An Update for Faculty and Staff on Student Information System Implementation

From Dr. Gloria Waters, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer

October 9, 2024

Dear Faculty and Staff,

I am writing to provide an important update on the implementation of our new Student Information System (SIS). Over the past four years, we have been transitioning from our legacy student systems, some of which have been in place for over 40 years. This migration to a modern platform has been a complex endeavor, and we recognize the significant issues it has created for our students, staff, and faculty this fall. We understand that this work has challenged your ability to serve students, to use systems like Blackboard, and to award financial aid and hire students into work-study and non-work-study positions.

In the face of these challenges, colleagues across our schools, colleges, and administrative offices have done extraordinary work supporting students. Enrollment & Student Administration (ENSA), Financial Affairs, and Information Services & Technology (IS&T) are collaborating to resolve these issues as quickly as possible.

We are deeply grateful for the exceptional efforts from all of you to help ensure the smoothest possible start to the semester under difficult circumstances. ENSA, IS&T, and Financial Affairs have made progress with system issues and delays in processing records requests and ask for your continued patience and collaboration as we know there is still significant work to be done.

Looking forward, we are preparing for the release of our Schedule Builder and Degree Progress tools next week to support students and advisors as we approach spring registration. Students registered for the fall term using the MyBU Student Schedule Builder and the new Student Information System for registration, but Degree Progress is new to MyBU Student for this fall.

Once registration for spring semester is complete, we will assess the best way forward to further enhance the system and its alignment with University and school and college operational needs. There will still be considerable work ahead for the system to be fully functional and efficient. This will include reviewing implementation decisions and staffing levels to ensure our teams are well-positioned to meet the ongoing operational needs of the new system and providing the standard of service expected by our students, faculty, and staff.

We will continue to update you on the progress of this effort. In the meantime, we greatly appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to address challenges and complete the replacement of our Student Information System. Together, we will navigate these complexities and fully realize the benefits of this platform. Our success in this endeavor is only possible because of you, and we thank you for your continued dedication and support.

Best,

Gloria Waters
University Provost and Chief Academic Officer

An Update for Faculty and Staff on Student Information System Implementation – 10.9.24