Getting a program off the ground like the Student Systems Renewal Program (SSRP) takes some serious work behind the scenes. After years of planning, we’re excited to share that some projects have already been launched and others will launch for the York community soon. There’s been a whirlwind of activity, so we're here to give you an inside look at all the moving parts.
As a multi-year program, the SSRP is transforming the student, staff and faculty experience by providing enhanced online systems and processes. Its seven projects work together to not only enhance the student experience but also enrich the experiences of faculty and staff at York. It has taken a lot of meticulous coordinating and planning to get the program to where it is today. Two foundational projects are now complete - Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Enterprise Integration Platform (EIP). The SSRP is also contributing to institution-wide improved data quality at York with the Data Management & Analytics project, which will also set a positive precedent for all future SSRP projects.
The first release of the Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) and the new solution for Financial Aid, Awards, and Scholarships are now both set to launch. As the program gears up for these next two launches, there are a bunch of things on the go to help prepare the community. So, let’s take a peek at what’s happening!
CRM
The new CRM will help students from start to finish – from recruiting and enrolling new prospects, to making sure current students get the advice and support they need. Being flexible and having a bit of foresight is key when tackling a big project like this. Even the best-laid plans need a few tweaks here and there. The project’s initial release, dedicated to the student profile, prospect profile and general engagement, will go live the week of Sept. 25, 2023. Planning is in progress for the next two releases, which will build on the student lifecycle by including functionality for applications and admissions.
With this first release, the SSRP has been:
- training end users, which began in mid-August and will run until Friday, Sept. 22
- sharing a demo of the new functionality, which will happen on Monday, Sept. 18
- preparing to go live, which will happen the week of Sept. 25
Financial Aid, Awards and Scholarships
Following the launch of CRM, we can look forward to the new solution for financial aid, awards and scholarships going live. This will improve the student experience and increase the number of claimed awards. Once complete, students will have access to tailored awards suggestions that they can easily apply for and track. Faculty and staff will also be able to process and adjudicate awards more efficiently. We’ll be sharing more about this in the coming months.
Ongoing Communications
The SSRP hosted its first webinar last month, open to all faculty and staff. This webinar introduced the SSRP to those who might not be familiar with the program, and it kicked off a series for the SSRP with project-specific sessions coming soon. These upcoming sessions will feature demos and there will be opportunities for attendees to ask questions live. Recognizing the scale of the SSRP, the program is simplifying key informationwith a series of short videos. The first video in the series will be released soon and will serve as an introduction and general overview of the program. Future videos will break down the SSRP’s diverse projects into bite-sized pieces to make it easy for the York community to grasp upcoming changes with clarity and confidence.
The SSRP team has been working hard to bring the projects to life and to prepare the York community for the positive changes that are underway. While this is only a glimpse of what lies ahead, there will be much more to share soon. Stay tuned for more updates on the blog and visit the news page for the most recent developments. For any additional questions, feel free to reach out to ssrp@yorku.ca