The difference between R3 and Thesis SM

Posted on Thursday, February 16th, 2023

Thesis logo

When people hear about the R3 Project and the implementation of a new Student Information System (SIS), many might think that “R3” is the name of the new SIS.

Well, not necessarily.

With the R3 Project comes a lot of new terms, so we’re going to be breaking down some of these terms for you. More specifically, R3 and Thesis SM.

What does R3 mean?

R3 is a transformation project that will introduce a new SIS and Student Portal to Algonquin College. As we implement a new SIS, we have the opportunity to rethink how we work, redesign our processes, and reimagine how we serve and interact with our learners.

In other words, this is where the name R3 Project comes from—we think that it best encompasses what we’re trying to achieve.

What does Thesis SM mean?

Algonquin College has acquired the services of Thesis, a company that specializes in providing new systems to colleges and universities.

The Thesis SM system is a cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) program, making Algonquin College one of the first colleges in Ontario to move to a cloud-based SIS.

The role of Thesis SM

The new system—Thesis SM—will replace the current Algonquin College homegrown GeneSIS system, which has been a part of the AC Community for three decades.

GeneSIS has served the College well—it truly does what it was built to do. But, with the evolution of technology since its inception, Algonquin College needs a cloud-based SIS to do new things in order to better serve our diverse range of learners as well as our employees.

Thesis SM will ultimately provide greater flexibility and integration with other systems, reducing data re-entry or rework. It’ll also support greater functionality for student self-service.

Needless to say, we’re pretty excited!

What the R3 Project is bringing to the AC Community

As the R3 Project team and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) continue to get familiarized with what the new SIS can do to meet the College’s needs, we’ll share these updates in our News and Events section and at our Showcase Events.

Make sure to check out our Upcoming Changes page for new Business Processes, changes and decisions the R3 Project is making.

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If you’re wondering where you can find more information about the Project, then the R3 Project FAQ and Glossary sections are great resources!

Additionally, don’t miss our next R3 Showcase Event to receive important updates and learn more about the R3 Project. We’ll also be happy to answer any questions that you might have.

The next R3 Showcase is set for Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, at 2:00 p.m.


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