Workday Student

Why Workday Student?

Workday Student will improve and streamline processes across the University, from recruiting and enrollment, to student financials and financial aid, to registration and graduation.

That means students, faculty, and staff have instant access to more information, all in one place, and spend less time on administrative tasks.

Students benefit from:

• A simpler end-to-end experience when you need to register, see your degree progress, pay your bill, accept your financial aid, and more
• More transparency, with self-service and all your information in one place
• A more mobile friendly experience
• An intuitive interface that looks more like the commercial websites you use every day

Faculty and staff benefit from:

• Less friction as you manage your day-to-day processes and engage students
• User-friendly interface that is easier to navigate
• Customization for your processes and reports
• Simple messaging and scheduling within the platform
• Ability to make data-informed interventions and decisions
• Built-in auditing and compliance controls
• A modern platform that will keep up with current technology and our requirements

Guiding Principles for the Project

Transformation: Deliver transformational change that improves processes, efficiencies, and scalability.

Efficiency: Use Workday functionality and best practices to minimize operational overhead and maximize self-service capabilities.

Empowerment: Embrace collaborative, trustworthy, and inclusive teams that empower decision-makers and incorporate feedback from students and faculty.

Engagement: Adopt a community-centric approach to develop new strategies, policies, and partnerships.

Project Team

Executive Sponsors

• Ben Durant, SVP Finance & Administration
• Junius Gonzales, Provost & SVP, Academic Affairs
• Wendy Lin-Cook, Vice President, Enrollment Management
• Peter Eschenbach, Chief Executive Officer | Alchemy
• Jen Haessler, VP Services | Alchemy

The Executive Steering Committee

• Keith Barrack, Chief of Staff, Office of the President
• David Chun, Chief Information Officer
• Ben Durant, SVP Finance & Administration
• Meredith Gatzke, Chief Human Resources Officer
• Adam Rathbun, Vice President of Finance and Treasury
• James Solodar, Assistant Vice President for Budget and Planning
• Dawn Soufleris, Vice President, Student Development and Campus Life
• Howard Chow, Delivery Director, Higher Education & Nonprofit | Workday
• Jen Haessler, Executive Sponsor | Alchemy

The Project Management Team

• Bill Neal, Technical Project Manager
• Delavar Basha, Functional Project Manager
• Mandy Baker, Project Director | Alchemy
• Micah Marin, Project Director | Alchemy
• Jolene Scaglione, Project Manager | Alchemy
• Katharine Winter-Cevallos, Project Manager | Alchemy
• April Carpenter. Project Coordinator | Alchemy
• Michaela Mayhew, Deployment Strategist | Alchemy
• Becca Patch, Deployment Strategist | Alchemy

Functional and Technical Workstream Leads

• Academic Foundation: Aylin Solu-Brandon, University Registrar
• Change Management: Nicole DeCapua, Principal for Academic Affairs Integrations; Deborah Stahl, Coordinator for Academic Affairs Integrations
• Curriculum & Advising: Danielle Insalaco-Egan, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Studies and Acting Dean of University College
• Data Conversion: Paul Varghese, Finance Systems Developer
• Financial Aid: Joe Spencer
• HCM, PATT Touchpoints: Jill Pustelniak, Human Resources HCM Analyst
• Recruiting & Admissions: Jordanna Maziarz, Director of Undergraduate Admissions
• Reporting & Integrations: Kingsuk Mukherjee, Integrations Developer
• Security: Diana Cadena, Workday Operations Coordinator
• Student Finance: Annemarie Murray, Director of Student Accounts
• Student Records: Jimmy Lau, Associate Director for Systems Support, Office of the Registrar
• Testing: Sharif Akkara, Senior Director, PMO Operations, Enterprise Application Services

Scope and Project Timeline

The Workday Student implementation will go live in stages during the 2026-2027 academic year. New functionality on Workday Student will be released on a rolling basis throughout the 2026-27 academic year. The first academic year in which we will operate entirely within Workday is 2027-28.

• Summer 2024: Design & Build (Project Team and Campus Partners by Invitation)
• Spring 2026: Test (Faculty and Staff Volunteers)
• Fall 2026: Prepare for Launch (All Students, Faculty and Staff)
• Spring 2027: First registration in Workday Student
• Winter 2028: Project Conclusion – Workday Student fully live

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Workday Student?

Workday Student is a modern platform for all student information that can meet Montclair State University’s need for flexibility and growth. Workday improves access to information and communication. Students will enjoy mobile capabilities and alerts and reminders, while faculty and staff will have access to dashboards and reporting. This fully integrated technology platform will improve consistency and streamline business processes to better support the educational mission of Montclair.

Why are we transitioning to Workday Student?

The current student system has become outdated and cannot meet the challenges of responding to today’s student needs. The new system will allow students to access their academic, personal, financial, and employment records in one place – from anywhere, at any time, on any device.

Workday was selected based on functionality, usability, total cost of ownership, and ability to meet Montclair’s business requirements. Because it is a cloud based solution, it is easier, quicker, and less costly to implement and operate than traditional enterprise systems.

When will Workday Student go live?

Workday Student functionality will go live in the 2026-2027 academic year. Students will begin using Workday Student in Spring 2027, including registering for Fall 2027 classes.

How will students use Workday Student?

Workday Student provides a streamlined system for students as they engage with Montclair throughout their academic career. Activities may include but are not limited to:

• View and manage personal information
• Plan and register for classes
• View their grades and advising information
• View financial aid and student account information
• Request transcripts

How will faculty use Workday Student?

Faculty will use Workday Student to:

• View/find course schedules and information (access course rosters and check enrollment)
• Enter and edit grades
• View advisee information

How will staff use Workday Student?

Depending on the staff member’s specific roles and responsibilities, they will use Workday Student for tasks such as:

• View student contact information
• Create and view courses and sections
• Manage academic overrides for students
• Support registration activities
• Review student financials
• View and manage holds on student accounts

What type of training and preparation will I receive before Workday Student functionality goes live?

It is our top priority to ensure that all students, faculty, and staff are thoroughly prepared before Workday Student launches. Students, faculty, and staff will receive communications regarding training opportunities as we get closer to launching Workday Student. We are anticipating that training will begin in Fall 2026.