanted a training provider that had proven experience, could meet its needs and provide quality service to over 10,000 students and 600 employees.
Solution and Implementation
Partnering with Vector Solutions
UCA chose Vector Solutions, the developers of the Vector LMS, Higher Education platform, as the vendor that could help them surpass their compliance, safety, and prevention goals for employee and student training. Here are some of the reasons why they selected Vector LMS, Higher Education platform:
- Direct and Specific Information
- Ability to Upload UCA-Specific Videos and Content
- Single Sign-On Capabilities
- Reporting Features
- Excellent Technical Support
- Employee and Student Training Could Be Delivered Through One System
Charlotte Strickland notes three key areas that Vector Solutions has solved for UCA:
- Convenience – Access to online education when employees and students are extremely busy and need alternatives to face-to-face training.
- Accountability – Administrative reports that hold both employees and students accountable for respectable and responsible behavior.
- Education – We all need continual education on these subjects, specifically for areas of professional and personal growth.
Results and Beyond
Fostering a Compliance and Safety-Driven Culture for Faculty and Staff
UCA requires annual mandatory training for all employees, including student workers, which includes six courses: Diversity Awareness, Email Messaging Safety, FERPA, Minor Protection, Sexual Harassment: Staff-to-Staff, Sexual Misconduct and Title IX.
UCA faculty and staff are very pleased with Vector Solutions’ expert-authored content and find the scenarios are realistic and specific to higher education. A UCA Registrar even said, “The FERPA course content was the best she has ever seen and was very appreciative that it was being provided to UCA employees.”
Since implementation, UCA has over 14,000 completions and utilizes the Vector LMS, Higher Education platform campus-wide in a variety of ways:
- Human Resources (Volunteers, International Employees, New Hires, Federal and State Compliance)
- Physical Plant (OSHA Compliance)
- Faculty (Nursing, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Educating Teaching Assistants, etc.)
- Title IX (Title IX Compliance)
UCA found the Vector LMS, Higher Education platform’s easy-to-use administrative features, specifically customization, email notifications, reporting, and offline training reporting to be a huge benefit to their organization’s training needs. UCA even trains volunteers, who are non-UCA employees, through self-registration.
Encouraging Students to Talk About Complex Issues
UCA requires that all first-time students (undergraduate, graduate, and transfer) complete Sexual Violence Prevention Training, which is assigned based on student type. With the help of the Vector LMS, Higher Education platform, UCA is easily able to manage and mandate training by flagging non-compliant users.
Outside of compliance with the SaVE Act, UCA has noticed an increased discussion on campus between advisors and students about the course topics, which is a positive indicator to UCA that it’s making students think about these complex issues. In addition, UCA has received positive feedback from athletes about the Vector Solutions Higher Education Sexual Violence Prevention course, which helps with NCAA requirements.
In addition to the Vector Solutions Higher Education Sexual Violence Prevention Training, UCA engages students with training through a variety of different departments:
- Athletics (NCAA Requirements)
- Campus Organizations (Greek Life and Student Leadership)
- Dean of Students (Disciplinary Sanctions)
- Student Services (Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Mental Health)
We applaud the University of Central Arkansas, Charlotte Strickland, and many others for their commitment to building an even safer and more inclusive campus. We are honored to be their training partner.
