Future Ready: Key Changes
Course Scheduling in Workday
This page highlights key changes to the course scheduling process and what will remain the same as we transition to Workday Student.
Why are we making this change?
Course scheduling is a major activity that occurs each academic period. As part of Milestone 1 of the Workday Student system launch, Curriculum Management activities, such as course section creation and instructor assignments, will occur in Workday.
How is this change related to Workday?
All courses and course sections will now reside in Workday Student. While course proposals will continue to be managed through CIM, the rollover of course sections, the editing of those sections, and the creation of new sections will occur in Workday beginning in Fall 2027 for the Fall 2028 semester.
Review the details below to learn more about this change. We will continue to update this page as additional information becomes available. As go live approaches, revisit this page for recommended operational and communication activities to help you prepare.
Please revisit this site as we approach Go Live events in 2027 and 2028 for more information about recommended actions for operations and communications.
At a Glance
First Use
Fall 2027
Impacted Systems
- SIS
Audiences
- Staff
Key Roles Associated: Academic Department Schedulers, Course and Classroom Scheduling Services (CCSS), College Approvers, Department Chair Approvers
Why it Matters: From Today to Tomorrow
Today: Current State
Departments use CIM to submit and manage course proposals, which are reviewed and approved through the VPAC process. Once approved, course information is reflected in SIS, with an integration ensuring course data remains aligned between the two systems.
Academic Department Schedulers develop the section inventory in SIS, using a mix of rollover courses and new course sections. Direct access to edit or add sections closes several months before the schedule of classes goes live, allowing Course and Classroom Scheduling Services (CCSS) time to perform schedule audits, resolve data discrepancies, and run their classroom optimization process. After this point, Department Schedulers must submit change requests to CCSS via email. Depending on the type of change, approval from the College or Department may be required.
Tomorrow: Future State
Departments will continue to utilize CIM to submit all course proposals and modifications for review by VPAC. An integration with Workday will ensure courses are aligned between CIM and Workday.
Course section scheduling for the Fall 2028 semester will take place in Workday in Fall 2027. Existing Fall 2027 course sections will be converted from SIS into Workday, then rolled over (copied) in Workday to use for Fall 2028 semester scheduling. Academic Department Schedulers can edit these course sections or create new sections in a preliminary, unpublished state. To support this work, Department Schedulers will have access to a custom Workday dashboard that provides the tasks and reports needed to create and manage course sections.
On a designated date, Course and Classroom Scheduling Services (CCSS) will reduce schedulers' editing access to support schedule audits, data discrepancies clean-up, and classroom optimization process. However, during this period, Department Schedulers will retain the ability to create new course sections. Throughout the audit, publication, and post-publication phases, Department Schedulers will work with CCSS to publish any newly created course sections. Any necessary changes to published sections can be initiated by Department Schedulers and managed through a Workday business process with the appropriate routing for approvals that aligns with the university's policies on section changes.
Benefits and Planning for the Future
The Benefits
- Workday offers a single system for the creation, review, and approval of modifications to course sections.
- Edits to published course sections will shift to a business process in Workday initiated by department schedulers.
- The integration between CIM and Workday will preserve the course proposal process that occurs today, ensuring course definitions remain accurate between platforms
Planning for the Future
- Beginning in Fall 2027, Academic Department Schedulers will begin using Workday to build the Fall 2028 course schedule.
- Edits to course sections will now be processed in Workday through a business process.
- During the Workday Student implementation, approved course, program, and degree audit changes will pause during scheduled freeze periods between June 2027 and March 2028, though proposal review and approval will continue as usual. For further information, including freeze dates and catch up periods, please visit Changes Related to Workday Student.
This website will continue to be updated as we approach each go live milestone in 2027 and 2028. Check back for additional planning details and preparation activities.
To ask a question or request assistance, please contact elevate@umd.edu.