SIS Modernization Project
In early 2019, MSU began work to modernize the Student Information System (SIS) and the over 400 connected auxiliary systems. The new SIS has helped personalize student engagement, enhance opportunities for student success, and provide important analytics and metrics in addition to enabling more efficient unit workflows and a more unified user experience.
Over the course of the SIS Modernization Project’s implementation of the new SIS, the team completed six initial releases of functionality to bring the new platform to the campus community.
Functionality Live in Releases 1 - 6
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Release 1 Overview - Aug. 5, 2019
Functionality What’s Being Implemented Who and What is Affected Academic Structure Academic Structure includes configuration of foundational information such as academic career (level), academic program (college/level), academic plan (major, minor, certificate), academic organizations (departments), calendars/terms/sessions, etc. Registrar’s Office staff who maintains this information Curriculum Management Curriculum Management information for Release 1 is the conversion of Course Catalog. This includes course information such as subject, catalog number, department ownership, components (lecture, lab, recitation), course attributes (transfer, honors) for all courses that exist in MSU’s current SIS.
This functionality and data will support building the Schedule of Classes for fall 2020 forward and to begin work on the advising degree audit.
Registrar’s Office staff who maintains this information Campus Community Campus Community information includes person data (biographic and demographic) for students, such as their name, address and phone number. All person data from the current SIS, except for prospects, will be loaded into Campus Solutions for fall 2020 processing. This data will continue to be updated in the current SIS using existing processes. The data will be synced to the new system, Campus Solutions, with a nightly update. Admissions Admissions will create and maintain external organizations (high schools and colleges) to be used during the current and all future admissions cycles.
Admissions will also begin loading fall 2020 application data into the new system, Campus Solutions, in preparation for full implementation.
Office of Admissions staff who maintains this information. -
Release 2 Overview - Nov. 4, 2019
Functionality What’s Being Implemented Who and What is Affected Admissions The following information will be captured for fall 2020 applicants in the current SIS and updated in Campus Solutions:
- Applications, including any admission decisions
- All standardized test scores
- External educational history
- Recruiting categories and attributes for applicants
Office of Admissions staff responsible for maintaining this information. Campus Community Conversion of citizenship country for non-USA person student records will be converted. Non-USA citizenship country is necessary for Student Financial processing in later releases.
Registrar’s Office staff responsible for maintaining this information. Curriculum Management Curriculum Management information, including schedule history, will be converted into Campus Solutions.
Course scheduling (work copy) will still be used this fall. Summer 2020 will be loaded to legacy SIS. Fall 2020 and spring 2021 will be loaded into Campus Solutions.
Registrar’s Office staff responsible for maintaining this information. -
Release 3 Overview - Aug. 3, 2010
Functionality
What’s Being Implemented
Who and What is Affected
Accessibility
Welcome Page
Users requiring a screen reader In Campus Solutions must set their preferences to reflect that they are using one. Upon first login, all users will be presented with a welcome page that will allow them to set their accessibility preference.
All users
Admissions
Candidate Evaluation and Decision Processes
Admissions review and rating of undergraduate candidates and recording of final decisions will take place in Campus Solutions. Required and supplemental checklist items can be assigned and updated while applications are pending in CS. Production of personalized letters, emails and messages appropriate to the applicant at each phase of the cycle.
Office of Admissions staff and counselors as well as limited enrollment college partners. Data from CS will be synced to current SIS on a nightly basis.
Campus Community
Service Indicators, Student Groups, FERPA and Athletic Participation
Existing Holds will be converted to Service Indicators in Campus Solutions. Service Indicators are used to limit services for students such as check cashing privileges, transcript holds or denied registration for classes.
Student Groups are used to track a set of students with similar characteristics. Some examples of where MSU will be utilizing student groups are: Tracking Majors, Admit to College, Entity Types, Special Quals and Special Needs.
Athlete Entity Types and Codes will be converted to Athletic Participation in Campus Solutions. This will track athletic recruitment, certification and eligibility.
Students that have chosen to restrict data access under FERPA guidelines have their preferences stored in the current SIS. This information will be converted into Campus Solutions within the student BioDemo record.
Service Indicators (Holds), Student Groups, FERPA designations and Athletic Participation will continue to be maintained in current SIS using existing processes. The data will be synced to CS with a nightly update.
Student Records
Class Scheduling
Functionality related to maintaining schedule of classes will be implemented in this release. Class schedules for academic year 2021/2022 will be created in the existing workcopy application as has been done in past years. Once they are finalized, fall 2021/spring 2022 will be loaded into CS.
Staff in the Registrar’s Office will maintain initial schedules in CS.
Transfer Articulation – New Undergraduate Students
Included in this release will be the transfer credit rules, including how incoming coursework from each institution maps to an MSU equivalent.
For new students in the fall 2021 admission cycle, users will be able to use the transfer credit rules to evaluate a student's incoming coursework and test scores to apply MSU credit to their academic record. Designated staff will be able to edit how the incoming credit is applied to specific student records, as needed.
Registrar’s Office staff responsible for maintaining this information. Transfer articulation data will be manually kept in sync between TransferMSU and Campus Solutions.
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Release 4 Overview - Nov. 16, 2020 & Jan. 11, 2021
Nov. 16, 2020
Functionality
What’s Being Implemented
Who and What is Affected
Admissions
Interface with Financial Aid and Merit Scholarship Awards
Office of Admissions will begin to process merit scholarship awards for undergraduate new students. The integration and collaboration with Financial Aid will facilitate notification of the supporting details back to the student.
The Office of Admissions is responsible for awarding merit-based scholarships in order to recruit new undergraduate students. Office of Financial Aid must be informed throughout the admissions cycle when merit awards are part of the aid package. New undergraduate students will be notified of the award details and conditions.
Financial Aid
Student Financial Planning (SFP)
The Office of Financial Aid will begin loading Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) files. The ISIR contains the information found on the FAFSA and is sent to any school that is designated by the student.
Students will gain access to SFP at student.msu.edu for the first time in this release and will be able to submit required or at-will documents. Once aid packages are finalized, students will be able to view and accept their offers.
On first login, students will be presented with a statement of financial responsibility and will be required to eConsent before they can view their financial aid information.
Office of Financial Aid staff responsible for maintaining this information.
New and current students can submit documents and view financial aid offers once they are packaged.
Campus Community
Employee and Guest Bio/Demo
Bio/demo data from Identity Management (IDM), which will include UUID, NetID and email for all employees and for student delegate access (guests), will be converted. Schedule of Classes and Academic Advising configuration uses employee data. UUID and NetID are required for single sign on (SSO) and email is needed as contact information.
Human Resources Office staff is responsible for maintaining employee data. Students and their guests maintain guest data directly.
After the initial data conversion program, it will continue to run daily as a permanent interface from IDM to Campus Solutions.
Student Residency
Student Residency data will be converted. This data is a dependency for Financial Aid, specifically for new, admitted students.
Registrar’s Office staff responsible for maintaining this information. Data will be synced to Campus Solutions on a nightly basis.
Student and Guest Access
Student and guest affiliations will begin to be managed by Campus Solutions and in coordination with Identity Management (IDM), allowing for student and guest roles to be provisioned automatically.
Student and guest affiliations are set automatically based on data attributes found in Campus Solutions and Identity Management.
Academic Advising
Advising Appointments
Students and advisors currently manage appointments through the Student Success Dashboard in EAB. In this release, that functionality will be shifted to Campus Solutions. Students will have the ability to schedule advising appointments and both students and advisors will be able to manage appointments with an integration to Microsoft Outlook.
Students and Advisors
Jan. 11, 2021
Functionality
What’s Being Implemented
Who and What is Affected
Academic Advising
Degree Audit – Undergraduate Programs
University, college and program requirements will be configured for all undergraduate degree programs in Degree Audit. Students and advisors will track degree progress by producing reports to show which requirements have been completed and which of those are still outstanding.
Students can add courses to their Academic Planner and advisors will view those course plans. When it is time for enrollment, students can enroll from these plans.
Undergraduate advisors and students.
Graduate School
GradPlan
Master’s and doctoral students will utilize GradPlan as doctoral students are able to do in GradPlan today. Students will assemble their guidance committees, use milestones to track non-course-based requirements, and provide information about their research. Advisors, guidance committee members, and staff will be able to view GradPlans, conduct of research, and thesis/dissertation details. GradPlan will also serve as a repository for students’ annual reviews.
Graduate students and advisors.
Student Records
Class Schedules
Schedules for fall 2021 and spring 2022 will be available in Campus Solutions (CS) and through the public website (student.msu.edu/search). Departmental schedulers will be able to review class meeting times, days, facilities, class status, class wait list capacity, and exam times, as well as being able to revise as needed. As instructors are assigned to classes, they will be entered in CS.
Registrar’s Office and departmental schedulers responsible for maintaining this information.
Students will be directed to a new location to view class schedules for fall 2021 and forward.
Enrollment
Student enrollment records will be converted, including enrollments for future terms. Registrar Office staff will have the ability to term-activate students and create enrollment appointments for fall 2021 term and forward.
Registrar’s Office responsible for maintaining this information.
Student Program/Plan Maintenance
Career, Program and Plan records for all students will be converted into Campus Solutions (CS). Changes to a student’s Program, Plan and/or Sub-Plan will still be maintained in the current SIS. A manual process exists for keeping CS updated with the changes.
Registrar’s Office and Advisors responsible for maintaining this information. Students will see their current Academic Career, Program, Plan and Sub-Plans in CS.
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Release 5 Overview - March 1, 2021
Functionality
What’s Being Implemented
Who and What is Affected
Academic Advising
What-if Functionality
Advisors can begin using “What-If” report functionality in this release which will simulate how coursework may be applied to a different degree program.
Substitutions
Advising administrators and staff will also be able to enter course substitutions, such as waivers, course directives or changes to minimum units or courses. User access will be controlled by security to allow for university, college and/or departmental substitutions to be entered.
Advising and Tutoring Appointment System Enhancement
Advisors and tutors will be able to create drop-in time blocks and students will have the option to see these during the appointment scheduling process. A drop-in time block will contain additional information that advisors/tutors control, so students know how to reach them during those designated drop-in days/times
Academic advisors and advising staff. The Appointment System Enhancement will only be available to undergraduate and osteopathic medicine advisors/tutors and the students they serve.
Financial Aid
Packaging
Continuing students will be packaged with aid in SFP in this release.
Professional Judgement
Professional judgement will be added to SFP in this release. This will allow students to apply for financial aid adjustment based on personal circumstances and OFA staff to assist in appeals. The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is intended to determine the amount a family can reasonably be expected to pay toward a student's college costs. In some circumstances, the FAFSA data can create an inaccurate picture of family resources. This allows the Office of Financial Aid to evaluate a student’s current financial circumstances with the possibility of increasing aid.
Alternative Loans
Also included in this release are alternative loans. Alternative loans are non-federal resources that a student and/or parent may seek as an option to pay on their behalf.
Office of Financial Aid staff responsible for maintaining this information. Students will see these options in the financial aid portal beginning this release.
Student Records
Matriculation and Term Activation
In this release, matriculation and term activation activities will begin taking place in SIS for fall 2021. Admitted students, who have committed to MSU, are matriculated to become active new students for all student records and academic advising. Term activation is the process in which students are made eligible for enrollment, transfer credit posting to their records, and tuition calculation. Term activation is a prerequisite process for assigning enrollment appointments and for enrolling students.
Enrollment
Students will begin using SIS to enroll for Academic Year 2021-2022. Students will be able to begin enrolling in SIS at the time of their enrollment appointment.
Student Permissions
Academic advisors and staff can enter overrides for students, which are called student permissions, in this release.
Communication Configuration
A student communication center configuration will be completed in this release which will include annual reminders of student consumer information.
Wait List
The functionality to create and manage course wait lists will be available in this release. College departments that offer wait listed courses will have access to this functionality ahead of enrollment to appropriately define and manage their courses.
All students enrolling for AY 2021-2022, staff in the Registrar’s Office responsible for maintaining this information as well as departmental staff who manage wait lists. Students will receive the annual student consumer information reminders.
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Release 6 Overview - June 21, 2021
Functionality
What’s Being Implemented
Who and What is Affected
General
Guest Access
Guest access will be expanded beyond Financial Aid in this release. Students will have the ability to permit guest access within student.msu.edu for account balances and billing statements, class history, grades and more. For more details on the guest rollout see Guest Access.
Students and guests.
Academic Advising
Advising and Tutoring Appointment System
Impromptu appointment creation will be available. This will permit advisors to use Campus Solutions to log unscheduled conversations, email exchanges, or encounters they have with advisees. This additional kind of appointment will provide for more complete data related to advising work.
Undergraduate and Osteopathic Medicine advisors.
Campus Community
Service Indicators
Service indicators (holds) will become viewable to students on their Tasks tile in May. Existing holds were converted to service indicators in SIS and will be maintained in both StuInfo and SIS until SIS becomes the system of record in fall 2021.
New service indicators will also be added to support student financial processing and New Student Orientation (NSO). These new service indicators will only be viewable in SIS.
Staff in the Controller’s Office managing these business processes and campus users who place and release service indicators.
Financial Aid
Disbursement
Functionality for disbursing funds from Student Financial Planning (SFP) to Campus Solutions (CS) to pay on a student's account is included in this release. Disbursements typically begin 10 days prior to the start of a semester.
R2T4 – Return to Title IV
R2T4 functions are included which will return funds to lenders in the case that a student does not earn all of their aid in a given time. A prorated amount is calculated and then billed back to the student.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Students must meet and maintain the Standards of Academic Progress (SAP) in order to receive financial aid each semester. Students not meeting SAP can appeal to the Office of Financial Aid.
Office of Financial Aid and Controller’s Office staff responsible for maintaining this information.
New and current students will see disbursements on their tuition bill and see additional functionality in their Financial Aid portal.
Student Financials
Tuition Calculation
The Office of the Controller will begin using SIS (Campus Solutions) to run the tuition calculation process for students, including batch tuition calculation. Waivers will calculate and post during the tuition calculation process, or Office of the Controller staff will manually assign them on a per student basis.
Third Party Contracts
Staff in the Office of the Controller will begin managing the third-party contract process, including apply funding for students, invoicing sponsors, and posting corresponding payments and refunds for third party sponsors.
Student Billing
Students will begin using the new payment portal in SIS to view their fall 2021 and forward billing statements, view transactions and pay their balance.
For summer 2021 and prior transactions, billing statements and historical data will be viewable in StuInfo, while payments will be made via the new payment portal in SIS.
Payment Plans
Students will begin using the new payment portal in SIS to sign up for a payment plan. Students will no longer be signed up automatically with a payment plan and will instead use SIS to enroll into a plan.
Refunds
Student refunds will start being processed via SIS in late August. In the new payment portal, students will be able to sign up for direct deposit to receive refunds directly to their bank account. Refunds for items related to summer 2021 and prior will be managed through StuInfo.
Staff in the Controller’s Office managing these business processes and students will have access to these functions on July 20, 2021.
Subsequent releases of functionality have been implemented monthly to closely mirror how work will be completed after the Project’s work wraps.
The functionality included in these monthly releases is aligned to the timeframe in which it will be needed by business offices, campus staff and students. The Project team will follow a similar pattern of activity for the monthly releases as with previous releases, including phases of configuration and development, system and user acceptance testing, as well as periods of environment preparation and freezes.
Any questions regarding the updates to Project timeline and schedule can be sent to sis@msu.edu or submitted via our Contact Form.
