ESUP Student team meets in-person to collaborate, share progress

More than 120 people involved with the Student systems upgrade met in-person June 16-17 to work together face-to-face. The group met on the Twin Cities campus and included representatives from all campuses and all areas of the Student project: academic advisement, admissions, campus community, financial aid, SEVIS, student finance, and student records. 

The two-day meeting kicked off with a visit from President Kaler who discussed his vision of operational excellence as it relates to ESUP. Following his presentation, attendees learned more about work stream intersections from ESUP leaders before seeing some of the student experience in the upgraded system and having time to work as module teams.

From top and left to right: All Student group from all campuses,
President Kaler, and All Student breakout session

The second day of the meeting began with Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education Bob McMaster addressing the importance of supporting and improving the student experience. Before having more time to work together as module teams, the group participated in a workshop on how to address difficult changes with stakeholders. The team was encouraged to follow the L.E.A.D. approach:

• Listen using active listening skills
• Empathize
• Answer the person’s questions
• Direct to other sources of information

Associate Vice Provost and University Registrar Sue Van Voorhis said bringing the Student work stream together was a good way to reconnect and collaborate with colleagues. “It was great to have representatives from all campuses meet in-person after a long period of virtual meetings and conference calls.” 

ESUP Update 9/9/2013 - 9/22/13

Portal leadership team retreat
Members of the Portal Leadership Team gathered on August 19, 2013, in Folwell Hall for a half-day retreat to launch a content governance process and to energize the team for the release of the rough draft this fall. Click here for more information.

ESUP fosters University reporting and data management collaboration
Through ESUP, a strong partnership has formed between the Program’s Reporting and Data Management (RDM) work stream and the Enterprise Data Management and Reporting (EDMR) initiative. Together, RDM and EDMR are addressing important reporting and data-related capabilities for the University over the short and long-term. Click here to read more.

ESUP student workers get real life experience
This summer, four student workers helped keep the ESUP team moving forward. While two have moved on, two will remain throughout the school year. Program Director Andy Hill said of the student workers, “We really appreciate having the opportunity to give real life work experience to our students.” Click here for more information.

Quick hits and reminders from across the work streams

• ESUP would like to congratulate Dean Robert Elde, chair of the Executive Oversight Committee, on his recently-announced retirement at the end of the academic year. We look forward to continuing our work with Dean Elde and supporting him during this transition.


• In the past week, the HRMS work stream held two OHR Brown Bag events and a second collaboration session with the Finance and Reporting and Data Management work streams on the recommended approach to restructuring appointment data. A total of 67 people from across the HR community attended the Brown Bags in person and online. More than 50 people participated in the collaborations session, which ended with general endorsement of the recommended approach to simplifying and streamlining core HR data and processes.


• Survey Said!!! - ESUP is sending its second stakeholder assessment survey to nearly 5,000 people across the System campuses this week. The purpose of the survey is to gather new information, compare the results to the first survey sent in December 2012, and gain a better understanding of stakeholder awareness, engagement, and areas of concern to move forward most effectively. If you receive an invitation to take the survey, please complete it as soon as possible.


• Jennifer McCord and Max Thacker from CCI led four training sessions for the Student work stream on how to create WorkCenters in PeopleSoft. These sessions concluded the last week in August and were attended by 41 people. The Student work stream has had fewer IDP sessions due to the busy start of term, though work has continued in earnest and the team is on track to complete IDP by the end of October.


• On the road again… Members of ESUP’s leadership team will be returning to the system campuses this fall. They will meet with campus leadership and hold listening sessions with the staff who are helping make this program a success. Plans are underway for the Duluth and Rochester campuses with trips to Crookston and Morris anticipated for later this fall.

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