July – September 2023

The Project WakeDay team made significant progress over the summer, moving the University several steps closer to a successful implementation of Workday Student, which will replace Banner Ellucian, Wake Forest’s current student information system.

“It is encouraging to see so much hard work come together as we move toward implementation,” says Mur Muchane, Vice President of Information Technology and CIO. “With each update I receive and presentation I attend, I am more pleased with the team’s progress. I look forward to seeing the University move closer to improving the student experience at Wake Forest.”

At the end of the quarter, Matt Imboden (’06, ’08), Chief Student Services Officer in the School of Business, accepted the invitation to become the project’s Change Management (CM) Lead. He immediately added value through his thoughtful approach to leadership and communications, as well as through his deep understanding of the Wake Forest community, which he has been part of for more than 15 years. In this position he replaces Melissa Clodfelter, who stepped away from the project.

Additionally, while engagement with stakeholders across campus continues through the project’s various networks, the CM team is also pleased to announce a request-a-presentation form. If your department is curious about how you’ll manage processes in the future, or if you’d like a general Workday Student update for your unit, you can request an in-person or virtual presentation for your team. Once CM receives your request, they will work with you to understand the best options and venues for engagement. Read more and find the form on the project website.


Project Status

By the end of September, configuration work was 95 percent complete, representing 13 months of focus, collaboration, and shared expertise on the part of many team members.


Campus Engagement

Change Management (CM) meetings with Project WakeDay’s Staff Change Network continued over the last quarter, as did meetings with Program and Department Academic Coordinators. Also, early in the fall semester, CM held three events for faculty to learn more about Workday Student.


Wins, Challenges for Functional Areas

Project WakeDay’s functional areas include Admissions, Financial Aid, Advising and Curriculum, Student Financials, Student Records and Technical. The August issue of The Word on WakeDay featured the leaders for each of these areas — read more about them on the project website. These leaders play critical roles in defining campus and unit needs, as well as bridging connections between technology, practice and support.

In Quarter 3, Change Management partnered with the leads to bring forward the wins — how Workday Student will improve University processes and performance — and the challenges — the changes in process that some campus constituents will have to adjust to as the implementation moves forward. The high-level topics featured below include Student Core, Student Financials and Student Experience. A significant portion of these wins and challenges relate to student records and curriculum management, as the University’s second milestone launch, coming this spring, focuses on advising and registration.


What’s Next for Project WakeDay?

This fall, all campus constituents will have the opportunity to attend readiness sessions ahead of training in the spring. During these sessions, project team members will offer demonstrations to introduce users to Workday Student’s features and processes. “These sessions will help us all get a feel for the look and layout of Workday Student tools in preparation for more specific training to come,” says Associate Provost Anne Hardcastle, who also serves on the Project WakeDay team. 

The project website now includes a training section, which will offer important information for faculty, staff and students, including the dates for readiness sessions and training, which everyone is encouraged to attend. Watch The Word on WakeDay newsletter — as well as your office and department publications — for invitations. For more project information, check out back issues of the newsletter on the project website, and join the Google group to receive monthly updates.

The project website now includes a training section, which will offer important information for faculty, staff and students, including the dates for readiness sessions and training, which everyone is encouraged to attend. Watch The Word on WakeDay newsletter — as well as your office and department publications — for invitations. For more project information, check out back issues of the newsletter on the project website, and join the Google group to receive monthly updates.

The Project WakeDay website, The Word on WakeDay newsletter and other project communications are managed by Communications Specialist Abby Langston. For more information about this update or how to get Workday information for your campus communication or department, contact her at langsta@wfu.edu. You can also share feedback using this form or via the project email, WakeDay@wfu.edu.


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