Workday Student FAQs
What is Workday Student?
Workday Student is an inclusive and accessible cloud-based system for student lifecycle related operations. The system is equipped with, but not limited to self-service, 24/7 mobile access, student ownership over their own profiles, four-year graduation plans, and effortless visibility into a student’s financial aid package and billing details. To learn more about Workday Student, please visit the Workday Student 101 section of the Learning Hub.
Why are we transitioning to Workday Student, and what are some of the benefits?
Innovation is one of the top six values of University of Maryland-College Park, and the University’s vision is for every student to thrive. Hence, the homegrown student systems no longer meet the needs of the University and its students. Our ERP systems are beyond their functional life expectancy and are vulnerable to failure. Workday Student will support UMD in engaging in leading practices of technology for student systems. Some of the benefits are as follows:
- Cloud-Based: Workday delivers new releases semiannually to routinely strengthen its product and meet customer needs. With Workday being a cloud-based platform, UMD will easily be able to update its space with new features.
- One System: Human Capital Management, Finance, Adaptive, and Student are different products that live within the same system of Workday. The products have several touchpoints amongst each other, and faculty, students, and staff will be able to complete related actions in one place.
- Student Empowerment: Workday Student will enhance the experience of being a student at UMD with various self-service capabilities in one place. Students will have the ability to own their experience in several capacities–including editing an academic plan, updating their personal and contact information, and staying organized with their finances.
I have heard about software as a service and going to the cloud but what does that mean?
Software as a service means that the vendor, Workday, is responsible for maintaining the hardware and regularly updating the software. By going to the cloud, we will have more secure access to information from any computer or mobile device, enhanced data security and regulatory compliance, and Workday’s twice per year software updates.
Are there opportunities to better automate some things in Workday that seem more cumbersome than necessary now?
There will be opportunities to automate processes. This will be explored by the Elevate Student program throughout the Architect & Configure phase.
Which systems are going away?
Many homegrown systems, such as SIS and SAR, are being replaced by Workday. This includes SIS, SAR, and the public-facing versions of these systems like Testudo. Some vendor provided solutions such as uAchieve will also be replaced by Workday’s degree audit functionality. To review a comprehensive list of systems that have been identified for retirement, please review the Impacted Systems page.
When does Workday Student go into effect, and when will campus start using Workday Student?
Unlike HCM/FIN that had one big bang go live event, Workday Student will have a series of five go live events in alignment with the student lifecycle. The first milestone in Summer 2027 will turn on components that support University of Maryland College Park’s academic structure, curriculum management, and admissions. Only central unit staff impacted by these modules will be in the system in Summer 2027.
By our third milestone in Spring of 2028, most of our faculty and students will be in the system as academic advising and registration activities will occur in Workday for the first time.
How do we ensure representation in the design process?
We have been engaged in discussions with leadership of various units to identify the appropriate subject matter experts and ensure we have a diversity of perspectives represented.
Who will be involved in the design process?
The Elevate Student team includes Functional Leads, Analysts, and subject matter experts representing schools, colleges, and divisions. Functional Leads report directly to Business Leads ensuring that there is strong alignment between business owners and design decisions. By including subject matter experts across the schools and colleges, the design process also ensures that there is ample opportunity for discussion about different processes, policies, and cultural elements across UMD.
How will students be involved in the design process?
We believe that student voice is critical to the success of the Elevate Student program. We will launch our Student Advisory Committee (involving both undergraduate and graduate students) in Fall of 2025 to obtain feedback regarding key design elements related to managing the student profile – including personal information and contact information, onboarding activities to be launched each semester, and dashboard opportunities to support self-service.
We will also provide regular updates to SGA and GSG throughout the project. Students are also welcome to attend town hall events, subscribe to the ElevateR newsletter, and be on the lookout for engagement activities to continue to stay up-to-date on Elevate program offerings.
How will faculty be involved in the design process?
A Faculty Advisory Committee is in the process of launching to ensure that faculty feedback is included for design elements that impact the faculty experience – including experiences related to academic advising, prerequisite management, and course and course section management. We are excited to partner with faculty on ensuring that the needs of the UMD campus are met by Workday Student.
How do I learn more about the Elevate Student program?
Please check out the February 2025 Town Hall where we held our Elevate Student Campus Kick-off. During this session we provided an overview of the program and timeline.
Also, please subscribe to the ElevateR newsletter to keep up-to-date on project happenings and related learning and engagement opportunities.
How will students learn to use the Workday Student platform?
Students will be engaged through a learning journey that will take place during and after the implementation. The learning journey will consist of opportunities to attend functional overviews providing a first-look at functionality in advance of training activities.
Will I need to be trained to use Workday Student?
Yes, the training experience for faculty and staff will be similar to that of HCM and Finance in Workday. Formal training will become available prior to each go live event for applicable audiences. Additional information about training and related training timelines will be shared in early 2027.
When can I test drive the system?
Just like during our prior Elevate phase, campus community members will be able to “test drive’’ the system in a Readiness Tenant. Additional information about the Readiness Tenant will be made available in early 2027.