An effective date in Workday is the date when a version of something goes into effect. Based on the action being completed, this may be a past, present or future date.
Effective dating is a common feature in Workday that can be used to manage many types of data and processes. Two primary benefits are that it allows users to:
- Edit data in the system, such as a course title, without losing the prior history, similar to creating a “version 2” of a document. Having a version history will allow users to see, or report on, how something was configured at a certain point in time.
- Enter changes in the system that will go into effect at a later date, even years in the future, automatically (similar to “delayed sending” an email).
Potential use cases
Effective dating will be beneficial to WashU for:
- Updating course details such as titles, pre- and co-requisites, methods of instruction, or other course components. Administrators will be able to adjust course details by creating a new effective-dated version rather than creating new courses. This functionality in Workday will help reduce the proliferation of course numbers.
- Placing a student on university leave, withdrawal, suspension, etc.
- Utilizing reporting within Workday to view data based on a snapshot in time. For example, looking up the membership of a student cohort at a specific point in time, e.g. Who were all of John Smith’s advisees in Spring 2020?
While effective dating is available across much of Workday, its impact varies based on what’s being effective dated. As you make your way through Workday Student 101, you’ll learn about specific examples as to how effective dating works for different data like academic requirements, courses, programs of study and academic calendars.