Value Chain Framework and Support System For Higher Education

The value chain of a modern university can be viewed as a network of activities centered on the functions of teaching, research, and community service, which, in turn, involve educational design, educational delivery, assessment, research and development, and outreach activities. Each of these processes add value to the total educational package provided to students, and supporting these processes are the activities of recruitment, admission, enrollment, academic service, and alumni support. This paper examines the value chain of a higher educational institution such as a university, and describes how an integrated system, the E-College, was designed to mirror and support the value chain processes earlier mentioned by either automating them or providing tools for their management. The paper then briefly discusses implementation issues, compares the system with related work, and finally identifies future directions.