Kamal Ghorui
Barnard College will begin a two-year transition to a new student information system, Workday Student, as part of a broader effort to update its infrastructure, according to a report by Columbia Spectator.Barnard President Laura Rosenbury announced the move in an email to the college community earlier this month. The new system is expected to consolidate academic and administrative functions currently spread across multiple platforms, including degree audits, advising and financial aid information.The transition will begin next month, with the system set to launch at the start of the fall 2028 semester.
System to combine multiple functions
According to Columbia Spectator, Workday Student will bring together services that are currently handled across different systems. These include platforms such as Colleague, Slate, Salesforce and Columbia University Student Information Services.Barnard first introduced Workday in 2022 for administrative functions including human resources, finance, payroll and student jobs.Kelli Murray, Barnard’s executive vice president for strategy and chief administrative officer, said the college is still determining which systems will be replaced.“This is not going to be a one-for-one swap,” Murray said, as quoted by Columbia Spectator. “Determining what we will bring in and what we want” will be part of the process.
Advisory groups to guide rollout
The college plans to involve students and faculty in advisory groups to help design and test the system.Murray said these groups will provide feedback to refine the platform before its full rollout, according to Columbia Spectator.Vergil, the platform used for course registration across Barnard and Columbia University, is not expected to be affected. Murray said keeping it unchanged would help maintain cross-registration between the two institutions.
Costs and financial context
The transition will require upfront investment, though the college expects costs to decrease over time as it reduces the number of systems it maintains.Murray said it is too early to determine the exact financial impact.The rollout comes as Barnard faces financial pressure. The college’s long-term debt rose to $274 million in fiscal year 2025, up from about $184 million in fiscal year 2024. In response, Barnard has reduced costs, laid off staff and increased tuition.
Focus on reducing administrative burden
Currently, student information is spread across multiple systems, which can make access more complex.Murray said this often requires staff to compile records from different platforms to maintain a single student profile.Rosenbury said in her email that “too much of our energy is occupied by systems that require manual work and translation across multiple platforms,” according to Columbia Spectator.The new system is expected to streamline administrative work and allow staff to spend more time on student support.“When you’re spending time doing things, it’s harder to spend time with people,” Murray said, as quoted by Columbia Spectator. “Technology is supposed to relieve pressure so that we have less time on that, more time on people.”
Part of broader institutional plan
The Workday Student rollout is part of Barnard’s “Bold History, Fearless Future” plan, introduced in 2024 as a long-term strategy for the college.The plan includes a focus on improving infrastructure and centralising systems.Murray said the shift reflects a wider effort to respond to changes in technology and how institutions manage data.“Workday is one of the first steps in the bigger picture,” she said, according to Columbia Spectator. “But it’s not the only step in the bigger picture.”Several details of the transition, including the final system design and the full list of replaced platforms, are still being finalised.
