By Sophia Yodice
The University of Maryland’s Elevate Student Program announced major updates to its upcoming Workday Student system on Wednesday, Oct. 29, outlining a plan to modernize student services and streamline academic processes. The system is planned to go live in Fall 2028.
The Elevate Program at UMD is a major university-wide initiative to modernize the campus’ foundational administrative systems. The new platform will succeed Workday Finance and Workday HR, programs implemented primarily for on-campus jobs, expanding the university’s modernization efforts to the student experience. It will replace existing tools such as Testudo registrar services by combining advising, class registration and billing functions into a single, all-access system available 24/7.
Workday Student will include significant improvements, such as automated prerequisite checks, with more than 1,600 course restrictions reviewed for accuracy and a new four-digit course numbering system to reflect ongoing curriculum development.
Students will also see a revamped billing section that breaks down the source of each charge, allowing them to view financial information more transparently, according to Associate Provost for Enterprise Resource Planning of the Elevate Program, Jack Blanchard.
“I think we all know this is not simply a technology upgrade,” Senior Vice President and Provost Jennifer King Rice said. “It’s really about reimagining how we’re serving our students.”
More than 175 subject matter experts from 33 communities, including all of UMD’s schools and colleges, have contributed to the design and development process. Blanchard said the collaboration was essential in identifying improvements and ensuring the system reflects the needs of the university community.
“We want the university to be more efficient and effective, and of course, we want the university to be able to accurately collect, report, and analyze data that allows us to inform decisions based on the data,” Blanchard said.
Elevate associates estimate the system will go live in phases, with advising and registration tools debuting in Spring 2028 and full implementation expected by Fall 2028. To maintain open communication and user input, both faculty and student advisory committees will meet in Spring 2026 to provide feedback and guide development through 2027.
UMD’s approach draws on insights from other institutions, including Iowa State University and the University of Arkansas, which have already implemented Workday Student. To ensure a smooth transition, the Elevate team plans to introduce asynchronous training modules and quick-start guides as rollout progresses, allowing students and faculty to adapt at their own pace.
“This workstream will ensure admissions and application data are aligned and integrated with Workday Student,” Workday Consulting Director Amy Graham said.
The Elevate Student Program emphasized that collaboration, transparency and flexibility will guide the Workday Student rollout as the university reimagines how it will serve students in the years ahead.
UMD community members looking for more updates on Workday processes can visit the Elevate website.
Featured Image: Senior Vice President and Provost Jennifer King Rice and Associate Provost Jack Blanchard spoke to town hall attendees to introduce the Workday Student Program and its phase-in plan on Oct. 29. Photo by Christian Lee.