Streamlining Academic Management Transforming student success and academic planning

Overview

The Streamlining Academic Management Initiative (SAM), is a university-wide initiative focused on improving student success and improving the efficiency of a number of administrative tasks for staff and faculty.

SAM will support UF students advance efficiently through their degree programs and graduate on time by helping them find the classes they need more seamlessly.

SAM will ease some of the academic planning and coordination burdens upon faculty and staff — freeing them up to focus more on advising and supporting students, rather than wrestling with outdated and disparate platforms.

SAM will harness innovative, industry-leading technology through two industry-leading software platforms — Coursedog and Stellic — to assist students, faculty, and staff. At the heart of SAM is the implementation of new software that will combine and automate functions of older systems that were created and operate independently, don't talk to one another, and are increasingly obsolete.

Objectives

The SAM Initiative is not just about technical processes; it aims to reshape the future of learning and establish UF as a leader in student-centered innovation. By providing students with essential tools and optimizing our administrative operations, we are committed to driving student success, increasing retention and graduation rates, and ensuring UF remains at the forefront of higher education. We will achieve this through four primary objectives:

1. Empowering Student Success: Help students obtain their education and degree in the most time-efficient way possible by providing a seamless academic experience that optimizes course offerings, scheduling, and an aligned registration and degree planning process. Through this streamlined approach, students can effectively achieve their educational goals and prepare for their career, maximizing their time and opportunities for professional growth.
2. Improve Administrative Operations: Transform administrative operations through data-informed decision-making, automation, and innovative practices, ensuring efficiency, accuracy, and collaboration across departments.
3. Foster Innovation: Reshape the future of learning by embracing cutting-edge technologies, policy, advanced software, and innovative practices, positioning UF as a leader in student-centered innovation and higher education.
4. Modernized Systems: Upgrade our technology infrastructure by replacing outdated and/or custom systems with modern solutions from trusted vendors. This includes replacing UF's custom 'approval system' with Coursedog, replacing Ad Astra with Coursedog for scheduling, replacing Campus Solutions Degree Audit system with Stellic, and adding Stellic's planning capabilities to provide a more efficient and user-friendly experience.

What's Changing?

SAM will be supporting student success and enhancing academic management by addressing multiple friction points facing out students, faculty, and staff. SAM will introduce new systems to support academic planning, course demand analytics, and schedule building. Of particular note:

Approach

The SAM initiative is committed to:

1. Increasing collaboration and consultation by working with campus partners to inform planning, design, and adoption.
2. Ensuring robust oversight and effective decision-making through a governance model comprised of a broad range of perspectives and experiences.
3. Iteration and thoughtfulness allowing for refinement, adaptation, and an improved user experience, minimizing risks and maximizing value.
4. Providing ongoing engagement, ensuring feedback is sought, heard, and valued.
5. Offering person-centered change management to deliver change activities based on people's needs and experiences.

• Implementation will be designed as a phased rollout, allowing flexibility, thorough testing, robust risk management, feedback integration, and continuous improvement at each stage.
• Audiences will experience benefits earlier than a 'big bang' approach, fostering confidence and engagement throughout the initiative's lifecycle.
• Coursedog will be implemented in a modular approach, starting with Curriculum Management in Fall 2025 and Catalog in Spring 2026.
• Stellic's implementation will involve a pilot across the College of Education and the College of Journalism and Communication, starting with Degree Audit in late-Fall 2025/early-Spring 2026.

Delivery Timeline

We are continuing to work with vendors, stakeholders, and end users to determine the timing and order of implementation, but here is on overview of what we’re working towards:

Governance

The SAM governance model is designed to ensure robust oversight and effective decision-making by involving a range of perspectives from across the university ensuring a seamless and efficient academic experience for students, faculty, and staff as we optimize these critical processes.

These bodies are responsible for providing project guidance, managing risks and issues, allocating resources, engaging stakeholders, monitoring progress, ensuring quality, and serving as escalation points.

Led by an Executive Sponsor and a Steering Committee, our governance model also has five process-based Working Groups, and three cross-process working groups. Members of these working groups have been selected from across the campus community to help design future processes, and to inform and involve all impacted stakeholders.

Working Groups

Advising & Registration

The Advising and Registration Working Group will oversee the implementation of Stellic's academic planning, advising, and registration capabilities. This group will ensure that the new system supports comprehensive and personalized advising, facilitating effective academic planning for students. By evaluating current advising and registration processes and identifying areas for improvement, the group will help create a seamless and supportive environment for students. Their work will involve stakeholder engagement, process mapping, requirement gathering, and continuous assessment to ensure the system meets the evolving needs of the university.

Catalog

Catalog Working Group is responsible for managing the annual university undergraduate, graduate, and professional catalogs using a single platform – Coursedog. This group will focus on ensuring that the catalogs are comprehensive, accurate, and up to date, providing students and staff with easy access to essential course and program information. Members will work on defining requirements, assessing current processes, implementing Coursedog's catalog module, improvements to streamline catalog production and maintenance. Their efforts will ensure that the catalogs effectively support academic planning and decision-making.

Change, Communication, and Training

The Change, Communication, and Training Working Group will support all working groups by managing campus communications, documentation, and training efforts. This group will ensure that all stakeholders are informed, engaged, and prepared for the transition to the new systems. Key responsibilities include developing training materials, conducting training sessions, and facilitating effective communication across campus. By promoting a culture of continuous improvement and stakeholder engagement, the group will help ensure the successful adoption and long-term sustainability of the SAM Initiative.

Curriculum Management

The Curriculum Management Working Group will oversee the implementation of the curriculum management module within Coursedog. Curriculum management involves the systematic planning, development, and administration of academic programs and courses to ensure they meet educational standards and institutional goals. This group will ensure that the new system aligns with our institutional objectives, streamlining the process of academic programs and course creation, approval, and maintenance.

Data, Reporting, and Analytics

The Data, Reporting, and Analytics Working Group will focus on leveraging data from Coursedog and Stellic to support decision-making and institutional planning. They will ensure data quality and accessibility to help drive continuous improvement and strategic alignment with campus priorities. They will focus on capturing existing reports and analytics efforts to build a comprehensive understanding of current capabilities. By developing robust analytics dashboards, the group will provide actionable insights that enable evidence-based decision-making and immediate action. Their efforts will not only support data-driven initiatives but also empower users to make informed, impactful decisions quickly and effectively.

Degree Audit

The Degree Audit Working Group will manage the implementation of Stellic's degree audit functionalities. This group will focus on ensuring that the new system accurately tracks student progress toward degree completion, providing clear and actionable insights for both students and advisors. Members will review and refine existing audit processes, gather requirements, and ensure the system meets regulatory and institutional standards. Their efforts will support improved academic planning and advising, ultimately enhancing student success and retention.

Scheduling

The Scheduling Working Group will handle the implementation of the course, room, and exam scheduling module within Coursedog. This group will work to optimize scheduling processes and policy to enhance resource utilization and meet the diverse needs of our academic community. By engaging in detailed process mapping and gathering requirements, the group will develop strategies to improve scheduling efficiency and accuracy. Their work will ensure that scheduling operations are student-centered, data-driven, and aligned with institutional priorities.

Technical

The Technical Working Group is tasked with managing the IT aspects of the SAM Initiative, ensuring that Coursedog and Stellic integrate seamlessly with existing systems. This group will focus on system integration, security, data mapping and migration, and technical support, working closely with other groups to address any IT-related challenges. Key responsibilities include ensuring data integrity, and providing a user-friendly experience for all stakeholders. Their efforts will ensure the technical robustness and reliability of the new systems.

Helpful Resources

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These FAQs address common concerns and provide essential information to ensure stakeholders are well-informed and engaged throughout the SAM Initiative.

FAQs

Contact SAM

Whether you have questions, feedback, or need support, we are here to help. Our team is dedicated to providing you with the information and assistance you need regarding SAM.