Graduate applications opened in Slate on Sept. 1, 2022, for programs in Phase 1 of the Graduate Admissions project. Slate is the university’s new application and constituent relationship management tool for most graduate programs’ admissions.
Throughout the fall, the project has continued to launch new functionality in Slate, such as admission decision publication and enrollment response processing. Ultimately, the project will consolidate and unify many of our graduate admissions systems and related processes, reducing the number of associated systems at WashU from 23 to 15.
The project’s working group, which includes representatives from all schools and units in Phase 1, has been working closely with the core team throughout the implementation. They have advised the project on functionality decisions and started to train other Slate users in their schools and units.
“If not now, then when? Change is hard, and it’s my job to ensure that any Slate user in Arts & Sciences knows that they aren’t going through this change alone. The old system [CollegeNet] was clunky, and the data was not as reliable. Additionally, the applicants’ experience was not user-friendly at all. Slate ensures reliable data, innovative communications and a better end-user experience for all.”
Na’Nette Ashford, Phase 1 working group member from Arts & Sciences
Phase 2 work begins
The project team has started work for Phase 2 of the implementation of Slate, which kicks off in earnest in January. The team is identifying system managers and other representatives in Phase 2’s scope and is planning to conduct discovery sessions with them in December 2022 to learn more about current processes.
Many of the programs in Phase 2 use centralized or common application systems (CAS) and need to continue to use these systems to remain competitive. Unlike Phase 1, which completely transitioned programs away from admissions systems like CollegeNet, programs in Phase 2 will build an integration with Slate. This means that the project will create a connection from each program’s current application system to Slate that will share relevant student data.
Phase 2 includes representatives from programs in the following areas:
- School of Medicine
- Occupational Therapy MS, OTD
- Doctorate of Physical Therapy
- Population Health Sciences
- School of Law
- McKelvey School of Engineering
- Dual degree programs
- Biomedical Engineering
- Institute of Technology Bombay partnership
- McDonnell International Scholars Academy
- Olin School of Business
- Master’s programs
System owners and other representatives from these areas will be contacted soon about their involvement with the project.