As a forward-thinking private university, the University of Dubuque set out to improve how departments stored documents, shared information, and managed administrative tasks. What started as a file storage project in Advancement quickly evolved into a broader effort to digitize workflows, improve data integrity, and increase visibility across campus.
With Softdocs, the university replaced legacy tools like Docusign and disconnected spreadsheets with a single platform for electronic forms, automated approvals, and secure content management. Departments and Offices, including Student Life, Academic Affairs, Human Resources, and Advancement and Alumni Engagement, now rely on Softdocs to simplify processes and strengthen cross-campus collaboration.
This transformation has delivered measurable benefits—from time savings and cost reductions to stronger alignment and more reliable data. By consolidating systems and empowering staff with the right tools, the University of Dubuque continues to build a paperless, innovative, and more connected campus.
Challenges: Disconnected Systems and Manual Workflows
Before Softdocs, departments at the University of Dubuque relied on a mix of disconnected tools: Word documents, Google Forms, Excel spreadsheets, and costly platforms like Docusign.
Adjunct contract processing required manual routing and approvals, Student Life manually tracked housing applications, and stakeholders lacked visibility into form progress, leading to delays and redundant follow-ups.
Departments had difficulties connecting data and information with other departments and valuable time was spent on repetitive tasks instead of improving processes.
Why Softdocs: Built for Higher Education, Ready for Scale
The University of Dubuque initially chose Softdocs to digitize paper files and improve document management. However, as they explored the platform’s workflow and form-building capabilities, they realized its full potential.
Softdocs, the provider of the Etrieve Platform, offers:
- Workflow automation to reduce manual routing and turnaround times.
- Form consolidation to simplify and standardize data collection.
- SIS integration for dynamic, pre-populated forms.
- Real-time tracking to monitor form progress and reduce follow-up.
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Built-in logic and validation to catch data issues early.
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Secure storage for records tied to students, employees, and donors.
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A single platform for forms, approvals, and documents across campus.
Streamlining the Adjunct Contract Process
One of the most impactful transformations happened in how Academic Affairs processes adjunct contracts. Previously, departments filled out Excel spreadsheets and submitted paper check requests with wet signatures for every class once final grade entry was verified. Business office staff manually processed each request.
Today, the process is entirely digital:
- Staff open a form, select the course and term, and Softdocs pre-populates the contract based on system rules.
- Workflows route contracts through validation and approval.
- Data from the form is automatically checked against payroll records to flag mismatches.
- Data from the contract forms is captured in the database for reporting to the necessary stakeholders.
This modernization also led to a data integrity win: for the first time, positions in Jenzabar were directly tied to contracts, enabling downstream analytics like profit/loss on courses.
This success earned the University of Dubuque a 2025 Bridge Client Innovation Award, recognizing its innovative use of Softdocs to improve transparency and empower staff with self-service tools.
Results: Efficiency, Cost Savings, and Empowered Staff
Softdocs has helped departments save time, reduce errors, and reclaim capacity for more strategic work. As forms and workflows improved, so did visibility, confidence, and collaboration.
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40 hours per week of staff time reclaimed in housing via automation
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Freed up capacity equivalent to 2–3 FTEs in Student Life, enabling the team to take on more strategic work.
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200+ forms live across Academic Affairs, HR, Student Life, and others
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13 Word docs consolidated into one dynamic adjunct form
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Faster approvals and fewer errors via data validation
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Real-time visibility into bottlenecks and workflow status
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Increased innovation as staff shift from data entry to process design
Campus-Wide Adoption
The demand for new workflows and digital forms has grown rapidly across campus. Once the initial workflows were in place, departments across campus began requesting their own forms.
Staff experienced the efficiency firsthand—eliminating data entry, improving visibility, and reducing errors—and began proposing new use cases regularly.
The IT and data management teams now support over 200 active forms.
Staff who previously spent their days entering data are now focused on student and fellow employee needs. All of this is continuing to lead to better processes, unique innovations, and driving a culture shift that prioritizes operational efficiency and collaboration.
Looking Ahead: What's Next for the University of Dubuque
The University of Dubuque continues expanding its use of Softdocs across campus, building momentum toward a more efficient, digital-first institution.
Upcoming initiatives include:
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Rebuilding withdrawal workflows to reduce alerts, improve retention, and provide better insight.
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Evaluating purchase order and requisition processes for future automation.
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Enhancing visibility across academic, financial, and HR processes with integrated, cross-system data.
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Accelerating adoption, with departments submitting new requests regularly as they see what’s possible.
The university is committed to reducing paper, eliminating manual work, and delivering smoother experiences for students and staff alike.
With each new workflow, they strengthen a campus-wide foundation for process efficiency, visibility, and long-term digital transformation.
