The university is exploring options to consolidate and unify its graduate admissions systems and related processes. The Graduate Admissions Systems project is part of a larger effort to replace or integrate our student systems with Workday over the next few years.
This project seeks to address challenges with our current graduate admissions process, such as complicated manual data entries that make analysis and communications difficult for our faculty and staff. With a new, modern solution, faculty will be able to more easily participate in the admissions process and access the data they need to make timely decisions. A new solution will also mean a smoother process for applicants and reduced manual work for staff.
“We’re excited to be a part of such integral work that will not only create a more pleasant admissions process but also ensure that our system is long-lasting and structurally sound.”
Lisa Spahr, graduate admissions systems project manager
The need to consolidate our graduate admissions systems comes at the recommendation of Huron Consulting Group, one of our partners for the Workday Student implementation. During the Student Sunrise Discovery Phase, Huron identified seven main systems and 19 additional technologies supporting graduate admissions across the university.
Our current process requires significant manual work as steps are completed across these multiple systems. Additionally, many of these systems are old and unstable, requiring costly upkeep and complicated fixes. A unified solution for graduate admissions would create an easier integration with Workday and reduce risk related to maintaining multiple aging systems.
“We are looking at a number of options, which we will present to the project’s steering committee in August,” said Spahr. “The two main contenders are to move to Slate, which the university uses for undergraduate admissions, or enhancing CollegeNet, which is the admissions system we currently use for many of our graduate programs.”
If selected, implementation of a new system would begin in spring 2022. Visit the Graduate Admissions Systems project page to learn more.