SIS, Next Generation
The NYU Student Information System Replacement Project
Jill Hochberg
This past spring, NYU selected PeopleSoft, Inc.'s Campus Solutions as the replacement for the University's aging student information system (SIS), the core administrative system that supports registration, admissions, bursar and financial aid functions at NYU. A major step in an important project that's come to be known as "SIS, Next Generation," the decision to use the PeopleSoft system followed an exhaustive vendor selection process that took place over the preceding several months and involved not only central University offices but representatives of various other constituent groups across the NYU community, as well.
Intensive Planning & Analysis
The project has since moved into a nine-to-twelve month phase of planning, in preparation for the implementation of SIS, Next Generation at NYU. This intensive planning is focused on preliminary requirements gathering, functional training for NYU planning phase participants, and in-depth fit-gap analyses for each of the new system's major modules (Records & Registration, Financial Aid, Recruiting & Admissions, and Student Financials). The overall purpose of this phase is to identify and resolve issues and gaps between the functionality of the new product and NYU's requirements.
This effort is being accomplished with the participation of broad representation across the campus community and the global sites. As the project team gathers information, they meet continually with the SIS Advisory Committee, representatives of the Schools, to keep them updated on the project status and engage them in decision-making for the project. "Constant communication between the project team and the various NYU communities is…critical to us," notes Marilyn McMillan, Associate Provost and Chief Information Technology Office at NYU.
Once the planning phase is complete, the system will be implemented in phases, over the course of approximately three years. The first phase of implementation is expected to begin in Spring 2009. The first features of the new system are expected to be made available in Summer 2010. Subsequent phases will bring additional features online in Summer 2011 and Summer 2012.
Why a New SIS
The benefits of replacing the existing student information system with a more modern one meeting NYU's current needs and future growth have become increasingly evident over the past year or so.
While the University's aging SIS has been kept viable through the years by means of continual modifications and extensions, the system is technologically several generations old, and its limitations simply will not allow for NYU's needs in the coming years. For example, today's SIS can only with great difficulty be made to accommodate the creation of multiple or overlapping semesters beyond the traditional fall-spring-summer academic year.
One of the strategic aspects of the implementation of the new system is to enable NYU to function easily as a global network university. There is now general recognition across the University community that the time is ripe to begin replacing our current SIS with one that can keep pace with NYU's plans and aspirations for the future. Please direct any feedback or questions you may have to the SIS, Next Generation project team, at sis.nextgen@nyu.edu.