STORIES & SOLUTIONS FOR THE MODERN BUSINESS USER

We’ve walked a mile in your shoes, is what many consultants say, when they make the transition from working for a higher education institution to Workday consultant. After 11 years in higher education, I made the leap to become certified as a Workday Student consultant. While many of the same character traits and skills are needed in both roles to be effective, the role of internal project leader and the role of the consultant are not the same in a project.

Escape rooms have gained immense popularity as an interactive and thrilling form of entertainment. They test participants' problem-solving skills, teamwork, and ability to think under pressure. Institutions moving to Workday Student may find themselves in a similar situation: needing to break free from legacy systems to deliver a modern student experience, limited collaboration between campuses and departments, and challenge with change to adopt new ways of working.

On March 11th, Workday release 2023R1 was delivered to tenants. The new release includes over 300 new or enhanced features. To prepare for the release cycle, we asked our consultants to share their favorite Workday features and functionality that are most impactful to users. Last week we covered the core application and this time around, we asked our consultants about Workday Student. Take note of these time-saving features and put them on your radar for 2023! 

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall realized the need to incorporate new technology throughout Salt Lake City government and in response launched the city's first innovation department in January 2021. The department's goal included implementing an integrated software system to enhance internal functions and support a culture of innovation.

Between offices closing, switching to remote work, and the lack of a daily commute, so much of our lives was put on pause during the pandemic. Many state and local government organizations also put transformation initiatives on the back burner as they worked to adjust to a remote world and keep their employees, students, and citizens safe. Like the private sector, government organizations had to pivot overnight amid the struggle of outdated and inflexible technology.

Changing student expectations are driving the need for transformation in higher education, yet the majority of colleges and universities are working with legacy systems that are 20 years old or older. Students today want to be able to register for classes, see their degree progress, pay their bill, accept their financial aid and many other critical student experience tasks using their mobile device.

Higher ed has a greater share of older workers than other industries. The median age for higher education staff is 45, above the U.S. workforce average of 42. As baby boomers approach retirement age and exit the workforce in the coming decade, they will be followed by Generation X — a much smaller generation. At the same time, by 2030, it is expected that nearly one in five workers will be over the age of 65. As workers continue toward retirement, it can create challenges in the IT department as knowledge leaves the institution. For individuals who stay, it creates a training need for people to learn new systems and processes and adapt to change.

The Avaap Higher Education team was thrilled to be back at the Ohio Higher Education Computing Council (OHECC) Annual Conference this year! After a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19, it was great to see Ohio higher education leaders in person again. This year’s conference focused on transforming for the future, with the use of technology on campus and the impact it has on student success dominating discussions.

For many higher education institutions, a cloud implementation is the largest initiative undertaken in 20 years or longer. However, a successful transformation project is more than modernizing technology. Success is measured on the level of adoption and use of the new system and takes careful planning. Bringing human resources, financial, and student systems together impacts the entire institution, and as with any widespread change, developing a robust communication strategy is vital to project success.

In the nearly two years following Covid-19, higher education has undergone an unprecedented uptake in digital transformation. Many higher education institutions are long overdue for modernization, having used the same technology for 20 years or longer. The digital revolution is moving forward and whether willing or unwilling, higher ed leaders know they need to get onboard and adapt.