TSS Process Group 4: Design Done, Build Begins
This is big news! Are you ready for it?!?
The initial design phase for the Triton Student System (TSS) is complete! This achievement represents a pivotal moment in both the TSS Project timeline and the university's commitment to improving technologies and optimizing business practices. We are now significantly closer to implementing our new student information system.
This article summarizes the work and outcomes of Process Group 4, which took place from January to March 2025. While the core design work occurred during this period, the critical review and endorsement sessions — essential for gathering subject matter expert (SME) feedback and securing leadership approval — extended into May and June.
For those following our journey, this milestone builds on the foundation established in our previous process groups. If you're new to our Process Design Workshop (PDW) series or want to revisit previous design work, you can explore our previous articles:
- Let’s Get Down to Business: Process Design Workshops
- TSS Process Group 1: That's a Wrap
- TSS Process Group 2: The Journey Continues
- TSS Process Group 3: The Joy of Progress
Context Setting
Wrapping up in June 2025, Process Group 4 marks the final stage of design for the TSS Project. You can view the detailed schedule of the PDW on the TSS Project webpage.
Schedule overview of Process Design Workshops with emphasis on Process Group 4
Process Areas
The process areas covered in Process Group 4 were split into two subgroups, A and B, to assist with SME engagement and scheduling.
Process Group 4A topics included:
- Transcripts, diplomas, and certificates
- Graduation
Process Group 4B topics were all student billing-related and included:
- Auxiliary postings, cohort tuition, and course fees
- Dunning, collections, write-offs, and 1098-T
- Refunds & reversals (continuation from what was started in Process Group 3)
Participants
A wide range of SMEs participated in the design activities for Process Group 4, from the initial workshops to final approval. Key units involved include:
- Accounting
- Business & Financial Services (BFS)
- Continuity Planning
- Division of Extended Studies (DES)
- Division of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA)
- Enrollment Management, Registrar
- Financial Aid & Scholarships (FAS)
- Halicioglu Data Science Institute (HDSI)
- Housing, Dining, Hospitality (HDH)
- Information Technology Services (ITS)
- School of Medicine (SOM)
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SSPPS)
- Student Financial Solutions (SFS)
- Student Health Services (SHS)
Key Insights
The design team worked on many design elements for the process areas in Group 4, but most notable are:
- A revised approach to the end-to-end graduation process from initial request/submission by the student to degree conferral
- In the future, graduation request process for both undergraduate and graduate students will be moved to TSS, replacing the Degree & Diploma Application (DDA)
- Transcript, diploma, and certificate formats
- Refund mechanisms
- 1098-T processing
- Collections process for overdue payments
- Developing an interface for auxiliary units to submit their postings
If you’re interested in getting into the details, we invite you to view the process design documents (PDDs) and provide any question or feedback to the team at esr-student@ucsd.edu.
Our Appreciation
The TSS PDW began in May 2024, launching what has become an extraordinary collaborative journey. Over the past 13 months, we have engaged in an iterative process of discussion, design, and deliberation to shape what our new student information system will look like and how it will support the university's critical functions.
This achievement represents the culmination of remarkable dedication from our entire community. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the more than 145 talented individuals who invested nearly 20,000 hours in crafting our new student information system. This includes the TSS Project’s design team, various SMEs from all across the university, the TSS advisory committee and many more. These contributors participated in over 101 design sessions, workshops, and review and endorsement sessions, bringing their creative solutions, thoughtful decision-making, probing questions, cross-campus collaboration, and insightful feedback that became the cornerstone of reaching this milestone.
Their commitment and expertise have transformed this vision into a comprehensive design ready for configuration.
Next Steps
Completing the initial system design marks a significant turning point in our TSS journey and our transition into the build phase of the project. This shift from design to build represents our opportunity to bring the shared vision we've developed together to life.
The build phase isn't a simple handoff — it involves continuous iteration and refinement of our design work to implement the critical functions our university community depends on daily. With our foundation now set, we'll develop and enhance it to create a system that will serve our community for years to come.
We look forward to continuing this journey with you and keeping you informed every (future) step of the way.
For questions about the SIS Project contact esr-student@ucsd.edu.