Project Wakeday releases first quarterly update

May 18, 2023

The Project Wakeday team recently released its first quarterly update, covering the last quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023.

The update was featured in late April in the inaugural issue of The Word on Wakeday. Community members are invited to read an archived version of the newsletter on the Project Wakeday website. The website also now includes a glossary containing Workday Student terminology, as well as a few terms that are specific to the Wake Forest project.

The quarterly update looks at Project Wakeday from a variety of angles. First, there’s an overview of the project’s guiding principles. Second, there’s a status update and a closer look at campus engagement so far. Finally, there’s information about what the community can expect this fall when the first phase of functionality goes live.

“The Project Wakeday team continues to work very hard, and their dedication and talents show in their quality of work every day. Additionally, our team leaders continue to thoughtfully approach their work while partnering closely with their WFU colleagues and with the Huron consultants,” says Project Manager Phil May. “As a result, our project is progressing really well and we continue to be on schedule. Even with all of our accomplishments to date, our pace will not slow as we move into the summer. While there are several iterations of testing during our project, this summer we’ll continue the testing that impacts this fall’s first production milestone date, which is more closely related to the University’s central administration offices, including the Registrar’s Office.”

Provost Michele Gillespie said: “We realize there’s a tremendous amount of interest and a long list of questions from faculty and staff about how they’ll be affected by this transition during the next academic year. This summer, the Project Wakeday team will begin working with Academic Coordinators, preparing them for the changes well ahead of advising season. The team is also going to put significant effort toward creating a training schedule and materials that we’ll all need to be successful in this transition. As a whole, the University community can expect an increase in communication at the beginning of the next academic year. It’s going to be a busy summer for Project Wakeday, as well as an exciting fall for Wake Forest.”

Community members should watch for the May issue of The Word on Wakeday to hit their inboxes toward the end of the month. It will feature a video about Workday navigation, which will be new information for some users and a refresher for others. In addition, there will be an article about the project’s change management team that shares in detail how team members are preparing campus constituents for the upcoming implementation of Workday Student through workshops and a rollout of phased training.

All community members are invited and encouraged to subscribe to The Word on Wakeday by visiting this link to join the Project Wakeday Google group. Questions and thoughts related to the project can be shared using this form or sent to WakeDay@wfu.edu.