Students in the Business Department at University of Maine at Presque Isle will receive hands-on experience using enterprise resource planning software thanks to a donation from PeopleSoft Inc., a global provider of application software for the real-time enterprise.
    Through an agreement between UMPI and PeopleSoft's On Campus Program, the University will receive a grant of PeopleSoft 8 Financials, Supply Chain Management, Human Resource Management, and Enterprise Portal software. In addition to the suites of application software, the University will also receive the applicable End-User Training (EUT) software and documentation, and training for faculty and designated technical support staff.
    The commercial value of the software and training is $1,796,475.
    PeopleSoft's On Campus Program works with over 60 colleges and universities across the United States and 10 other countries. However, the University of Maine at Presque Isle is the first institution in Maine and the second in New England to participate in the software program.
    JoAnne Wallingford, assistant professor of Management Information Systems, became familiar with the PeopleSoft On Campus Program during a conference she attended last fall. She quickly realized its value and began to immediately pursue the grant for use on the Presque Isle campus.
    "Last summer the business faculty worked with a focus group and held other meetings to develop some themes for our program," explained Clare Exner, associate professor and coordinator of the Business Department. "We decided as a group that we wanted to infuse technology into our existing business courses, as opposed to creating more courses on technology. When JoAnne brought this grant to our attention, there was an immediate buy in."
    "This program will allow us to integrate enterprise resource planning applications throughout many of our business courses," explained Wallingford. "Our students will have exposure to the technologies being used in today's business and industry sectors. Upon graduation, they will be well prepared to implement their knowledge from day one."
    "The University of Maine System is a long-standing PeopleSoft customer and we are pleased to extend the scope of our partnership to working with the Business and International Studies Department at the Presque Isle campus," said Mark Conway, Director of PeopleSoft's Academic Programs. "As the adoption of enterprise systems grows throughout the business community, employers are increasingly looking for graduates that have hands-on experience using enterprise systems. The vision that UMPI has developed for its On Campus project will infuse enterprise systems technology throughout several courses, and will provide students with some very marketable skills."
    Wallingford says that both MIS students and business management students will reap the benefits in their respective studies. While MIS students will learn to install and maintain the HR module, students in the human resources class will learn to utilize the payroll and benefits software.
    "We will begin with human resources and add modules and applications in the following months," Wallingford said. "Our students and faculty are very excited about this project and the opportunities it presents in the learning and teaching experience."
    "This program will greatly enhance our ability to deliver exceptional educational opportunities to our students," commented Dr. Richard Kimball, vice president of Academic Affairs. "In turn, our students will enter the workforce prepared to make a contribution and a real difference for their employers. We are very grateful for all of JoAnne and the business faculty's work and persistence in obtaining this grant for the University. It will serve our students well."