Change Coordinators in Colleges and Major Academic Units Communication

June 28, 2019

On Thursday, June 27, the Project Organizational Change Management Team (OCM) worked with Dave Byelich, vice president for planning and budgets, to send a communication, co-signed by Mark Largent, interim associate provost for undergraduate education and dean of undergraduate studies and Thomas Jeitschko, associate provost for graduate education and dean of the graduate school, to MSU’s major administrative units, both academic and business, to identify an individual to serve as the Change Coordinator for their unit for the duration of the project.

As you may know, MSU has begun the process of replacing our Student Information System (SIS). This project will modernize a platform essential to MSU’s academic mission, and ultimately,  better serve our students. We are committed to involving the campus throughout the SIS Modernization Project, and recognize  successful implementation will require a university-wide effort. Responding to the request below will establish valuable representation for your unit on the project.

We are asking leadership in each College and Major Administrative Unit to identify an individual who will serve as the Change Coordinator for your unit during the SIS Modernization Project. Your Change Coordinator will serve as the primary liaison between the SIS Project Team and your unit. Please identify the Change Coordinator for your unit by sending their name and contact information to Teal Amthor-Shaffer, SIS Project Organizational Change Management Director, at amthorsh@msu.edu, no later than Friday, July 12, 2019.

What is MSU’s SIS Modernization Project?
Modernizing SIS is a major investment in student success at MSU. SIS functions support students throughout their academic journey, from admissions applications and financial aid offers to accessing MSU’s schedule of courses and managing enrollment, as well as grade submission and degree conferment. A new SIS will personalize student engagement, enhance opportunities for student success, and provide important analytics and metrics. The SIS Project Team is working on a broader announcement to the MSU community about the project, which we expect to send in July. We encourage you to visit sis.msu.edu for more information.

What is a Change Coordinator?
Change Coordinators will be instrumental in supporting a successful implementation of the new SIS by helping their respective units prepare for changes associated with SIS modernization. They will be the go-to person for information about the SIS project in your unit and will be asked to participate in the project’s Change Network by attending regular meetings (in person or online). Change Coordinators relay questions to the SIS Project Team, help their colleagues understand any changes associated with SIS modernization and provide input on end-user education plans.  In addition, they will share valuable feedback from your unit to the SIS Project Organizational Change Management (OCM) team. Once you have named the Change Coordinator for your unit, the SIS Project OCM team will invite them to an orientation session.

Change Coordinators do not need to be technical experts or specialists, but should have a solid understanding of your unit’s business processes, work flows, and related roles. The ideal Change Coordinator is trusted and respected by their colleagues as a communicator and considered a positive influence on people and projects around them.

On behalf of the SIS Modernization Project Team, we thank you for your engagement as this important project is initiated.

David Byelich, Vice President for Planning and Budgets

Thomas D. Jeitschko, Associate Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate School

Mark A. Largent, Interim Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education and Dean of Undergraduate Studies