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University of Tennessee, Knoxville Switches Events Scheduling Systems and Cuts Administrative Time by 80 Percent

University of Tennessee

Knoxville, Tennessee

Products

25Live® Integrated Academic and Event Scheduling System

Why 25Live?

Only 25Live offered the robust centralized space use tracking and simple room request process the University was looking for.

Benefits

• Administrative time cut by 80 percent

• Eliminated double bookings and other conflicts

• Improved user experience

The Challenge

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) Campus Events Services office provides centralized events scheduling for the entire campus. For years, Events Services had been using the Ad Astra scheduling system, which didn’t provide any ability to track event and meeting space usage. Administrators had no way to monitor or resolve scheduling conflicts before they became a problem. And there were many problems. Event schedulers and other users were also unhappy with the system because they found the space reservation process overly complicated, often leaving users frustrated and overwhelmed. Administrators spent dozens of hours each month assisting with and approving space requests. The department finally recognized it needed a more robust events scheduling system that would simplify space reservation and approval for schedulers while enabling thorough, centralized space use tracking.

The Solution

After considering several event scheduling systems, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville selected 25Live. According to Kylea Swanson, UTK Director of Camps Scheduling and Event Services, “When we compared 25Live to its competitors, everyone – the Registrar, IT, and Events – agreed it was an easy decision. 25Live won out by leaps and bounds!” The Series25® scheduling system, which includes optimized course scheduling as well as the 25Live event scheduling system, provided the customer a complete, integrated scheduling, publishing, and resource management solution that optimizes speed and accuracy, efficient management, and smart planning.

The Results

Using 25Live scheduling, UTK Campus Events Services now has full capacity to track and manage space use, including setting levels of use permissions and managing blackout conditions. All stakeholders have a greater sense of control: Individual departments appreciate that they now have more say in how spaces are reserved, including privately restricting spaces. And the centralized system is far more inclusive: Areas historically resistant to a centralized scheduling system quickly opted in when they saw how 25live simplified the process and accommodated their specific needs. Using 25Live, the University now enjoys:

• Approximately 80 percent overall reduction in administrative time (the result of eliminating hands-on remediation of double bookings and user complaints, user-friendly self-service tools, and fast and effective customer service).

• Speed and accuracy: Tasks that were once cumbersome can now be accomplished in minutes while delivering the most accurate and useful results.

• Efficient management: Administrators now have a centralized system enabling them to accurately track campus-wide space scheduling and facilitate more efficient and equitable reservations.

• Superior user experience: Every user can easily and efficiently complete scheduling tasks regardless of complexity or level of expertise.

• Smart planning: Series25 data analytics and modeling tools provide the power to plan efficiently and make informed decisions.

• Easy integration with the institution’s SIS and other systems.

Conclusion

According to Ms. Swanson, “Once we implemented 25Live, people were thanking us for how simple the process was. They were so excited to see how easy the reservation process was. We’re now realizing we have a lot of flexibility to accommodate schedulers needs, such as Object Security and assignment policies for individual groups.”

Ms. Swanson also noted, “The biggest thing has been how great the customer service is. This was a big sticking point for us after our experience with our previous vendor. Beginning with the implementation (which was fantastic!), CollegeNET has always made us feel like the University is valued and listened to. Our perspective on how we need to use the system is never minimized. We always get a quick response from the CollegeNET Support team, and they dive into our instance and resolve the issue without delay.”

About UTK

© Photo provided by University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state, it is the flagship campus of the University of Tennessee system, with 36, 000 undergraduate and graduate students and 1,700 faculty members. UTK, which includes the UT Space Institute and the UT Institute of Agriculture, serves the state by educating its citizens, enhancing its culture, and making a difference in people’s lives through research and service.

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