News
Looking for inside news on what's happening in the world of RIO Education?
Follow us for updates on the latest news, ranging from events and webinars, to new version releases and successful RIO Education implementations with our customers.
[New release] - RIO Education v3.11.4
RIO Education v3.11.4 patch is out! Check out our release notes here, for the latest bug fixes:
- Session Template Builder: Timeslot not appearing.
- Error when loading Session Scheduler, Session, Course Offering, Program Enrollment during upgrade.
- Session scheduler: The scheduler switcher button group is out of alignment.
- Course Offering rollup locking issue when multiple students trying to enroll to the same Course Offering at the same time (high volume of requests).
[New release] - RIO Education v3.11.3
RIO Education v3.11.3 patch is out! Check out our release notes here, for the latest bug fixes:
- New Custom Settings not populated immediately.
- Transfer Credit Wizard PE Group lookup not working.
- Transfer Credit Wizard: Error when reapproving rejected record.
- Auto credit transfer not able to locate best attempt Course Connection through multiple Program Enrollments.
- Inactive User Error on Program Plan Cloning Wizard.
- My Majors multi-group courses can skip assigning a primary group.
- Translated Faculty Roles mismatched with Qualified Roles.
[Event] - Enrollment Strategy & Goals
Outdated systems and siloed departments force staff to focus on operational tasks instead of innovation and successful achievement of enrollment goals.
Join our webinar and imagine what a connected campus could look like at your institution. RIO Education Student Information System leverages Salesforce’s CRM platform to provide the practical technology needed to centralize and optimize your data.
Click here to register for our upcoming webinar on Wednesday, 14th December, and learn about the implementation process, gaps that impact success, and the critical solutions you need to get the outcomes you want!
Delete[New release] - RIO Education v3.11.2
RIO Education v3.11.2 is now out!
Check out our latest bug fixes in our release notes here.
Delete[New release] - RIO Education v3.11.1
RIO Education 3.11.1 patch is out!
We have made some improvements, such as being able use either one of Program Application or Program Enrollment for transferring credits now.
Check out our latest release notes here!
Delete[Event] - Presentation at the 2022 AACRAO SEM: Enrollment Strategy & Goals
Don't forget to catch our presentation at the 2022 AACRAO SEM, conducted by our very own Ayesha Bangash and Katie Hemmer!
Topic: Easy to Define but Difficult to Execute: Enrollment Strategy & Goals
Day: Tuesday, November 15, 2022
Time: 4:15 PM EST
Learning Outcomes:
- Leverage the power of one platform to eliminate data silos and create a connected campus.
- Use data to make better decisions and support the achievement of strategic goals.
- Optimize institutional efficiency to improve institutional culture and prioritize campus-wide wellness.
Core Competencies: Holistic and Systemic Thinking, Technological Knowledge.
Proficiencies: Enrollment Management: Enrollment Technology, Records & Acad. Svcs.: Operations and Business Process Management.
Intended Audience: Significant experience in the profession, Senior management (President, Provost, Vice President, Vice Provost).
Delete[Event] - 2022 AACRAO SEM Conference
RIO Education is a proud sponsor of the 2022 AACRAO SEM Conference! Visit Booth #220 at the Westin Harbor Castle Toronto, from Nov 13th - 16th to talk all things student information.
Learn more at our presentation on Tuesday Nov 15th, at 1pm EST. RIO Education has the tools to help institutions optimize technology to address pain points and serve all stakeholders. Institutions have a lot of information. Join us to learn how our holistic student management system can support your campus.
Delete[Event] - Live Demo of RIO Education SIS
Join us for a live demo by our CTO, Walter Dewildt, on November 9th at 5pm EST.
Come see how RIO Education's future ready, student driven platform can be a part of your institutions digital transformation.
Click here to register!
Delete[Newsletter] - November 2022
Check out November edition news here!
Take a look at our last month in review, and our recently released RIO Education version 3.11.
Also, check out and register for our upcoming events this month!
Delete[New release] - RIO Education v3.11
We are proud to share that RIO Education v3.11 has been released!
Check out our release notes here and discover our latest features and enhancements.
Delete[Event] - EDUCAUSE 2022
Visit us at Booth #623 at the Colorado Convention Center, Denver, from 25th - 28th October!
Learn how RIO Education can help schools manage their information, eliminate data silos, and make better data-driven decisions. Streamline your business processes and future-proof your institution.
Click here to reserve your time with us at the booth.
Can't make it to the conference? RIO will visit your campus! Click here to request an in-person visit on your campus.
Check out our upcoming events for other exciting events.
Delete[Event] - Lowering Discount Rates & Maximizing Institutional Aid: Demystifying the Role of Aid in Student Choice
Join our conversation with Tom Green, Director Strategic Enrollment Management at Salesforce. Learn how to effectively communicate institutional cost, manage your staff’s time and spend less to get the students you want.
Participate in our discussion demonstrating how RIO Education's Student Information System can future ready your institution for best practices surrounding Financial Aid.
Click here to register for this event, happening on 12th October (Wednesday, 17:00 hours UTC/GMT).
Check out our upcoming events for other exciting events.
Delete[Event] - Transform your Campus with RIO Education SIS
Schools need to track a lot of information about their students. RIO Education can help.
Join our conversation with Michelle Clifton, M.Ed, Scott Woodfill, and Tori Lepore on Wednesday, September 14 (3:00 pm in Eastern Time (US and Canada)).
Click here to attend our event, and find out how RIO Education can support your campus!
Delete[Release] - RIO Education v3.10.3
RIO Education 3.10.3 patch has been released, with the following fixes:
- Wrapped text in Term Grade table, to prevent long texts from overlapping to other columns.
- Prevent Session capacity from being exceeded, when there are multiple enrollments within seconds of each other.
Check out our release notes here for more details and the installation/upgrade links.
Delete[Event] - RIO Education Housing Module: Manage & Track Your Students
Book your calendars and join our event on the 31st of August (Wednesday, 17:00 hours UTC/GMT).
Learn about the RIO Education Housing feature that allows institutions to track the information needed for student housing. This module allows schools to track locations, plan out room allocations and ensure a smooth process for your students.
Join the conversation and ask questions about how RIO Education built on Salesforce can connect your campus and improve the student experience.
Delete[Release] - RIO Education v3.10.2
Drum rolls - we are proud to announce that we have released RIO Education 3.10.2 !
To improve user's experience in viewing Program Discipline (Major/Minor) progress and other details, we have upgraded the My Majors component with features such as:
- Display highlight info (i.e. Sequence, Credits Required, Credits Earned fields) under each Major and Group.
- Display Courses in table form, for neater presentation and viewing experience.
Check out our release notes for more information on other improvements/bug fixes!
Delete[Release] - RIO Education v3.10.1
RIO Education 3.10.1 patch is now available!
Also, we have enhanced the My Majors component with multiple (expandable/collapsible) accordion sections in the 'Overview' page, to improve the viewing experience if there are multiple Disciplines (Majors) enrolled. Check out our video for the new enhancement, and our release notes for all of version 3.10.1.
DeleteRIO Challenge V2 is now available
The long awaited day has come! RIO Challenge V2 is now available, with more use cases and new functionalities to try out.
This acts as a self-served training within a RIO Education instance with some generated data. Our users and partners can complete a series of practical exercises.
These exercises cover a wide range of functions in a Student Management System. These range from setting up data for Programs and Courses, to managing students' housing/accommodation applications, as well as scheduling classes and appointments, and grading.
Check it out, and contact us if you have any inquiries!
Delete[Event] - RIO Education, Salesforce & New York Academy of Art: Creating Institutional Efficiencies
Book your calendars on the 27th of July (Wednesday, 17:00 hours UTC/GMT), and join a conversation with the RIO team and New York Academy of Art Registrar Sarah Sager for a conversation about creating efficiencies with RIO Education SIS and Salesforce.org.
Learn how the Academy is breaking through old siloed systems and improving communication and processes for students, faculty and staff. Let's talk solutions!
Delete[Release] - RIO Education v3.10
We are proud to announce the release of RIO Education v3.10 !
We have plenty of enhancements in this new version, such as new components to display Term Grade, Grade information, and Program Structure overview.
Find out more here!
Delete[Release] - RIO Education v3.9.1
RIO Education v3.9.1 is now here!
Check out our release notes on the recent fixes/improvement to the student enrollment process, and the completion engine for grade calculation and release.
DeleteRIO Education goes live at Collarts
RIO Education at the Australian College of the Arts (Collarts) has gone live!
Collarts is a tertiary education college that provides Bachelor Degrees, Diplomas & Postgraduate Qualifications in 20 fields across the creative sector, ranging from acting and music production to fashion and interior designing.
| Project duration | Under 7 months, from initial discovery up to training and go-live |
| Go-live date | 4th July 2022 |
| RIO features in use | Core RIO setup including Student Enrollment Wizard, Session Scheduler, and RIO Connect |
| Technologies involved | Salesforce EDA, RIO Education core SIS |
What does COLLARTS say?
Tell me more
RIO Education provides Collarts with a complete solution to manage admissions/applications along with document generation, i.e. Letter of Offer. RIO Connect integration allows admission officers to upload applications (VTACExport) into Salesforce and populate Program Application records in RIO Education.
Student and Faculty Communities are portals that provide a variety of functionalities, such as enrolling into Courses and scheduling class sessions.
[Release] - RIO Education v3.9
The day you've been looking forward to - the release of RIO Education v3.9 !
Did you know that the Application object in EDA is now a part of RIO Education's automation, similar to the Program Application object?
That's right, the EDA Application object can now be used for Program Application as well.
And that's just one of the many new exciting enhancements and features, so check out our release notes for more!
Delete[Event] - RIO Education SIS & Salesforce: Intuitive Solutions for Higher Ed in Canada
RIO Education will be hosting a webinar with Crandall University on 29th June 2022 (Wednesday, 17:00 hours UTC/GMT). Click here to register!
Learn how they are using RIO Education and Salesforce to innovate and connect their campus and advance International Admissions with intuitive solutions.
Delete[Release] - RIO Education v3.8
We're delighted to announce the release of RIO Education v3.8 - we've made lots of exciting enhancements!
From grade management, enrollment wizard, and attendance, to the Appointment Scheduler and Course Connections, we've got it all covered here in our release notes, check it out!
Delete[Release] - RIO Education v3.7
We've released RIO Education v3.7 - check out our release notes to find out the bug fixes we've made, plus some enhancements to the Appointment Scheduler as well as our grade management and credit transfer features.
DeleteHousing extension package available
This just in - RIO Education housing extension package is now here! Manage student housing and meal requests, and allocate rooms with the new Room Allocation Wizard.
Check out our content here for an overview and more information.
Delete[Release] - RIO Education v3.6
The moment you've been waiting for has arrived - version 3.6 has been released!
Plenty of new enhancements await you, including UI improvement for the Session Scheduler and Enrollment Wizard, as well as new objects and features to speed up Program and Course setup.
To find out more, check out our RIO Education v3.6 Release Notes.
DeleteIPEDS now available
In case you missed it, IPEDS reporting is now available in RIO Education!
Not sure how to create an IPEDS report using RIO? Check out our IPEDS User Guide for more information, as well as our IPEDS video tutorial here.
For more information and an overview of the reporting standards supported by RIO Education, head here.
Delete[Release] - RIO Education v3.5
Great news, RIO Education version 3.5 is now here! RIO Ed's listing has also been updated in AppExchange with v3.5.
RIO Education 3.5 Release Notes contains what's in our latest release. We've made new enhancements to the Enrollment Wizard, Session and Appointment Schedulers to name a few - check it out!
DeleteAIM implements RIO Education to replace existing SIS
AIM has implemented RIO Education as its new SIS, replacing their previous SIS, Paradigm.
The Australian Institute of Music provides 15 programs including post-graduate and short courses.
| Project duration |
9 months from discovery up to user training, deployment, and implementation. |
| Go-live date |
November 2021. |
| RIO features in use |
Core RIO setup including Faculty Community and Student Community, and RIO Connect. |
| Technologies involved |
Salesforce EDA, RIO Education core SIS, Xero, eCAF, Flare HR. |
Tell me more
To expand the array functionalities that can be provided such as finance/payments, Xero has been integrated into RIO Education, together with eCAF as well for students to apply for government loan for tuition fees. Flare HR has also been integrated to provide human resources management. All these were successfully connected to RIO Education using RIO Connect.
[Release] - RIO Education v3.4
We are proud to announce that RIO Education v3.4 has been released!
For more insights on our main enhancements on Fees and Funding Allocation, check out our release notes here.
Delete[Release] - RIO Education v3.3
Enhancements to the Completion Engine, Grading, Enrollment Wizard and more - all in this new version!
Check out the release notes for further details.
Delete[Release] - RIO Education v3.2
Great news to share - RIO Education v3.2 is now available!
Our release notes cover all the enhancements on legacy Course data migration to the Appointment Scheduler and Attendance.
DeleteNorthern College implements RIO for Scholarships & Bursaries
We're super excited to announce that Northern College in Canada has successfully implemented RIO Education.
Northern College has over 75 full-time, part-time, certificate, diploma, and apprenticeship Programs, plus hundreds of in-class, web-based, and correspondence Courses. They also provide post-secondary and career preparation Programs and academic upgrading.
| Project duration | 4 months - that's 4 months from discovery, through to implementation, test and go-live - whew! |
| Go-live date |
September 2021. |
| RIO features in use |
Student Scholarships & Bursaries (SBA). |
| Technologies involved |
Salesforce EDA, RIO Education core SIS, RIO Connect, Northern's existing student record system (MIS). |
Tell me more
Students use the existing Microsoft SSO mechanism to authenticate to the RIO Student Community for scholarship applications. RIO Connect is used to connect to the existing MIS to provide student information to the RIO SBA module.
Here's what Northern College had to say
What an amazing experience!
"Northern College has had the pleasure of working with the amazing RIO Team to develop and implement a new portal for their scholarships, bursaries and awards. We went from the discovery phase to the implementation in just 4 months! What seemed as an unachievable target was completed and launched seamlessly.
This has everything to do with the dedication, incredible work ethic and attention to detail from the amazing and supportive staff at RIO Solutions. We couldn't be more pleased with the customized, user-friendly and intuitive solution we were able to develop together. We have already seen a tremendous growth in our student applications for scholarships, bursaries and awards after just over one week of its launch. We look forward to a continued working relationship.
One last thought - Walt, Deb, Mei, Nicole and Jessie you are awesome! Thanks again for all your work from your friends at Northern College in Canada."
[Release] - RIO Education v3.1
This just in - new custom fields to enhance Payments and Credit Transfer, as well as improvements to the Session Scheduler and Grading component.
All in version 3.1, head here for more info!
DeleteRIO Education at Crandall goes live
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Crandall University joins our list of RIO Education customers with their recent go-live event. Crandall has over 74 programs ranging from minor to major and Masters, while also providing international academic programs and remote learning.
| Project duration | 7 months, from discovery all the way to final stage - going live |
| Go-live date | September 2021 |
| RIO features in use | Core RIO setup, Faculty Community, Student Community |
| Technologies involved | Salesforce EDA, RIO Education core SIS, RIO Connect, Moodle |
Read more about Crandall University's selection of RIO Education and journey to a comprehensive modern cloud-based SIS, in their Crandall University Technology Solutions Case Study by Tambellini.
Tell Me More
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RIO Connect is used to integrate RIO Education with Moodle (Crandall's existing Student Management System). Crandall also implemented Pardot and Accounting Seed during this project. |
International Admissions
International Admissions is a big source of revenue for Universities in North America. Crandall University has experienced huge benefits in this department after transitioning to the RIO Education Platform. Tyler Steckly, Head of International Admissions for Crandall shared:
"Previously we had to manually enter each applicant's application and upload all of their files which would take about 45 minutes. Now the agencies have their own login and the applicants are automatically entered. This is a huge time saving for both us at Crandall and for the agencies."
RIO Education has contributed to over a 50% increase in processing International Applications. Additionally, Mr Steckly shared:
"Response time is the name of the game in international admissions. It is industry standard to have a 3-6 weeks response time for international applicants. With RIO Education, our response time has decreased to 7-10 days."
It is so wonderful to experience strides like these with our RIO customers.
[Release] - RIO Education v3.0
Big news for a big release - v3.0 is now available!
We've implemented plenty of enhancements in this version - just to name a few: Fees, Attendance, and Session calendar. Check out our release notes for more.
DeleteRIO Education as IBU's first SIS
We are excited to share the news that RIO Education has been successfully implemented at IBU!
|
Project duration |
3 months. |
|
Go-live date |
July 2021. |
|
RIO features in use |
Core RIO setup, Student Community. |
|
Technologies involved |
Salesforce EDA, RIO Education core SIS, RIO Connect, QBO, Canvas. |
Tell me more
IBU has implemented RIO Education as its first SIS, along with QBO as a finance system, which has been integrated with Salesforce using RIO Connect.
Here's what IBU had to say
"When we started the IBU SIS project, I [was] a little worried about the implementation process, as all your team [was] located [all over] the place with 12 hours different [time zones].
But your excellent technical skills, high level of responsibility, good attitude and strong team spirit as well as good relationships for IBU IT and business units, [made us] very confident to rely on the RIO team. I believe WDCi is a wonderful workplace, appreciate the leadership by Deb, you guys have done a great job!"
NYAA as RIO Education's first US customer
The Academy had the honor of being our first US customer. What a great project and a great team to work with.
Want to know more, check out our webinar with the Academy presenting, or another webinar with the Academy and Maine College of Health Professions.
|
Project Duration |
30 days to deliver admissions, then 6 months for full SIS functionality |
|
Project Start |
September 2020 |
| Go-live Date | First Go-live October 2020 |
| RIO Features | Core RIO Setup, Faculty Community, Student Community |
| Technologies Involved | Salesforce EDA, RIO Education Core SIS |
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What does the Academy say?
All Around Outstanding
"We just finished phase one of our implementation of RIO Education. The WDCI team is a dream to work with and were able to get us up and running with an admissions portal in less than three weeks. They are organized, efficient and very patient! As a small specialized school with a focus on fine art, we have specific requirements for the application process. The team was able to configure a customized solution that fits our needs perfectly! We look forward to the next phases and becoming a fully connected campus!
RIO is an amazing and essential tool for any school looking for a student information management system that carries students through the full life cycle of your institution. We highly recommend it. Thank you Deborah, Walter and Lean!!!"
Recruitment & Admissions
The Academy's legacy application system was limited and difficult to use.
With RIO Education and Salesforce, the Academy's Admissions Portal and application process was revamped to be user-friendly and on brand. The RIO Education Team was able to configure the Academy's Application form to allow applicants to upload and label portfolio images, making it easier for not only prospective students to submit, but for the Faculty on the Admissions Committee to review and grade portfolios and application documents.
After implementation and the new portal, the Academy saw a 30% increase in completed applications the first year!
But wait, there's more!
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"Using the recruitment capabilities and new application portal, we are able to streamline communication between our admissions staff and prospective students. Application submission is simple and streamlined for our prospects now. We saw a 30% increase in completed applications the first year." - Academy Admissions Director |
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"Registration was such a breeze this week! I was expecting something similar to undergrad registration - clunky, frustrating and archaic. It couldn’t have been more different! I’m so delighted with all my classes and teachers. Great job organizing all that." - Academy MFA Student |
And after the full SIS was implemented:
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"We ran through and generated invoices for the SURP students today - a task that normally takes four staff members a few weeks, now takes one staff member about an hour." - Academy Registrar & Bursar |
For more inquiries, contact us here!
EF selects RIO Education as their new SIS
Education First Languages selected RIO Education to replace their custom built SIS. Being a specialist education provider EF needed a platform that could be enhanced to meet their unique business model as the largest global education provider!
| Project duration |
Ongoing. |
| Go-live date |
April 2021 with Malta. |
| RIO features in use | Core RIO setup including Faculty Community and Student Community. |
| Technologies involved |
Salesforce EDA, RIO Education core SIS. |
Tell me more
RIO Education is being used for Student Scheduling, Class Scheduling, Activity Planning and providing the Student portal. Currently deployed in 25+ countries with more to come!
CAL implements RIO Education
CAL joins our growing list of educational institutions that use RIO Education!
The College of Adult Learning offers an array of diploma and certificate courses - all via online learning.
| Project duration |
10 months, including providing end user training to the CAL team. |
| Go-live date |
December 2020. |
| RIO features in use | Core RIO setup including Faculty Community and Student Community, and RIO Reporting. |
| Technologies involved |
Salesforce EDA, RIO Education core SIS, Brightspace. |
Tell me more
RIO Education was implemented to replace CAL's previous SIS and to support compliance reporting. RIO Education was also integrated to Brightspace-related custom objects in Salesforce so that course results will be available in RIO Education.
Successful RIO Education deployment at ANZSOG
RIO Education has been successfully deployed at ANZSOG and is now live!
The Australia and New Zealand School of Government offers a variety of Executive education programs, workshops, and seminars, including customised courses.
|
Project duration |
Under 3 months. |
|
Go-live date |
October 2020. |
|
RIO features in use |
Core RIO setup including Faculty Community and Student Community. |
|
Technologies involved |
Salesforce EDA, RIO Education core SIS, Canvas. |
Tell me more
RIO Education was implemented to replace SIMS as ANZSOG's SIS, while being integrated with Canvas for course enrollment records and student results.
What did ANZSOG say
"We're about to go live (Oct 2020) and I've had an exceptional experience working with WDCi. The team has gone above and beyond to accommodate all of our requirements, and there has been no delays. I would thoroughly recommend RIO Education."
RIO Education goes live at Country Universities Centre
Country Universities Centre has joined our list of RIO Education customers!
Country UC is a non-profit organisation that provides educational services for rural and regional communities in New South Wales.
|
Project duration |
2 months. |
|
Go-live date |
June 2019. |
|
RIO features in use |
Core RIO setup including Faculty Community and Student Community. |
|
Technologies involved |
Salesforce EDA, RIO Education core SIS. |
Tell me more
Apart from the standard RIO Education features, we have set up a single electronic registration form that feeds directly into Salesforce, and can be used for both new registrations and re-registrations, which reduces the effort of maintaining the form.
With the same form on re-registration, some of the student data is pre-populated. Students can view their pre-populated data and update them if required. Re-registration submission is now made easier with lesser steps, resulting in shorter re-registration turnover time.
The student experience has greatly improved by 90%.
Here's what CUC had to say
“We were looking for a system that can address our existing issues, and we knew that RIO Education would be the right choice. The product features were spot on, and we immediately saw positive results.” - Director of Educational Delivery