HISinOne: Successful completion of the first subproject APP (‘Application and Allocation of Study Places’)

New platform modernizes application management at the University of Jena

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Balloons and decorations in colorful colors
Balloons and decorations in colorful colors
Image: vector_corp auf Freepik

Goal achieved! Successful completion of the APP subproject (‘Application and Allocation of Study Places’)

Friedrich Schiller University Jena has good reason to celebrate! We successfully completed the APP (application management) subproject, a first step in introducing HISinOne — the University’s new campus management system. Developed by HIS eG, this innovative system has emerged as a major player in the field of student lifecycle management.

Our journey with the first subproject began 3.5 years ago, on 1 March 2020. The project then reached its first milestone when the portal went live on 1 December 2020. To begin with, we focused on four pilot programmes: The master’s programme in Mathematics and higher semesters of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmacy. In the following months, we gradually expanded the list of degree programmes included before adding the last lot on 1 April 2023. This transitional phase involved a lot of fine-tuning and continuous improvements before we officially closed the subproject on 30 September 2023.

From now on, all applications for degree programmes at the University of Jena will be made via ‘Friedolin 2.0’ which already includes an impressive number of 271 degree programmes. This step will make the application process a lot easier by allowing to manage all applications, admissions, and online enrolments in one place.

Six students stand side by side, holding mobile devices in their hands
Six students stand side by side, holding mobile devices in their hands
Image: rawpixel.com auf Freepik

Getting off to a good start at the University of Jena: new application management offers simplified and transparent processes

Our next steps ahead: Student management under the old Friedolin system will be replaced with the ‘STU’ (student management) component by early 2025. The organization of student operations, such as semester planning and examination registrations, will move from the old platform to the new ‘STU’ (student management) component by early 2028.

An excellent feature of APP, the new application and admission system of Friedolin 2.0, is that it will allow the Student Service Centre, the Master Service Centre, the Section for Continuing Education (Division 1 - Student Affairs), and the International Office to process all applications in one single place. At the same time, it will allow faculty committees to assess subject-specific qualifications for high volumes of applications (so-called application batches) at a decentralized level. Status notifications will ensure transparency throughout the entire process.

The implementation of this project did not come without its challenges. Some of these challenges included connecting the system to hochschulstart.de (centralized admission procedure)External link, integrating specific requirements for certain degree programmes, and replacing the various old portals that had been in use at the University of Jena, which required a sophisticated approach from the project team and HIS eG. While the system is now up and running, we continue working with the software producer to optimize the system for different target groups. 

Notice

Introducing the new HISinOne component APP (‘Application and Allocation of Study Places’) marks an important new chapter in the administration and organization of student operations at Friedrich Schiller University Jena. The changes involved will make life a lot easier – not only for our students but for the entire university community. By closing this subproject, we managed to complete another complex task, taking an important step towards establishing ‘one portal for everything’.