A search is underway for a new student information system at the heart of some of the University’s most critical processes, including admissions, registration, financial aid and grading.
Metropolitan State University of Denver has been relying on Ellucian Banner to support these processes since 1998, and a more modern student information system is long overdue. A new system will provide a more accessible, mobile-friendly and cloud-based digital experience, said Kevin Taylor, the University’s chief information officer.
Much like the recent implementation of Workday for finance and human-resources functions, the implementation of a new student information system is a massive undertaking. The University will apply what it learned from the Workday implementation to the student-information-system project, said Chief Operating Officer Larry Sampler.
“As the Workday retrospective revealed, many of our administrative processes were decades old and didn’t translate smoothly to the new system,” Sampler said. “The lessons we learned from that implementation will be invaluable in ensuring a smooth and successful transition to a new student information system.”
That transition will be years in the making. A working group consisting of representatives from across the University is evaluating two possible platform options: Workday Student and Ellucian Student. They hope to choose a system by the end of the year, and under the current timeline, the new system would be fully implemented by 2027.
Two systems under review
Led by Taylor and Chief Enrollment Officer Long Huynh, DBA, the working group has already dedicated more than 2,000 person-hours to system demos, in-depth feature reviews and collaborative conversations.
Compared with Ellucian Banner, the University’s current student information system, both cloud-based systems would offer new functionalities and enhancements, including:
- Dashboards to enable faster, data-informed decision-making
- Improved mobile support
- Greater accessibility
- Increased security and reliability
- Modernized processes that reduce manual effort for students and employees
“To our knowledge, no other university has made a comparable investment in reviewing candidate platforms,” said Nick Pistentis, deputy chief information officer. “This gives us confidence that MSU Denver will ultimately make the best choice for the next generation of students.”
Engaging campus experts
The cross-functional working group comprises representatives from Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, the Bursar’s Office, Business Intelligence, the Student Advisory Council and Information Technology Services. Members were selected based on their expertise and diverse perspectives.
“It’s tremendously encouraging how functional leaders from across Academic and Student Affairs have approached this process with energy and open minds,” Pistentis said. “It illustrates our shared commitment to our students and to strategically moving the University forward.”
Workday implementation improves preparation for new student information system
Building on lessons from the Workday implementation, the team recognizes that the success of a student-information-system project will hinge on better engaging front-line teams and prioritizing communication, training and data integrity.
In response to Workday ERP implementation feedback, the team is taking a measured approach to review, selection and implementation timelines for the student-information-system project, building plans to augment and backfill key positions and map out a phased-in product launch culminating in spring 2027. Ensuring that teams can support this initiative and have a voice in this stage of evaluation, validation and selection will ensure project success.
“We truly appreciate the passion that our colleagues have for getting this project right,” Pistentis said. “We aren’t looking at making a change tomorrow.”
Current focus and upcoming milestones
Leaders are close to finalizing the working-group roster. Members will represent student-facing teams to help guide test and validation steps that will ensure compatibility with the University’s needs.
The next major milestone will be selection of a third-party consulting partner to lead a student-information-system strategy and readiness engagement in late 2024, with a focus on communicating organizational priori ties, designing the proposed business processes and evaluating the University’s current data quality.
Stay tuned to the Early Bird and to the regularly updated student-information-system webpage to learn more.
