SIS Project Teams

There are various groups and teams of individuals that are working on, guiding and supporting all aspects of the Student Information System (SIS) Project and its many efforts. These different groups work together to ensure the success of the projects. 

The key to a project’s success is having all the right people involved to help keep the project moving along and aligned with its objectives. First and foremost, it is important to remember that these projects are key to us delivering on UC San Diego’s mission of adding value and providing an improved experience to students, staff and faculty. 

Governance Committee

The Student Information Services Committee (SISC) is the governance committee for the SIS Project and provides oversight and leadership on strategic decisions and actions for the overall project. SISC steers the project by making decisions that impact strategy, scope, timeline and budget. They provide and/or refer subject matter expertise, solve and/or escalate conflicts and support the many changes brought about by the project. 

Steering Committee

Similar to the SISC governance committee providing leadership and strategic decision making, a project’s steering committee is charged with ensuring the project’s success through visible, active leadership and support. While the SISC oversees all of the SIS projects, a steering committee oversees just one project (or sometimes two projects) within the overall SIS effort. For example, the financial aid steering committee oversees the project to implement a new financial aid system and the project to upgrade our graduate support and payments system.

Committee members review project progress, assist the change management and project management teams with strategy and planning, respond to escalated conflicts and make key decisions, especially decisions affecting project scope and timeline. The committee also escalates decisions affecting project budget to the SISC.

Advisory Committee

Advisory committees include various individuals that bring unique knowledge and perspectives to help guide the project. They provide advice, opinions and support to develop recommendations to the project team in a focused, small-group structure. Typically this committee includes end-users and representatives of groups that are directly or indirectly impacted by the project.

While a steering committee provides high-level guidance and support, an advisory committee provides the perspective of end-users and others who work in or interact with the system on a daily basis. Having both a steering committee and an advisory committee ensures that the project has both high-level and end-user perspectives.

Implementation Team 

Each project has its own implementation team consisting of individuals performing the day-to-day work of the project to achieve its objectives in both the technical and functional aspects. They are our frontline teams responsible for meeting and collaborating with the system vendor, configuring system design, executing the tasks and producing deliverables outlined in the project plan, and they work with subject matter experts to establish and meet business needs.

Core Project Team

The core project team oversees and coordinates all of the work happening for the SIS Project and the many efforts happening in support of the project. With 11 active projects and various other work currently underway, it is critical to have a team dedicated to aligning the work of the many teams and committees supporting the projects. 

The project core team sets and manages the overall project and change management strategies, guides and directs implementation teams, plans for and manages any collisions or overlaps between projects, organizes the steering and advisory committees and facilitates communication between the various committees and teams. With a project as complex as the SIS Project, this type of oversight and coordination is essential for the success of the project.

We thank everyone on the various teams and committees for their active, ongoing support and participation on the SIS Project and look forward to continuing to work together to see the project through to its successful completion.