Case Study: Southern Illinois University Edwardsville achieves streamlined group project management and stronger job readiness with Smartsheet

Smartsheet Helps SIUE Business Students Excel in Academic Projects and Professional Work

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s School of Business needed a simpler, more reliable way to manage frequent group projects, reduce faculty administrative overhead, and prepare students for workplace collaboration — challenges amplified by remote and hybrid learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Manual group management consumed valuable instructor time and students needed tools that were easy to access and learn while employers increasingly sought candidates with practical collaboration-platform experience.

The school adopted Smartsheet across its curriculum, using templates, dashboards, and cloud-based access (backed by AWS) to centralize project planning and monitoring. Faculty report saving 10–20 hours a month in administrative work, can intervene earlier on struggling teams, and students gain hands-on experience and certification that boosts employability — giving graduates a measurable edge in the job market.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Tim Jacks

Associate Professor