success story
Enhancing NCI’s Student Administration System
Client: National College of Ireland (NCI)
Project: Ellucian Quercus Student Records System
The National College of Ireland (NCI) is a not-for-profit, state-aided higher education institution located in Dublin’s International Financial Services Centre (IFSC). Established in 1951, NCI delivers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in business, computing, psychology, and education. NCI’s mission is to make quality education accessible to all, improving lives and communities through lifelong learning and innovation.
Project overview
In 2018, NCI engaged SureCampus Ltd. to stabilise and modernise its Ellucian Quercus student records system.
The system underpins all stages of the student lifecycle, including applications, enrolment, examinations, and progression, but had become increasingly unstable and difficult to maintain.
SureCampus partnered with Sarah Duignan and NCI’s IT and Registry teams to design and implement a sustainable, future-ready solution.
The project objectives were to:
- Stabilise and modernise the Quercus environment.
- Migrate the system to Microsoft Azure to enhance performance, scalability, and resilience.
- Implement proactive monitoring and alerting to prevent downtime.
- Align with Ellucian’s technology roadmap for long-term platform support.
Strategic enhancements
Following the successful migration, SureCampus conducted an extensive system review to confirm that Quercus remained fit for purpose.
The review found that the system was fundamentally strong but required optimisation and improved utilisation of newer functionality.
SureCampus led a targeted enhancement programme to maximise value and performance:
- Migration to Microsoft Azure: Delivered a secure, high-availability environment.
- Integration of Single Sign-On (SSO): Introduced seamless and secure access for users.
- Process improvements: Streamlined registration, module management, and results workflows.
- Functionality enablement: Supported users in adopting underused Quercus features to improve efficiency.
- System optimisation review: Identified opportunities for technical and functional improvements.
Client review
“SureCampus have been more than a service provider — they’ve been a true partner. Their team genuinely cares about our success, taking the time to understand our challenges and always delivering with professionalism and empathy. Over the years, they’ve become an integral part of our extended team and a trusted partner in managing our student systems.
— Sarah Duignan, National College of Ireland
Ongoing partnership
Now in its seventh year, the partnership between SureCampus and NCI continues to deliver exceptional results.
SureCampus provides full lifecycle management of the Ellucian Quercus environment, including support, upgrades, and continuous improvement.
Key achievements include:
- Zero system outages since migration to Azure.
- High user satisfaction and confidence in system reliability.
- Operational efficiency, with SureCampus managing the system end-to-end, allowing NCI’s IT team to focus on strategic initiatives.
- Regular upgrades and enhancements aligned with Ellucian’s roadmap.
- Trusted partnership — SureCampus is NCI’s first point of contact for all Quercus-related issues, support, and development.
This long-standing collaboration has become a cornerstone of NCI’s digital operations, supporting both academic and administrative excellence.
Summary
Through deep technical expertise, process insight, and a partnership built on care and trust, SureCampus has transformed NCI’s Ellucian Quercus environment into a stable, secure, and future-ready platform.
After seven years of collaboration, NCI continues to benefit from a system with zero downtime, improved user satisfaction, and a trusted partnership that continues to evolve with the college’s needs.
Outcomes and impact
Seven years of successful partnership
Zero system outages since migration
Improved security and access through SSO
Streamlined processes and higher user satisfaction
Regular Quercus support, upgrades, and proactive monitoring
NCI IT team freed to focus on strategic initiatives
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