| SIS Findings, Recommendations, and Next Steps
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On April 24th, the project steering committee shared with the Vassar community a report of findings and recommendations from our Student Information System (SIS) Readiness and Requirements Review, which was prepared by our external partner, Huron Consulting. Huron and the project steering committee also gave an all-campus presentation on April 26th about the report, which you can view a recording of here.
For your convenience, we have compiled the findings and critical success factors and recommendations from the report below. You can quickly browse the highlights below and click any section to read more. More information about the SIS Readiness and Requirements Review process can be found at the bottom of this email. Thank you to all that have participated in this process! For those that haven’t yet had a chance to, you can assist in this process by reviewing the information shared below and completing the survey at the bottom of this email. Findings - Processes and Reporting
- Technology and Systems
- Governance and Organization
Critical Success Factors and Recommendations - Process and Reporting
- Technology and Systems
- Governance and Organization
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The steering committee will review the findings and recommendations and work to prioritize a list of next steps for improving our SIS. You can assist in this process by reviewing the information shared below and completing the survey at the bottom of this email! |
A PDF of Huron's report and a video recording of a presentation about the report are also available if you would like to review the information in an alternative format.
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| Process Inefficiencies and Minimal Automation Disparate processes and data practices have created pain points for stakeholders, with technology interactions being a key identified factor. Users expressed frustration with the lack of insight into business process status (is it complete, were there errors) and workflows (e.g., new curriculum approvals). Absent or insufficient automation of key business processes, including student registration, leads to significant administrative burden and inefficiency. Despite these challenges, however, there also exists concern about a potential future where technology has ‘automated-out’ the personal connections between students and faculty, connections that drive the unique Vassar experience.
Insufficient Reporting Capabilities
Limitations in reporting capabilities have led to process inefficiencies, including course registration, and an incomplete understanding of data ownership across the College. Stakeholders are seeking ways that users can have deeper reporting capabilities, and limitations exist with Banner's and other systems' ad-hoc reporting capabilities. For example, many users are unable to create or run reports on their own, needing instead to request reports run in other departments. Data often exists in silos across disparate systems and not synchronized regularly. In some cases, advising notes and enrollment data is maintained in Excel spreadsheets.
Lack of Consistent Data Access Across Offices
Incomplete access to key student data limits the ability to gain a holistic view of the student and sustain data-driven decision making. Data often must be bridged from multiple sources. Users discussed the existence of barriers to data/information that hinder data-informed decision making (e.g., security access, insufficient report training, data inconsistencies). Overall, there is a general distrust of the limited historical data in enrollment; gleaning insights on enrollment trends is difficult. |
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| An antiquated system, disparate tools and data, and gaps in current SIS capabilities have led to an increase in manual processing, hindering individuals' abilities to support students in a one-on-one capacity. User Interface and Navigation Challenges Many users reported that the current SIS environment would benefit from a more modern interface and simplified navigation.
Product Functionality Gaps
Vassar’s current version of Banner exhibits functionality gaps that are native capabilities of modern SIS solutions (e.g., mobile access, intuitive search, pronoun capture, push-notifications).
Data Quality Concerns
Stakeholders expressed significant concerns about data continuity, syncing between systems, and overwriting. Limited data validation functionality exists, and data clean-up across systems is labor intensive. Moreover, most data are not displayed in real-time due to limitations in integrations. Faculty, staff and students have communicated the negative impacts that this has on navigating the student lifecycle.
Disparate Technology Ecosystem and Challenges Related to Homegrown Systems
Vassar leverages several tools and point solutions to accomplish specific business needs and accommodate gaps in Banner functionality; however, maintaining and managing over 150 integrations between these point solutions places a high burden on technical staff resources, and users find it challenging to track and manage critical processes and requests across multiple platforms. Some of the homegrown solutions are older and have been described as ‘clunky’ and ‘non-user friendly’. Limited maintenance and updates to homegrown tools can pose a data security risk, with an inability to keep up with best practices in an ever-changing technology threat environment. |
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| Governance and Organization
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Change Fatigue and Apprehension Users expressed technology change fatigue. Many key functional leads, subject matter experts, and faculty voiced concerns stemming from the Workday and more recent Degree Works implementations. Some trepidation exists around potential changes to job functions and overall feelings of job security. Resource planning and investments should be made to ensure stakeholders can continue to perform their day-to-day functions if the College moves forward with any implementation. Additionally, some users may not be convinced of the need to modernize the current SIS environment, which should be considered when the business case is finalized and socialized more broadly
Transparency and Inclusion Concerns
Stakeholders value transparency and inclusion as guiding principles for future work. They welcome the opportunity to continue providing feedback on a future SIS and want to ensure the College maintains a collaborative decision-making approach.
Training and Support
Stakeholders want ongoing training opportunities to help stay up to date with new technologies and features. Users request more robust system support, including a set of self-help resources |
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Critical Success Factors and Recommendations |
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| Business Process Redesign Our engagement identified a list of current Vassar business and academic processes to prioritize for transformation, based on existing (manual or other) inefficiencies or misalignment with potential future technology features and functionality. These included discrete areas of curriculum management and course registration, student financials and financial aid, student records, and academic advising.
Reporting Strategy
Developing a current and comprehensive understanding of reporting needs and a future strategy to address them will help reduce administrative burden regardless of any SIS decision. Such an approach should include a rational, high-level reporting methodology; parameters to guide decision-making on who should develop reports needed to support business processes (and when); and an ongoing inventory of supported reporting, including frequency, justification, and end-of-life indicators. |
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| Requirements Prioritization A set of 71 SIS functionality requirements surfaced across the stakeholder engagement that provide directional guidance as to what the Vassar community envisions for a potential future state. Should the institution decide to move forward with exploring SIS options, additional validation, expansion, and prioritization of these requirements will be an important exercise. Vassar will also want to identify signature requirements, or those that are critically important to Vassar's operations and are a source of differentiation for the institution (i.e., What makes Vassar, "Vassar"? What does it mean to be part of the Vassar community?).
Data Management Strategy
As seen above, data siloing across personal Excel spreadsheets, departmental provided tools, and distributed shadow systems created to bridge legitimate business gaps have led to a fragmented data environment that works against efficiency at different levels of the College. Whether or not Vassar intends to replace or upgrade its SIS ecosystem, developing an optimal data management strategy can help democratize key data to ensure the right individuals have appropriate access to correct and accurate data at the right time.
Integrations Strategy
Many newly implemented systems are not being used to their fullest capabilities due to limited integration capabilities. An inventory of current systems such as Slate (in Admissions) and PowerFAIDS (in Financial Aid) should be developed to help the College plan for future integration needs as well as to understand which systems might realistically be deprecated due to more advanced capabilities in modern, cloud-based platforms. |
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| Governance and Organization
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SIS Implementation Governance Large digital transformations hinge on broad and transparent decisionmaking; this is especially true when considering the Student Information System, the technology environment most closely associated with the mission and unique offerings of the College. Success comes when decisions are taken at the right level with the right stakeholder input, governed by an inclusive framework. Key components of a governance framework include: 1) a clear (and oft-repeated) statement of objectives; 2) a concise vision statement conveying the purpose of the program; 3) guiding principles that will form the guardrails for the project team; and 4) a governance committee charter that outlines the people and groups involved, roles and responsibilities, and the decision-making and escalation process. The governance over a potential future SIS upgrade or implementation should encompass stakeholders that represent broad interests and needs of campus and not simply those who will be "hands-on" in the system.
Change Management
Given feedback on recent experiences, Vassar should stablish a change management plan first before work begins. An effective change management plan will minimize the impact of change to stakeholders and lay a proper foundation for a culture of adoption. Such a plan may include establishing a branding identity, but most always includes a network of change leaders and ambassadors, a multi-channel communications plan, different tools to deploy to prepare campus for their future environment (this is "readiness", different than training), and finally a training plan itself. The plan should include the case for change and work to reinforce this, never assuming that it is obvious to campus stakeholders.
Staffing Plan
Vassar should account for backfill needs and high-volume service times during the year for any potential SIS upgrade or implementation. Our engagement has provided a typical backfill plan for resources needed across functional, technical and change management areas in SIS implementation or upgrade/transformation projects. |
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| We Want to Hear from You!
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The review process began at the beginning of the academic year. Throughout the year, a steering committee, whose membership consists of faculty members and representatives from major units across campus that depend most directly on the SIS, steered the review project. The review was designed to include all processes related to the student records life cycle, from admittance to graduation. Through several surveys, open feedback sessions, and interviews, we solicited broad input from various units throughout the college regarding how processes related to that life cycle function today, how they will need to function going forward, and what considerations are most important to individuals in managing potential system or process changes that we may undertake in the future. It's not too late to participate. Please share your thoughts by completing the survey below.
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