Introducing the IRP Student Transition Network

The Integrated Renewal Program – Student (IRP Student) is the program working to provide UBC with a renewed, reliable, and secure   Student Information System (SIS). With over 86 000 faculty, staff, and students located on two distinct campuses, UBC’s culture is diverse and complex. Large organizational changes - like those needed for the renewed SIS - require a thoughtful and structured approach to planning and implementation.

Many of the change impacts of the renewed system will be felt by staff and faculty who will need to transition from the SIS to Workday Student. Staff and faculty will need to transition to new ways of working, changes in terminology, data structures, and the renewed system’s look and feel. To effectively support the UBC community through these changes, IRP Student has formed the Transition Network.

Change is individual and happens on a local level. As such it requires customized transition support planning and implementation. In creating and utilizing the IRP Student Transition Network, we will be best positioned to identify the unique needs of our UBC community and assist in supporting the transition to new processes, practices, and systems.

- Jason Kennedy, IRP Student Associate Director – Transformation & Change Management team

What is the role of the Transition Network?

The Transition Network will provide coaching and support for faculties and units,  and engage in trusted, two-way communication with the IRP Student team. The network’s objectives are to:

• Prepare the UBC Community through:
  • local transition planning and implementation
  • faculty/unit leadership engagement
  • communications
  • training requirements and delivery
• Prepare Processes & Data with:
  • business process alignment
  • data validation and clean-up
  • security role mapping/validation

Who is in the Transition Network?

The Transition Network includes UBC faculty and staff members who will act as key sources of information about IRP Student for their faculty, unit, department, or team. The Transition Network is comprised of:

• Primary Transition Leads (PTL) act as primary liaisons between the major unit (e.g., Faculty, VP unit) and the IRP Student team as well as being key facilitators of their unit’s academic transformation and transition to new processes.
• Local Transition Leads (LTL) are trusted experts in their areas who will support change and system adoption within a subunit (e.g., department, team). As the new system is launched, these individuals will become go-to resources.

The combined PTLs and LTLs form a Local Change Network for their areas. Local Change Networks will come together as the Transition Network for peer learning and support.     

Currently, the PTLs are getting acquainted with the program and preparing for their role. Once completed, the names and areas of the PTLs will be shared with the UBC community. 

How will IRP Student support the Transition Network?

Community Engagement Partners (CEPs), who are members of the IRP Student team, will bring knowledge and change management expertise to support each faculty/unit in a smooth transition. These partners will help to assess how changes resulting from the renewed SIS will impact the community. CEPs will support the creation of a robust localized transition plan for the faculties/units, enable effective two-way communication, engagement, training, and implementation activities, as well as monitor and escalate risks.

PTLs will meet with their assigned CEPs at least monthly to receive or provide updates, collaborate on change support and readiness assessment activities, share identified change impacts and review action plans, as well as exchange experiences and troubleshoot concerns. The full Transition Network will also be brought together as needed to share major updates, preview new functionality, network, and exchange information.