Case Study: Rush University Medical Center achieves stable, modernized IT and improved student experience with Ellucian Cloud Services

Rush University Medical Center’s move to the cloud lifted a burden from IT staff

Rush University Medical Center, a private 4‑year institution with under 3,000 students, struggled with unstable legacy IT infrastructure that caused weekly outages and even a daily 6 AM module crash requiring staff to restart systems. Facing limited capital for a full in‑house rebuild, Rush engaged Ellucian and adopted Ellucian Cloud Services to stabilize and modernize its environment and free IT to focus on higher‑value work.

Ellucian’s cloud implementation removed the recurring outages and the morning maintenance burden, automated integration with the learning management system so registrations appear immediately (replacing manual file transfers), and enabled rollout of self‑service modules like financial aid and emergency contacts. As a result, the campus experience and administrative efficiency improved, IT staff shifted toward business‑analysis work, and Rush credits Ellucian with delivering these measurable operational gains.

Rush University Medical Center

Steve Wightkin

Associate Vice President of IT Operations