As fall 2024 registration approaches, students and faculty have begun the transition from AccessPlus to Workday. The new university-wide software program introduces multiple new features such as a mobile app, the ability to create various schedules and a new course registration system.
Those changes have created some challenges for students and faculty who start the registration process in the following weeks.
Landon Gulotta, a junior in cyber security, noticed bugs with information regarding academic progress displaying incorrectly.
“It says for me I’m like 60% done, and realistically I’m probably around 80%. And a couple of my classes in there it says I haven’t completed yet, but I have, ” Gulotta said. “So there’s definitely a few bugs that need to be worked out, but that’s to come with time. I know it’s brand new, I just kind of wish they pushed it off one more semester and made it like a new thing for the next year, but it is what it is.”
Lily Beall, a freshman in elementary education, notes struggles in getting holds removed for registration.
“The biggest issue I’ve heard is just getting those to-dos and holds lifted and making sure they have the right registration date,” Beall said.
Beall also highlighted some of the positive changes of the transition.
“No one likes change,” Beall said. “People are just reluctant to figure it out, but honestly, I feel like it’s almost easier than AccessPlus. Once you sit down and actually look at it, everything’s on this homepage and it’s a lot easier than I expected.”
Madison Akers, an adviser for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, noted students’ hesitations and challenges from a faculty perspective.
“I feel like there’s a lot of back and forth,” Akers said. “I feel like some students are very optimistic about it, and I feel like other students are like, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re making me learn a whole new thing.’ But I think, especially when thinking about our incoming students or even our first-year and second-year students, it’ll be really nice to use it for things like academic planning.”
Akers also mentioned some of the challenges with bugs in the system.
“There have been some times where I’ve noticed that things have been appearing differently, and the college has told us to look out for specific things or within our advising team,” Akers said. “So there have been things, but I think it’s all like part of the system just trying to figure itself out.”
“I love Access Plus because it’s what we’re used to; it feels comfortable,” Akers said. “But from an advising standpoint, I think Workday will be really nice once we’re used to it. It’s just that those growing pains are hard right now.”
According to an email sent out by the WorkCyte team, students can get help by visiting the training website, contacting the IT Solution Center through a help ticket or calling 515-294-4000.
