CGCC - Student Information System RFP - Final~2.pdf

Student Information System

Request for Proposal

Columbia Gorge Community College

Information Technology Services

Student Information System

Request for Proposal

RFP #: ITS-2026-02

Date Submitted: July 2nd 2026

Purpose College Mission and Student Profile College Experience with SIS

Proposal Instructions Anticipated Schedule Proposal Submission RFP Contact

RFP Contact Details Pre-Proposal Conference

Instructions to Contractors Request for Proposal Documents Requests for RFP Clarification and/or Interpretation Incurred Costs No Warranty Statement of Time Rights of College to Award or Reject Proposals Notice of Intent to Award Notice to Proceed Protest of Intent to Award Requests and Deadline for RFP Changes or Substitutions Protest of Solicitation Document and the Procurement Process Additional Information Right to Modify Process

Proposal Submission Economy of Proposal Preparation Format and Content Title and Signature Page Table of Contents Organization

Company Profile Case Histories as Examples of Relevant Experience and References Partnerships and Outsourced Functions Company Ownership / Financials Proposer Position Proposer Disclosure Proposer Third-Party Servicer SOC Reporting and Oversight Product Delivery Methodology / Implementation

Description of the System Data Access to Legacy Data Training Testing

General System Acceptance Requirements Installation Acceptance Test Functional Acceptance Test Data Configuration Acceptance Test Throughput and Projected Load Acceptance Test Reliability Acceptance Test Maintenance Cost Proposal

Acceptance of Proposal Content Public Records and Confidentiality of Proposal Public Records

Execution of the Proposal Proposer/Authorized Signer Partnership Proposer/Authorized Signer Limited Liability Company (LLC) Proposer/Authorized Signers Corporation Proposer/Authorized Signer Joint Venture/Authorized Signer Withdrawal of Proposals Proposer's Forms Signed Addendum Required with Proposal

Proposal Selection Process Phase 1 - Evaluation Criteria Phase 2 - Demonstrations

Product Operation: Core Functional Scoring (60% of Total Grade) Product Revision & Transition (20% of Total Grade) Qualitative Feedback & Final Recommendation (20% of Total Grade)

Customer Reference Checks and Site Visits

CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

General Invoicing Right to Audit Termination for Lack of Appropriations Debarment of Proposer Laws of the State of Oregon Successful Proposer’s Compliance with Tax Laws

Pay Equity Compliance Contract Award

Offer Evaluation/Award and Right to Reject all Proposals Negotiations with any Proposer(s)

Contract Administrator Non-Assignment

Form of Procurement Contract System Contractor’s Compliance with Tax Laws Cooperative Procurement Definitions Human Rights

Solicitations for Subcontracts, Including Procurements of Materials and Equipment 35 Discrimination in Subcontracting Prohibited

Scope of Services Primary Functions for Review

Foundation: Curriculum & Assessment Entry: Open & Limited Admissions Specialized: Pre-College & Community Education Integration: LMS & Identity Management Support: Learning Commons, Advising, & Library Compliance: Federal & State Reporting

Detailed System Requirements Non-Functional Requirements Key Stakeholders

College Process Descriptions And Required Functions The Student Record

Maintenance and Storage of Student Record Access and Disclosure (FERPA Guidelines) Requesting Transcripts and Records

Admissions Data and Lifecycle Data Collected for Enrollment and Placement

Enrollment and Administrative Data (Required for all Applicants) Academic and Placement Data (Required for Course Enrollment)

Admissions Determination and Placement Process Phase A: General Admission Determination (Open Access) Phase B: Placement Determination (Focus on Student Success)

The Admissions Lifecycle Stage 1: Prospect and Recruitment (applicant) Stage 2: Enrollment and Placement (cleared to register) Stage 3: Current Student and Progression ( Stage 4: Completion and Outcome

Advising and Outreach Requirements in the New SIS Communication and Automated Outreach Consistent Record-Keeping and Case Management Student Progression and Enrollment Guidance Enrollment Status Tracking

Financial Aid Processing

General Eligibility and Application Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Requirements R2T4 Accuracy, Timeliness, and Documented Review Controls Exit Counseling Automation and Tracking SIS Financial Integration Requirements

Federal Financial Aid Compliance: Additional Controls NSLDS Enrollment Reporting Controls Outstanding Title IV Disbursement Monitoring

Academic and Enrollment Requirements Automated Application Intake and Evaluation College Now / Early College Enrollment processes Community Ed / Concurrent Enrollment

○ Records: Non-credit courses typically do not create a permanent academic transcript in the same way that credit-bearing courses do Advising Processes Flexible Student Status Management Workflows

Instructional Services & Learning Commons Faculty Portal & SIS-LMS Integration Library Services & Resource Accountability Learning Commons: Tutoring, Testing, & Early Alert Community Ed & Specialized Instruction Pre-College Programs (GED & ESOL) Nursing & Health Occupations Career & Technical Education (CTE) and "College Now" Curriculum, Assessment, & The Library

Business Services — Student Financial Services (Required) Student Ledger & Course-Fee Mapping Financial Aid Integration & Cash Management (Separation of Functions) ERP Transaction Export Fund Sources, Agency Billing, and Third-Party Sponsor Tracking

● Tracking and Reporting by Agency: Staff must be able to produce a report or ledger view showing all students funded by a given agency in a given term, the amounts designated, amounts invoiced, and amounts received. This visibility is essential for reconciliation and grant reporting Automated Accountability, Holds, and Audits Collections and Past-Due Account Management Student Financial Self-Service Portal and Cashiering

Student-Facing Portal Third-Party and Authorized Payer Portal Cashiering and In-Person Payments

System Integrations Artificial Intelligence Capabilities & Integration (Optional)

Key agentic functions (optional) Generative Conversational User Interface (optional) Security, Privacy, and Federal Regulatory Compliance Baseline

Glossary of Terms and Definitions Statutory and Institutional Definitions Academic and Student Lifecycle Statuses Financial Aid and Technical Terms

Appendix Appendix A: Sample Professional Services Agreement Appendix B: Sample Insurance Provisions Appendix C: Sample Cost Proposal

Purpose Columbia Gorge Community College (CGCC) is seeking proposals from qualified vendors for the procurement, configuration, implementation, and long-term support of a modern, fully-integrated Student Information System (SIS). This system will replace the existing cloud based system Campus Nexus Student by Anthology.

The college’s strategic vision is to innovate and excel while championing equity and inclusion.

The modernization of the Student Information System (SIS) is a critical project to achieve these goals, specifically by addressing problems related to student support services.

The objectives that the new SIS must support include:

● Improving Student Success: Achieving equitable retention and graduation rates, particularly for first-time, low-income (Pell), and non-traditional students.

● Enhancing Advising Capacity: Strengthening and improving student support services by enhancing advising processes and functions to address barriers to student success.

● Technology Foundation: Providing robust and sustainable technology that can handle complex functions like online registration, grading, financial aid support, and transcripts.

Columbia Gorge Community College (CGCC) is a public two-year community college located in Oregon. It operates as the sole institution of higher education in the region, serving residents in a large, rural area of approximately 10,000 square miles across seven counties in Oregon and Washington.

College Mission and Student Profile

CGCC's core mission is centered on equity and inclusion, striving to prioritize equitable access to education and empower all students through learning to drive inclusive prosperity throughout the community.

● Service Area: The college's tax district primarily includes Wasco and Hood River counties, but its service area expands to five other rural counties (Sherman, Wheeler, Gilliam, Klickitat, and Skamania). CGCC operates main campuses in The Dalles and Hood River, both within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

● Student Diversity: The college is federally designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Nearly 35% of the total student body identifies as students of color, with Hispanic students making up approximately 24% of the credit enrollment.

● Student Types: CGCC serves a diverse range of learners, including:

○ English language learners.

○ GED® seekers and those in pre-college programs.

○ Recent high school graduates and those pursuing transfer degrees to four-year institutions.

○ Students seeking career and technical education (CTE) in high-demand fields like healthcare, manufacturing, and construction, as well as short-term certificates.

○ CGCC also provides services to dual-enrolled high-school students, which accounts for approximately 18% of the college's student FTE.

● CGCC serves approximately 1,390 students annually from the Mid-Columbia region.

The student population is heavily part-time (over 65%). A significant number of students (50%) receive pell grants financial aid.

College Experience with SIS Columbia Gorge Community College (CGCC) is entering its third implementation of an electronic Student Information System. CGCC previously used RogueNet, a homegrown SIS developed by Rogue Community College. CGCC licensed and operated this system for a number of years. However, support for RogueNet eventually expired, and its functionality could no longer meet the evolving needs of the college. This led CGCC to seek a more modern SIS solution.

Anthology Campus Nexus Student: CGCC transitioned to Anthology Campus Nexus Student as its new SIS. This was done to improve efficiency, streamline processes, and enhance the overall experience for students and employees. Instead, Anthology Campus Nexus Student created many complex and technically inefficient processes that resulted in a heavier administrative burden on staff.

Some of these issues include:

● Integration Issues: Difficulty integrating with other systems used by the college, such as the bookstore's point-of-sale system, or the finance platform, or the student application & CRM.

● Customization Limitations: Inability to customize the system to meet the specific needs and workflows of CGCC.

● Usability Challenges: Difficulty for staff and students to navigate and use the system effectively.

● Reporting and Data Analysis: Limitations in generating accurate and timely reports for decision-making. Some reports are simply not possible. This includes mandatory state and federal reporting.

● Vendor Support: Inadequate support from the vendor in addressing issues and providing timely updates. Ultimately tech support was very difficult given the extreme difference in time zones and language barrier.

● Cost and Budget: Unexpected costs associated with implementation, maintenance, or customization. What the college expected to be a part of the cost turned out to be “addons” that cost significantly more than the other SIS systems that had a higher all inclusive initial cost.

Proposal Instructions

Anticipated Schedule

Event Deadline Date/Time

RFP Release Date July 2 2026

Voluntary Pre-Proposal Conference (Virtual) July 13 2026

Final Submission of Questions on RFP July 14 2026

Addendum Posted (Answers to Questions) July 15 2026

RFP Closing Date & Time (Submission Deadline) August 5 2026

Notice of Invitation to Demo (Shortlist) September 7 2026

Onsite or Virtual Demonstrations/Interviews Oct 1 - Oct 31 2026

Onsite Reference Checks / Reviews November 2026

Notice of Intent to Award Contract December 14 2026

Contract Award (Anticipated) December 31 2026

Proposal Submission Proposals will be received no later than 4 p.m. (local time), August 5 2026. Proposals will only be accepted electronically via OregonBuys.

NO LATE PROPOSALS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Your proposal must be uploaded prior to the Closing Date and Time at 4 p.m. (local time). The College strongly recommends that you give yourself sufficient time and at least ONE (1) day before the closing date and time to begin the uploading process and to finalize your submission.

The College accepts no responsibility for non-receipt and/or delays in receipt caused by trans-mission and reception problems, equipment failure, or any other similar cause.

Each Proposal is instantly sealed and will only be visible to the College after the closing date and time.

Uploading large documents may take significant time, depending on the size of the file(s) and your internet connection speed.

You will receive an email confirmation receipt once you finalize your submission.

Minimum system requirements: Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox. JavaScript must be enabled. Browser cookies must be enabled.

Need help? Please contact the RFP Contact for technical questions related to your submission.

Contacting any others for information will result in removal from the RFP process.

RFP Contact The RFP Contact is Andrew Burke. The RFP Contact Details are below.

All contact must be in written form via Email, except for urgent purposes, which may be initially directed over Phone.

All Email contact must Prefix the email subject line with:

RFP-SIS:

RFP Contact Details Andrew Burke Email: aburke@cgcc.edu

Phone: 541-506-6000 ext. 7000

Pre-Proposal Conference Prospective Proposers will be given an opportunity to attend a universal discovery session with the College virtually. The purpose of this conference is to provide vendors the opportunity to review RFP with college representatives and ask questions about the existing system from Information Technology Services.

Attendance is optional and limited to one person per vendor, preferably a systems architect or engineer. There will be questions allowed and documented during the session; questions will be submitted in writing following the conference as well with answers posted later. See Table 1 for a timeline of events.

Instructions to Contractors

Request for Proposal Documents Prospective Proposers may obtain the solicitation documents by registering on the Oregon e-procurement system, OregonBuys, website and downloading them. Proposers shall consult the OregonBuys system regularly until the closing date and time to avoid missing any notices.

To register on OregonBuys, go to https://OregonBuys.gov/. The College shall advertise all Addenda on OregonBuys. Prospective proposers are solely responsible for checking OregonBuys to determine whether any Addenda has been issued. RFP documents will be posted and electronically mailed to ‘select’ or ‘preferred’ potential proposers.

Requests for RFP Clarification and/or Interpretation Any person who contemplates submitting a proposal in response to this RFP and who finds discrepancies in, omissions from, or is in doubt as to the true meaning of any part of this RFP must submit any clarification or questions in written format, or at the pre-proposal conference only.

Incurred Costs Neither the College, nor its officers, agents, nor employees are liable for any cost incurred by Proposer(s) prior to issuance of an agreement, contract, or purchase order. All prospective Proposer(s) who respond to this RFP do so solely at the Proposer's cost and expense.

No Warranty All facts and opinions stated within this RFP and all supporting documents and data are based upon information available from a variety of sources. No representation or warranty is made with respect thereto.

Statement of Time A period, unless stated as a number of College business days, shall include Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. The word “day” as used in this RFP document, and any resulting contract awarded as a result of this process, shall constitute a calendar day of 24 hours measured from midnight to the next midnight. When a time period is identified by days, it is computed by excluding the first day and including the last day. When the last day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or the College's holiday, that time period shall extend to the next College business day.

Rights of College to Award or Reject Proposals This RFP does not commit the College to award or enter into a contract. Under no circumstances will the College be responsible for or pay the costs incurred in the preparation of a response to this RFP. The College reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals or any portion thereof received as a result of this RFP.

Notice of Intent to Award All responsive and evaluated respondents to this RFP will be notified of the College's intent to award contracts not less than seven (7) days prior to award. The College will issue a notice of intent to award based on the results of its evaluation process.

Notice to Proceed The System Contractor may be given ten (10) calendar days to execute the contract and return it to the College. Contractual work may not begin until the notice to proceed has been issued.

The notice to proceed will be issued after execution of the contract by the College. The notice to proceed will authorize commencement of the work based on the contract.

Protest of Intent to Award A Proposer may protest the intent to award such contracts if the Proposer claims to have been adversely affected or aggrieved by the selection of a Proposer. A Proposer submitting a protest must claim that the protesting Proposer is the highest ranked Proposer because the proposals of all higher ranked Proposers failed to meet the requirements of the RFP or because the highest ranked Proposers otherwise are not qualified to perform the services described in the RFP. The Proposer must deliver the written protest to the RFP Contact within seven (7) days after issuance of the notice of intent to award the contract. A Proposer’s written protest shall specify the grounds for protest to be considered by the College pursuant to ORS 279B.410(2).

The Project Manager shall not consider a Proposer’s contract award protest submitted after the above timeline.

Requests and Deadline for RFP Changes or Substitutions Any person who contemplates submitting a proposal in response to this RFP and who wishes to have the College consider a change in any part of the RFP document must submit the proposed change and the reason for the change in writing to the RFP contact. Protest against the award based on the specifications or other contents of this RFP will not be considered after this time.

Changes to this RFP document shall be by written addenda only and posted on OregonBuys and email to “select” or “preferred” potential proposers.

Protest of Solicitation Document and the Procurement Process A prospective Proposer may protest the procurement process or the solicitation document for a contract as per the Protest of Intent to Award section. A prospective Proposer must deliver a written protest to the College.

The prospective Proposers shall indicate the reasons for the disagreement through a written protest and shall include a statement of the desired changes to the procurement process or the solicitation document that the prospective Proposer believes will remedy the conditions upon which the prospective Proposer based its protest on.

Additional Information The College reserves the right to request additional information following their initial review of the proposals that the College deems necessary to evaluate, rank, and select the most qualified Proposer. College staff may conduct a review and verification of confidential information with staff and consultants.

Right to Modify Process The College reserves the right to modify the selection process or other aspects of this RFP process at its sole discretion. The Contracts and Procurement Office will take reasonable steps to ensure that any modification or clarification to this RFP is posted on OregonBuys.

Proposal Submission

Economy of Proposal Preparation Proposals shall be prepared simply and economically, by providing a straightforward, concise description of the Proposer’s capabilities related to specified elements, units, or services.

Proposals should not include any information not specifically identified or specified as a required response.

The proposal shall describe how you will perform the required activities and the necessary resources to perform the activities. Proposals shall be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise description of the proposer’s capabilities to satisfy the requirements. Special bindings, colored displays, promotional materials, etc. are not desired.

Emphasis should be on completeness and clarity of the content.

Format and Content It is highly recommended that the Proposers organize and present their proposal materials in the same order as presented below. Proposals received without following this format and without the required information may be rejected as non-responsive. In addition, proposals must be received by the College in strict compliance with the requirement for submittal date, time, and place as stated in this RFP.

The proposal shall include, but are not limited to, the following items which are to be returned in the response:

Title and Signature Page Proposer shall include a title page which includes the name of the firm and the words “CGCC Student Information System” The title page must contain a statement verifying your compliance with Minimum System Requirements, College's Goals and Objectives and Scope of Required Services. The original proposal shall bear the original signature of a representative of the Proposer who is authorized to bind the proposal in contractual matters. Please identify the original copy with the printed words “Original Copy” on this page.

Table of Contents The proposal response must use a clearly defined section outlining the contents with easily accessible links to each section for easy navigation included within the response in its entirety.

Organization

Company Profile Background. Proposer's profile information shall include information that accurately and adequately describes your business, including, but not limited to, number of years in business, number of customers, location of customer facilities, number of system contractor offices in Oregon, contact information, financial solvency, company vision statement, and a succinct history of your company with number of current employees, along with full product roadmap for the next 5 years.

Case Histories as Examples of Relevant Experience and References Proposers shall provide three (3) case histories from customers for whom they have or are currently providing a similar service. Proposers shall provide a contact name for the customer, phone number and/or email address, a description of the service provided, and how many days from the start of the project to final acceptance of the system.

References from customers with similar use requirements, including rural/urban settings and remote secondary sites.

Partnerships and Outsourced Functions Proposers shall describe the relationship with any secondary consultants or partners needed for the delivery of services, maintenance, and support to be provided by the secondary consultant/partner, the duration of the relationship and a summary of past projects completed together.

Company Ownership / Financials The success of the implementation of the College depends in part on the ongoing business and viability of the System Contractor. Proposers shall demonstrate that their company and any partner or consultant is financially stable. If the Proposer is a publicly traded company, they shall provide their latest annual report. If the Proposer is privately held, they shall provide a history of their company and discuss specific financial indicators that exhibit financial stability and earnings growth.

Proposer shall provide a detailed description of the contractual obligations required to support the software of the system by the vendor for a (minimum of 5 years) predetermined number of years beyond the enactment of the company being sold or announcement of the product reaching its “end-of-life” status.

Proposer Position Proposers shall provide information as to how well they are positioned within their industry, relative to their competitors, in order to provide the required product/service.

Proposer Disclosure Proposers shall disclose any significant litigation, legal matters, or other financial matters in which they are currently involved that could influence or affect the successful implementation of the System and any production liability or other similar litigation related to the System. Any litigation that commences subsequent to the Proposer’s response shall be disclosed promptly to the College.

Proposer Third-Party Servicer SOC Reporting and Oversight In order to resolve prior issues with oversight of third-party servicers performing Title IV reconciliations, the SIS must ensure that the college can independently access, review, and document reconciliation results without depending on the vendor to produce them on request.

When the college relies on a third party to perform compliance functions, it remains responsible for those functions under 2 CFR 200.303 and must be able to demonstrate that it actively reviews the servicer’s work. The college has experienced a gap between the existence of these reconciliation processes and its ability to evidence its own review of them. Refer to the Transaction Export Requirements section for additional details.

Product Delivery Methodology / Implementation Proposers shall outline the approach to staging and provide a high-level project plan with a timeline from kickoff to closure. Identify necessary and desirable tasks that will be used in implementation including the normal length of implementation for their products/services, their methodology and the resources required from the College and Proposer during the implementation, plus their roles. Best practices for system deployment need to be followed including a test deployment cycle with user validation testing prior to scheduled production maintenance updates.

Go-Live Readiness and Remedies

The college, not the vendor, will determine when the system is ready for go-live. If the system is not ready by the agreed implementation date, the vendor must provide a remediation plan at no additional cost. Milestone payments will be withheld until each milestone is accepted in writing by the college's Contract Administrator.

Description of the System Proposers are to provide a description and diagram of the proposed system(s).

Data Access to Legacy Data

CGCC currently operates on Anthology CampusNexus Student and has done so for several years. The college requires that all relevant historical student data be migrated to the new SIS and remain accessible to authorized staff. Proposers must describe in detail how they will address legacy data, including:

● What student data can be imported from Anthology CampusNexus Student, and in what format. Proposers must identify any data types or record categories they cannot migrate and explain how those records will remain accessible.

● Their experience migrating data from Anthology CampusNexus Student specifically, including any known limitations or data quality issues common to that platform.

● How historical financial records, academic records, and financial aid records will be preserved and accessible in the new system, including records needed for federal audit purposes.

● How duplicate or inconsistent records will be identified and resolved during migration, and what role CGCC staff will play in that process.

● What the parallel running period will look like — how long both systems will operate simultaneously, who is responsible for keeping data in sync during that period, and what triggers the final cutover.

● How data will be validated after migration, including what reports or reconciliation tools will be available to confirm completeness and accuracy before the legacy system is decommissioned.

● What happens to data that cannot be automatically migrated — whether it will be manually entered, archived in a readable format, or handled another way.

The college will not decommission its legacy system until it has confirmed to its satisfaction that all required data has been successfully migrated and is accessible in the new system.

Proposers must include migration in their project plan and cost proposal.

Training Describe the training needed for staff (both technical and non-technical), as well as the duration of on-site training. Provide examples of your training materials. Provide a training plan identifying the minimum number of training hours that will be provided as a part of the base package. The plan shall identify the actual training hours and describe the size of and the assumed skill levels of each group. The Proposer shall provide cost information for additional training that is available. Provide cost totals in the Cost Proposal also.

Testing Provide an explanation of how you will provide the Acceptance Testing during the Project, along with any specific information requested in the Scope of Required Services. Explanations shall be at a sufficient level of detail to enable the College to determine whether the proposed Acceptance Testing will meet the requirements listed in the Scope of Required Services. All pricing information for services and products related to Acceptance Testing must be contained in the Cost Proposal.

General System Acceptance Requirements Describe how you will provide the General System Acceptance Requirements as listed in Scope of Required Services and how the proposed System will comply with these requirements.

Installation Acceptance Test Describe how you will provide the Installation Acceptance Test services as specified in the Scope of Required Services and how the proposed System will meet these requirements.

Functional Acceptance Test Describe how you will conduct functional acceptance testing to confirm that all requirements in the Scope of Services are met prior to go-live. The college will not accept the system as complete until it has verified to its satisfaction that all required functions operate as specified.

Data Configuration Acceptance Test Describe how you will provide the Data Configuration Acceptance Test services as specified in the Scope of Required Services and how the proposed System will support this Acceptance Test. Proposers must also describe how migrated data will be validated prior to go-live.

Throughput and Projected Load Acceptance Test Describe how you will provide the Throughput and Projected Load Acceptance Test services as specified in the Scope of Required Services and how the proposed System will support this Acceptance Test.

Reliability Acceptance Test Describe how you will provide the Reliability Acceptance Test services as specified in the Scope of Required Services and how the proposed system will meet this Acceptance Test.

Maintenance The proposer should include a detailed description of their Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the different levels of maintenance, the time frame in which support will be provided to the College, whether support is US-based, and the escalation path for unresolved issues. Proposer shall certify that the system is compliant with future database and operating system versions as they are released. Proposer shall provide a schedule of all standard maintenance windows and outages for upgrades or other planned service interruptions.Proposer must also describe training availability for new staff hired after go-live and how customers are supported when the system is updated.

Cost Proposal The proposer shall include an itemized pricing proposal for a Student Information System capable of meeting or exceeding the capabilities as outlined in the Scope of Required Services, clearly identifying the costs of implementation and configuration, data migration, integrations, training, and annual maintenance and support. Proposers must explicitly identify any functionality described in this RFP that is not included in the base price and is available only as a separately priced module or add-on. Evaluations will be based on total five-year cost. Ongoing pricing terms beyond year five must also be disclosed.

Proposers are to complete Appendix C Cost Proposal Form.

Acceptance of Proposal Content

Public Records and Confidentiality of Proposal This RFP and one copy of each original response received, together with copies of all documents pertaining to the selection of the System Contractor and a copy of the executed agreement, shall be kept by the College for a period of five (5) years and shall be made a part of a file or record which shall be open to public inspection.

Public Records By submitting a proposal, the Proposer(s) acknowledges that information submitted in response to this RFP is open to public inspection under the Oregon Public Records Law, ORS 192.410 through 192.505. The Proposer(s) are responsible for becoming familiar with and understanding the provisions of the Public Records Law.

Note: Under no circumstances will any proposal information be disclosed by the College prior to receiving a written recommendation to award from the College's Contract Administrator.

Thereafter, all Proposals will be available for public inspection by submitting a Public Records Request through the College's President's Office.

Execution of the Proposal

Proposer/Authorized Signer The proposal shall be executed in the name of the Proposer(s) followed by the signature of the officer authorized to sign and the printed or typewritten designation of the office held.

Partnership Proposer/Authorized Signer If the proposal is made by a partnership, it shall be executed in the name of the partnership followed by the signature of an authorized partner.

Limited Liability Company (LLC) Proposer/Authorized Signers If the proposal is made by a Limited Liability Company (LLC), it shall be executed in the name of the LLC followed by the signature of the member(s) or manager(s) authorized to sign for the LLC and the printed or typewritten designation of the office held in the LLC.

Corporation Proposer/Authorized Signer If the proposal is made by a corporation, it shall be executed in the name of the corporation followed by the signature of the officer authorized to sign for the corporation and the printed or typewritten designation of the office held by the signer in the corporation.

Joint Venture/Authorized Signer If the proposal is made by a joint venture, it shall be executed by each participant of the joint venture.

Withdrawal of Proposals Proposer(s) may withdraw its proposal, by written notice submitted on the Proposer's letterhead, signed by the Proposer's authorized representative, delivered to the College. To be effective, the withdrawal must be received prior to the RFP closing date and time. The Proposer or Proposer's authorized representative may withdraw their proposal by providing the Contracts and Procurement Manager prior to the RFP closing date and time, with presentation of appropriate identification and evidence of authority to make the withdrawal satisfactory to the Contracts and Procurement Manager. The Proposer(s) shall mark a written request to withdraw its proposal as follows: “Proposal Withdrawal - Student Information System Proposal.”

Proposer's Forms Any additional forms that the Proposer expects to submit to the College later for signature may not conflict with the intent or specifics of this RFP and, although they will not be evaluated, they must be submitted with your proposal. Any such form must include the contract terms identified in this RFP.

Examples of these forms include, but are not limited to, the following:

● Agreement form(s)

● Supplemental agreement forms

● Ordering forms

● Work order forms

● Software licensing agreements, if applicable

Submission of any such forms shall not be considered a waiver or amendment to any RFP requirement and any proposal conditioned upon acceptance of any such forms shall be considered non-responsive. The College in its sole discretion may approve the form, require modifications, or reject the forms.

Signed Addendum Required with Proposal In the event it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFP, the addenda will be posted on OregonBuys. Prospective Proposers are solely responsible for checking OregonBuys to determine whether any Addenda have been issued. The College is not responsible for any explanation, clarification, interpretation, or approval made or given in any manner except by addenda. Addenda, if necessary, will be issued not later than 72 hours before the date set for closing unless the addenda also extends the closing date. A request for change to an addendum must be made not later than the close of the next business day following issuance of the addendum. Proposals received without properly signed addenda may be considered non-responsive and will not be further considered for contract award.

Proposal Selection Process An RFP committee composed of representatives from the College including all primary functions from Student Services, Business Services, and Instructional, including Information Technology Services, will evaluate the proposals.

The RFP committee will evaluate all complete proposals received by the closing date. The proposal evaluation process will consist of two phases.

● In Phase I, the RFP committee will evaluate the written proposals. Top scoring proposals will move on to the second phase. Maximum of 4 proposals will move to Phase II.

● Phase II will consist of application demonstrations and a combination of customer reference checks and site visits.

The College will provide the proposer with a list of scenarios to be performed as part of the product demonstration. The RFP committee will score the demonstration based on the overall proposed product and how well the product performs under the College provided scenarios.

Phase 1 - Evaluation Criteria The following criteria is required, exclusion may disqualify proposer submission

● Student Privacy (FERPA): Systems must enforce the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which protects the privacy of student education records and mandates that institutions obtain prior written consent before releasing personally identifiable information (PII) to third parties.

● Records Retention (OAR 166-450 & OAR 589-004): Permanent academic records—such as subjects taken, credits earned, and entry/withdrawal dates—must be retained in a secure manner that prevents accidental destruction or intentional tampering.

● Social Security Numbers: Under Oregon Administrative Rules for Student Records, colleges can only request and retain a student's SSN on their permanent record if the student explicitly agrees.

● Vendor and Ed-Tech Contracts: Under the Oregon Student Information Protection Act, any vendor contracts tied to the SIS must prohibit the provider from using covered student information for purposes outside of their contracted duties.

● Title IV Disbursement Controls: The system must demonstrate the ability to track all Title IV disbursements from issuance through confirmation of receipt, monitor outstanding disbursements against federal return deadlines, and alert staff when action is required.

● Electronic Disbursement (ACH): The system must support ACH/direct deposit as the primary method for disbursing financial aid refunds and other student payments. Vendors must describe how they encourage or require students to enroll in direct deposit and how the system handles students who have not enrolled.

The initial evaluation criteria to move to phase II of this RFP is as follows:

Evaluation Criteria Points

Project Plan and Sample Schedule 15

Technical Proposal and Approach 20

Functional Requirements 100

Implementation, Testing, Training 25

Legacy Data Access 20

Pricing 25

References and Site Visits 25

Experience 20

Total Phase I Evaluation Points 250

Phase 2 - Demonstrations The scoring process for the Student Information System (SIS) Phase 2 demonstrations is designed to be a weighted assessment that ensures the selected vendor aligns with Columbia Gorge Community College's (CGCC) operations. The evaluation begins with a broad note of each expectation for product operation, revision, and transition.

This is followed by core functional scoring related to product operation, which accounts for 60% of the total grade and measures the system's ability to handle critical college functions such as curriculum management, automated admissions, and federal compliance while the product is being used. The weighted values under each line of Product Operation account for the total 60% score.

Technical and performance attributes are then assessed through product revision and transition scoring, representing 20% of the grade, with a focus on usability, system efficiency, and the ease of interoperability with existing tools like Global Financial Services, Moodle, and Microsoft Entra ID.

Finally, the committee will provide overall qualitative feedback, capturing critical observations on the user interface, identifying potential gaps in workflow, and documenting key strengths that may not be fully reflected in the numerical data accounting for 20% of the overall grade.

Category Criteria Requirement

Product Operation Correctness/Efficiency Satisfies all functional areas and reduces data loading/entry time.

Usability The effort required to learn and operate the software;

intuitive faculty/student portals.

Product Revision Flexibility Ease of adjusting workflows, such as updating state-specific reporting rules.

Product Transition Interoperability The effort required to export data and share it with 3rd party entities (Moodle, Clearinghouse).

Reusability Ability to migrate and reuse data currently stored in Campus Nexus.

Product Operation: Core Functional Scoring (60% of Total Grade)

Category High-Level Function & Requirement

Score (1-5)

Weight Weighted Score

Foundation Curriculum & Assessment:

Ability to enforce prerequisite/co-requisite logic and manage "Academic Journey" templates.

20%

Entry Admissions: Automated application intake with legitimacy checks and %-based "Fuzzy Match" deduplication.

15%

Specialized Pre-College & Comm Ed:

Support for non-credit registration and flexible "late-start" enrollment

(GED/ESOL).

5%

Integration Identity & LMS: Real-time sync with Microsoft Entra ID and automated Moodle course/roster provisioning.

10%

Support Advising & Learning Commons: Case management/ticketing system and visual task progress trackers for students.

10%

Compliance Federal & State Reporting:

Built-in R2T4 and SAP calculations and automated Clearinghouse/NSLDS file generation, and monitoring of Title IV disbursements including outstanding check tracking and return-to-ED deadlines.

20%

Financial Student Financial Services:

Complete student accounts receivable function including charge posting, payment processing, electronic disbursement of financial aid funds to students via ACH/Direct Deposit, fund source and agency billing, ERP transaction export with

10%

GL coding, and federal financial aid disbursement controls.

Customer Use

Student Portal: Ability for students to use a portal for getting information, course registration, and paying student tuition and fees.

10%

TOTAL 100%

Product Revision & Transition (20% of Total Grade)

Rate the software's performance and technical architecture.

Category High-Level Function & Requirement

Score (1-5)

Weight Weighted Score

Product Revision

Flexibility: Ease of adjusting workflows, such as updating state-specific reporting rules and triggering automated functions within the system.

35%

Product Transition

Interoperability: The effort required to add additional 3rd party systems to integrate with the SIS. Clear and easy to use 2-way APIs.

35%

Reusability: Ability to migrate and reuse data currently stored in Campus Nexus and export data

30% from the system into 3rd-party solutions through non-API methods. Data export is easy and transparent to the end user.

TOTAL 100%

Qualitative Feedback & Final Recommendation (20% of Total Grade)

● Key Strengths: (e.g., "The fuzzy match logic for hyphenated names was superior" )

● Critical Gaps/Concerns: (e.g., "Manual steps still required for R2T4" )

● User Interface Notes: (Visual noise level, ease of finding data )

Overall Recommendation (Select One):

1. Highly Recommended | 2. Recommended with Reservations | 3. Not Recommended

Expectations and agendas for the demonstration phase will be communicated by the College once the top proposers are identified. In addition to demonstrating the full product, expectations will include proposers demonstrating specific scenarios provided by the College. The top three proposers will provide on-site demonstrations for the RFP Committee.

Customer Reference Checks and Site Visits

The top proposers will be asked to supply a list of all sites that are using the proposed system.

Indicate if the site is a university or a community college. The evaluation team may contact and/or visit one or more sites from each proposer to further evaluate the proposal from the perspective of a live operating environment, customer service experience, and overall user satisfaction.

CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

General

Invoicing Invoices will be submitted to the Contract Administrator on a milestone basis for services rendered. The Contract Administrator will ensure, upon receipt of invoices, that the services billed are accurate and adhere to the contract terms. The Proposer will negotiate a milestone-based payment schedule with the College and will invoice according to the mutually agreed upon payment schedule.

Right to Audit The System Contractor shall maintain financial records and other records as may be prescribed by the College or by applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations. The System Contractor shall retain these records for a period of five (5) years after final payment, or until they are audited by the College, whichever event occurs first. These records shall be made available during the term of the contracts and the subsequent 5-year period for examination, excerpts, transcription, and audit by the College, its designees, or other authorized bodies.

Termination for Lack of Appropriations The College may terminate all or portions of this contract for lack of funds if the System Contractor is notified by certified mail thirty (30) calendar days in advance.

Debarment of Proposer The Contracts and Procurement Manager may debar prospective Proposers from consideration for contracts for a period of not more than 3 years if:

● The prospective Proposer has been convicted of a criminal offense as an incident in obtaining or attempting to obtain a public or private contractor subcontract or in the performance of such contract or subcontract.

● The prospective Proposer has been convicted under state or federal statutes of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification, or destruction of records, receiving stolen property or any other offense indicating a lack of business integrity or business honesty that currently, seriously, and directly affects the prospective Proposer’s responsibility as a contractor.

● The prospective Proposer has been convicted under state or federal antitrust statutes.

● The prospective Proposer has committed a violation of a contract provision that is regarded by the Contracts and Procurement Manager or the Construction Contractors Board to be so serious as to justify debarment. A violation may include but is not limited to a failure to fulfil the terms of a contract or an unsatisfactory performance in accordance with the terms of the contract. A failure to perform or an unsatisfactory performance caused by acts beyond the control of the contractor may not be considered to be a basis for debarment.

● The prospective Proposer does not carry any insurance required by applicable law.

● The Contracts and Procurement Manager shall give written notice of the reasons for the debarment and the proposed length of debarment to the person for whom debarment is being considered. The Proposer shall be given not less than fourteen (14) days to respond to the Contracts and Procurement Manager in writing. The Contracts and Procurement Manager shall issue a written decision that states the reason for the action taken and that informs the Proposer of the Proposer’s appeal rights.

Laws of the State of Oregon By submitting a proposal in response to this RFP, Proposer agrees that, any terms and conditions stated within any agreement that is awarded because of this solicitation shall also include the following laws of the State of Oregon are hereby incorporated by reference into the contract: ORS 279B.220, 279B.230 and 279B.235.

Any contract awarded and/or purchase order issued because of this solicitation shall be governed by the laws of the State of Oregon without regard to conflict of laws principles.

Exclusive venue for litigation of any action arising under the contract shall be in the Circuit Court of the State of Oregon for Wasco County unless exclusive jurisdiction is in federal court, in which case exclusive venue shall be in the federal district court for the district of Oregon. Each party expressly waives all rights to maintain an action under this contract in any other venue, and expressly consents that, upon motion of the other party, any case may be dismissed, or its venue transferred, as appropriate, to effectuate this choice of venue.

Successful Proposer’s Compliance with Tax Laws Successful Proposer represents and warrants to the College that:

1. Successful Proposer shall, throughout the term of this Agreement, including any extensions hereof, comply with:

a. All tax laws of the State of Oregon,…