Illumia Blog

How Connected Campus Technology Improves the Student Experience

July 21, 2026

When a student swipes their card at the dining venue, they’re not thinking about your enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. They’re thinking about getting lunch. That gap between what institutions see as systems and what students experience as moments is exactly where the connected campus conversation begins. 

We invited The Higher Ed Geek Podcast to sit down with Zach Tussing from Ellucian during Illumia Momentum in Nashville to talk about ERP integration, campus modernization, and what it really takes to meet students where they are.

The ERP as the system of truth

For most institutions, the ERP is the backbone of everything. “When you think about ERP, you’re really thinking about the lifeblood of data within that institution,” Zach explained. “Students, administrators, everyone within the ecosystem looks at the ERP as the system of truth.”

But a source of truth is only as useful as the data flowing into it. Without tight integration between the ERP and the other systems students interact with, such as payment platforms, access control, and dining services, you end up with valuable data sitting in silos, invisible to the people who need it most.

Students care about experiences, not systems

Here’s the tension at the heart of most campus technology conversations: institutions think in systems, but students think in moments. Zach put it plainly:

“Students don’t really care about systems; they care about experiences.”

A student navigating financial aid, dining plans, and building access shouldn’t have to think about which department owns which system. They just want things to work. Whether that means tapping their phone to enter a residence hall, checking their balance in one app, or paying for coffee with Apple Pay, the experience has to feel seamless.

That seamlessness doesn’t happen by accident. It takes integrations that are validated, certified, and built to hold up over time, not the kind of patched-together backend connections that break the moment a vendor pushes an update.

Where your institution is on the modernization continuum

Not every institution is starting from the same place, and Zach was clear that modernization isn’t a single destination. He outlined three stages he sees across the higher education landscape: stability, optimization, and full digital transformation.

At the stability stage, institutions are focused on getting core systems in place and meeting basic operational needs. Optimization is about making those systems work together more effectively. And at the far end of the continuum, digital transformation means moving beyond what’s currently available toward a truly connected campus, where everything from a door tap to a tuition payment feeds into a continuous data set that helps students and administrators understand where they stand.

“What we see with a lot of institutions is that they’re on a continuum as it relates to that transformation and that modernization path.”

The goal isn’t to push every institution toward full digital transformation overnight. It’s to understand where you are and what the right next step looks like for your students.

What Zach tells higher ed leaders navigating this moment

As institutions face enrollment pressures, tighter budgets, and a growing online student population, the temptation to chase broad digital transformation can lead to unfocused investment. Zach’s advice was more grounded: start with what matters most.

“Try to look at what are the key systems that drive your success and how does that relate specifically to the educational outcomes you’re looking to obtain.”

Talk to other institutions. Learn from the ones who have already navigated the path you’re on. Seek out purpose-built solutions from partners who understand higher education, not just technology.

That’s the through-line in every conversation at Illumia Momentum: the institutions doing this well aren’t just buying better software. They’re asking sharper questions about what their students need, what their data is telling them, and how every system they invest in contributes to the outcomes they care about.

Listen to the full conversation here or wherever you find your podcasts.

Ready to see how Illumia integrates with your ERP to build a more connected campus? 

Dustin Ramsdell Communications Specialist Dustin Ramsdell is a Higher EdTech content creator and influencer who aims to drive meaningful conversations with top leaders in the field. His show, The Higher Ed Geek Podcast, explores all the nuances of higher education, with a focus on innovative technology and practices from his fellow professionals. In addition to content creation, Dustin's professional career has spanned over a decade in higher education with roles that include student support, marketing, and client success. Dustin currently proudly serves Illumia as a Communications Specialist. He loves craft beer, good pizza, and sustainability and lives happily in Delaware with his wife, Jenn, and their daughters, Ellie and Maddie.