An update to the community on the Student Information System Renewal Program

image shows a class in the Curtis Lecture hall

The following is a message to the University community from Lisa Philipps, provost and vice-president academic, and Carol McAulay, vice-president finance and administration:

We are pleased to announce that York University is about to embark on a journey of digital transformation, with the Student Information System (SIS) Renewal Program leading the future-forward five-year plan and technology execution road map.

York’s SIS is the core enterprise tool used to manage the student experience from application to graduation. The current SIS is more than 20 years old and is no longer able to support our dynamic institution and modern workplace. A new, technologically advanced, agile SIS is required for York to meet the needs of its diverse range of students, faculty and staff, and to achieve its strategic priorities.

Recognizing that the University’s strategic vision cannot be met with the current SIS, the Board of Governors of York University, in April 2019, approved a $41-million budget expenditure to invest in a new SIS.

The new SIS will become the cornerstone of the University’s enterprise architecture. This architecture aims to create a unified and stable information technology backbone with strong, interdependent links to most of the University’s systems environments.

This transformative, pan-University program, underpinned by the pillars of accessibility, connectedness, excellence and impact, will be designed to embrace the ever-changing, personalized, data-driven and mobile environment that aligns with the University’s focus on the learner experience and personalized learning.

The SIS Renewal Program is intended to:

  • support an engaged, collaborative, and exceptional learning and working environment for students, faculty and staff;
  • create a simple, intuitive and consistent user experience in which to interact with confidence and ease;
  • ensure reliable, integrated and accessible institutional data that enables people to make informed, strategic decisions;
  • provide robust, secure, sustainable solutions that are fiscally responsible;
  • enable cohesive alignment of practices and processes; and
  • position York University and its people to embrace opportunities and adapt to future needs and requirements.

The SIS Renewal Program is being led by the most senior levels of York University management and has the full backing of the University’s administration.

Next steps

A dedicated website will be soon be developed so you can be a part of this transformative journey towards an enriched student, faculty and staff experience. You will have the opportunity to provide feedback and input, and share in the excitement of our digital evolution.