Why Virtual Learning Academy Charter School Loves Parchment’s Diploma Services

Virtual Learning Academy Charter School has always prided itself on being an innovative school. However, their diploma issuing process was cumbersome and left much to be desired for their student community. VLACS decided to begin the search for a new partner to assist in the issuance of their diplomas.

Choosing a Partner

VLACS was looking for a diploma partner that streamlined the printing and mailing of the diploma, while providing a better experience for both staff and students. With rolling admission and graduation policies in place, issuing diplomas wasn’t a once a year activity – diplomas are issued every month to students who qualify. Kristin Jones, Program Assistant, describes their previous process by saying, “It wasn’t user-friendly. I would upload a spreadsheet to our vendor. If there was an error, it was difficult to understand where it came from. When diplomas were finally printed and mailed, students often asked about the status of their order. The workflow was slower than I wanted and there was no transparency for the student of when their diploma would be delivered.”

When Kristin and the VLACS team sat down to consider their options, Parchment was the clear winner. Kristin says, “It was an easy decision for us. Right away, we could see how easy Parchment was to use. They have a long track record of delivering diplomas and doing it efficiently, so we felt very comfortable moving forward with Parchment.”

Kristin was also intrigued by the digital component that Parchment offered. While not the initial impetus for changing diploma providers, VLACS believed it was an excellent opportunity for students to receive their diploma faster, with the ability to share it on social media. Kristin describes the value of the digital diploma, “Student expectations are changing. They want the diploma fast and they want to be able to share it. Being a virtual school and having a digital diploma available to students made a whole lot of sense.”

A Seamless Implementation

Like any technology, the real work begins when it’s time to implement. Kristin and the VLACS team couldn’t behappier with how the conversations went with Parchment’s Member Services team. Kristin says, “They held our hand the entire way. We had a regular cadence of meetings and they made each step of the process very clear. It was a very seamless transition.”

Additionally, the VLACS team was surprised at the quality of the work. Kristin highlights one unexpected benefit of the project by describing the look and feel of their printed diploma, “The actual quality of our physical diploma is much better with Parchment. We didn’t enter into this project for that reason but when Parchment delivered samples to us we were pleasantly surprised at how good the diploma looked. I was very impressed by how professional everything was from start to finish.”

The Benefits for Students

Before Parchment, the diplomas were mailed without tracking information. This often resulted in questions from students and parents about where their diploma was and when it would be delivered. Kristin shares how students and parents often feel around graduation by saying, “When they graduate, they’re eagerly awaiting their diploma because they’re excited about what they’ve accomplished. To tell them to wait just a bit longer wasn’t a satisfactory response for them or for us. We wanted to provide them with more clarity around the process.”

With Parchment, they got just that. Once a diploma is issued, tracking information is shared directly with the learner, adding transparency to a process where there wasn’t any. Kristin highlights this feature by saying, “I definitely get less inquiries about the status of the diploma. The students get notified when I submit the request for their diploma to be processed and they can access their account, verify their address and download their digital diploma. They can see when their physical diploma will be delivered. They can find the answer they are looking for and that provides them with the peace of mind they want.”

And Parchment’s Diploma Services hasn’t just been a boon for current students, VLACS is using it to serve the needs of their alumni as well. Kristin says, “It’s been good for our alumni students as well, who maybe misplaced their diploma and need a new copy. With just a few clicks, they’re taken care of. It’s been phenomenal to meet their needs as well.”

The Results of Parchment’s Diploma Services

VLACS is thrilled with the decision to switch to Parchment’s Diploma Services. They are issuing diplomas quickly and efficiently, reclaiming 90% of the time it used to take to get diplomas out the door. The increased tracking information and the digital copy is the cherry on top, mitigating unnecessary phone calls and emails while providing students, alumni and parents with the transparency they expect in today’s world. In short, VLACS is getting everything they had hoped for in a diploma solution. Kristin sums up the experience by saying, “It’s a time saver, it’s user friendly, and the students are really happy with receiving their digital diplomas. What used to take me 30 minutes, now takes me 1 minute. Parchment’s Diploma Services checks all of the boxes for us.”

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