As we approach the launch of Workday Student in AY2024-25, the Sunrise team is shifting focus from configuring Workday to testing the system and preparing faculty, staff, and students for the transition.
What is ‘readiness’?
The Sunrise team is planning several major activities to help our community “get ready” to use Workday.
Readiness will be different for individuals versus schools and units. Individuals should be aware of what is changing for them, and why. They also should know what training is available, how to complete it, and where to get help if needed.
For a school or unit to be ready, they need to understand what key changes mean for operations, including employee roles, policies, processes and systems.
The benefit of a product like Workday is that it is always evolving. We all need to be prepared to use a system that will continually change. Learning will be ongoing, and proficiency will come over time.
Readiness activities
Sunrise readiness activities have been underway since the Architect, Configure and Prototype Stage, starting with Change Impact and Configuration Review sessions with the project’s governance and campus teams.
Now that Workday is configured, the larger university community will have opportunities to preview changes in Workday with our Sneak Peeks series, pilot training and support materials during Workday Student Workshops, pilot registration support materials during Mock Semester, and participate in training during our go-live year.
Upcoming Activities
Workday Student Sneak Peeks
Workday Student Sneak Peeks are the first opportunity for the broader university community to see and experience what’s coming with Workday.
Impacted faculty and staff – including but not limited to instructors, advisors, registrars, Bulletin editors, department administrators, and Student Financial and Financial Aid experts – are encouraged to attend. A separate track is planned for students.
These preview sessions will be held throughout 2024 and into 2025 and will allow you to:
- Learn about the move to Workday Student
- Understand what is changing for you and why
- Preview tasks/processes you will likely perform in the system
- Understand how you will view data relevant to you (e.g., reporting)
- Understand where and how to get help
- Share wins, raise questions and elevate concerns
View the Sneak Peeks session schedule and registration»
Workday Student Workshops
During Workday Student Workshops, a small group of end users will pilot select training materials, specifically any videos, tutorials or reference guides that provide step-by-step instructions.
The workshops will help the project’s training team make any final modifications before resources are officially released. Workday Student Workshops will occur twice, in April and October 2024.
Mock Semester
Mock Semester is a student-focused activity and serves as a dry run for Spring 2025 registration for Fall 2025 classes.
Mock Semester is a larger, event-style engagement for students and those who support them in the registration process.
It’s an opportunity for students to pilot relevant support materials and to build momentum for our first registration cycle in Workday.
Organized by school, Mock Semester is currently planned for Nov. 11-22, 2024, prior to Thanksgiving break and finals.
Training
Training for Workday Student will be simple and sustainable, because Workday is always changing. Training and support will be delivered through a variety of methods and tools to meet the varying needs of users across WashU.
Resources will be available beginning in summer 2024 ahead of the first go-live in September.
This training will be delivered shortly before each go-live and reinforced by open labs and “office hours.” Synchronous instructor-led training (ILT), both in-person and virtual, will focus on heavy/super users and complex activities.
We will use our current ticketing system, ServiceNow, if users need additional help. Our current Workday Hotline will also be available.
Learn more about training and support during our go-live year »
Completed Activities
Change Impact Validation
Change impact sessions play an essential part in school and unit readiness. Throughout the project, the Student Sunrise team has been tracking changes anticipated from the transition to Workday Student and reviewing them with IT leaders, steering committee and campus teams members from the schools and academic units.
These conversations are designed to ensure the project team, as well as school and unit leaders, understands the effects of changes on key stakeholder groups like faculty, advisors, registrars and students.
The goal with these sessions is to give our schools, academic units and the university a consolidated picture of what’s changing, for whom and why. Feedback from these sessions informs plans for future communications, system preview events like the Workday Student Sneak Peeks, and training. The final round of change impact review will occur this fall.
Learn more about change impact validation sessions »
Configuration Review
The Sunrise team hosted two rounds of configuration review sessions in 2023 with the project’s steering committee and campus teams to gather feedback from those who contributed to the system design process.
System demonstrations helped Workday Student “come to life” and showed how requirements from the campus community translated into a system that functions well for WashU specifically.
The sessions also were an opportunity for campus teams members to build their knowledge of other functional areas, as well as for the project to hear feedback on configurations before finalizing system design.