Barnard College will begin a two-year transition to Workday Student, a new student information system, as part of a broader effort to update its infrastructure, according to a Columbia Spectator report.Barnard President Laura Rosenberry 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 scheduled to begin at the start of the fall 2028 semester.
System to combine multiple functions
According to the Columbia Spectator, Workday Student will consolidate services that are currently handled in 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 employment.Kelly Murray, Barnard’s executive vice president for strategy and chief administrative officer, said the college is still determining which systems will be replaced.“It’s not going to be a one-for-one swap,” Murray was quoted as saying by the Columbia Spectator. “Determining what we will bring and what we want” will be part of that process.
Advisory group to guide rollout
The college plans to involve students and faculty in advisory groups to help design and evaluate the system.According to the Columbia Spectator, Murray said the groups will provide feedback to improve the platform before its full rollout.Virgil, the platform used for course registration at Barnard and Columbia University, is not expected to be affected. Retaining it will help maintain cross-registration between the two institutions, Murray said.
Costs and financial perspective
The transition will require an upfront investment, although the college expects costs to decrease over time as it reduces the number of systems it maintains.Murray said it’s 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, Bernard cut costs, laid off staff and raised tuition.
Focus on reducing administrative burden.
Currently, student information is spread across multiple systems, which can further complicate access.This often requires staff to compile records from different platforms to maintain a single student profile, Murray said.“A lot of our energy is occupied by systems that require manual work and translation across multiple platforms,” Rosenberry said in his email, according to the Columbia Spectator.The new system is expected to streamline administrative work and allow staff to spend more time helping students.“It’s hard to spend time with people when you’re spending time working,” Murray said, as quoted by the Columbia Spectator. “Technology is supposed to take the pressure off so we have less time on it, more time on people.”
Part of a wider institutional plan
The workday student rollout is part of Barnard’s “Bold History, Fearless Future” plan, which was introduced in 2024 as a long-term strategy for the college.The plan includes a focus on improving infrastructure and centralizing the system.Murray said the change reflects a broader effort to respond to changes in technology and how organizations manage data.“Workday is one of the first steps in the big picture,” he said, according to the Columbia Spectator. “But it’s not the only step in the bigger picture.”Many details of the transition, including the final system design and the full list of platforms to be replaced, are still being finalized.
