Initial Release of the New SIS Explained

Now that we are heavily working on the Triton Student System (TSS) Project, you may be wondering what the new system launch will include, and perhaps more importantly, what it will not include. Let’s review what the initial release of the new student information system (SIS) will entail and how opportunities for future releases will be approached. 

Critical Functions 

When we go live with the initial release of the new Triton Student System (TSS), which is the system to replace ISIS, the initial release will prioritize only our critical functions and processes. Non-critical functions and processes will be deprioritized and only included in the initial release if time and resources allow. Research, guidance and lessons learned have informed us that for a system implementation of this size and scope, this is the best course of action to help us be as successful as possible with the transition to a new SIS. 

Critical functions and processes are those which we must be able to execute in order to maintain the ongoing operations of the university, such as those required to deliver transcripts and diplomas to students. A list of what functions have been identified as critical, and therefore prioritized for the initial release, will be made available for the university community to review in the near future via our SIS newsletter.

The TSS Project’s design team has already put a great deal of intentional thought into what will be in the initial release and has consulted with many functional subject matter experts (SMEs) from across the university, including Registrar, Division of Extended Studies, Student Financial Solutions, GEPA Financial Support Unit, Financial Aid and Scholarships, Business & Financial Services, and others. Additionally, the project’s advisory committee and governance committee will also have opportunities to review and provide feedback on the list of critical functions prioritized for the initial release.

Iterative Process

Collectively, as part of the preparation work for the project, we spent hundreds of hours and over a year inventorying and analyzing how current work is conducted at the university; we have sought input from a variety of SMEs across the university to build our list of critical functions and processes. However, even with the large amount of time and input that has already gone into determining what will be prioritized for the initial release, we know that we have not captured everything yet. 

As we progress through the design and build phases of the project over the next 12-15 months*, we will continue to refine what will be included in the initial release and include SMEs and stakeholders from across the university to regularly review and provide input.

Future Releases & Enhancements

The initial release of the new TSS will not be considered stabilized until we have closed all identified critical functionality gaps and bugs after go-live. This is an essential aspect of the stabilization phase of the project – to ensure that the initial system release is running as smoothly as possible and meeting the critical functions of the university’s operations.  

Once the initial release has been stabilized, then the team will focus on the future releases, which will include the functions not included in the initial release. Input from functional SMEs from across the university will inform which non-critical functions are prioritized for which future release and in which order. While the cadence of the future releases is still being determined, once decided, it will be documented in the service’s sustainment plan and shared with the university community at large.

We know that, based on past experience, you may rightfully have doubts about when or perhaps even if future releases of the new TSS will come to fruition. We also know that in the past, especially with some of our homegrown systems, updates after an initial release have been inconsistent and sometimes even nonexistent. Since the new TSS is not a custom-developed, homegrown system, we can be more agile and able to support releasing additional functionality much more quickly than if we had to develop it ourselves. Additionally, resourcing for future releases will be prioritized to ensure their execution.

Our Commitment to You

We are well aware that we will encounter challenges along the way to developing and launching the new TSS. We cannot promise you a perfect process or a flawless new system. But, we can promise that we will be as open and transparent as possible with all of you throughout the process, and that we will seek your active collaboration, participation and feedback along the way because we believe that the collective wisdom of our university community is what will make this project a success. This is why we count on all of you to be engaged participants and to share with us your questions, concerns, feedback and suggestions. 

One way you can be an active participant is by staying informed and engaged. Subscribe to the ESR SIS monthly newsletter to receive prompt updates and project information, and talk about the project with your colleagues, supervisor, teams, units and others. 

For more information about the initial release of the TSS, please review this fact sheet.

*Project timeline is subject to change.