Most WashU students are preparing to enroll for fall 2025 classes next week utilizing a new student information platform, Workday. Numerous individuals have gotten ready by refreshing details and crafting preliminary schedules, yet officials indicate that this initial registration cycle will encounter some challenges.
Almost all returning undergraduate students have commenced essential activities in Workday, including updating personal details, and have created one or more saved schedules from which they intend to register. Faculty members and academic advisers are getting ready too, with over 70% having finished recommended training and numerous individuals getting an early start on advising sessions. Student registration is set for April 15-18.
“We have made a solid beginning, and students are carrying out initial tasks with few problems,” remarked Erin Culbreth, senior associate provost at Washington University in St. Louis and executive director of Student Sunrise, the team managing the transition. “Nevertheless, regardless of how much preparation is done, we anticipate it will be a bit tumultuous for a while. We’ve been operating within our previous system for over three decades. Thus, adapting to something so distinct may feel daunting to some. Those who engaged in preview and practice opportunities, completed training, or attended our office hours should find it easier to navigate the new system.”
While the most significant alteration pertains to how the system appears and presents information, there are a few points that students, advisers, registrars, and faculty teaching next fall ought to note:
- Resolve any holds or course section override requests prior to the commencement of registration. Due to stricter enforcement of course prerequisites and co-requisites, students must request necessary overrides before their registration appointments. Although students can still seek overrides after their appointments, they will not be able to enroll in the course section until the override receives approval. Faculty teaching courses within Arts & Sciences, the McKelvey School of Engineering, and the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts will need to log into Workday to approve or deny overrides before the student can register. CAPS navigators will authorize overrides for their students. For all other schools, the registrar will approve or deny such requests.
- Set up alerts. Students can enroll in waitlists but must configure notifications to be informed about their position in a class. Students will have 72 hours to accept the spot; otherwise, the system will revoke the seat and offer it to the next individual on the list.
- Indicate data discrepancies. Due to the complexity of the transition, certain data may appear different. If students or advisers notice anything that seems incorrect, especially regarding the academic progress report, submit a support ticket so the assistance team can look into it.
“In a new system that mandates registration requirements and features different subject codes and course identifiers, we understand this initial registration might be difficult,” stated Keri Disch, university registrar. “My office along with the Workday Student support team are observing various aspects of the system and will provide assistance as we all adapt to our new setup.”
New course schedule search tool accessible on registrar website
While current students should utilize Workday to explore course sections to prepare for the fall semester, prospective students and others interested in WashU’s offerings can utilize a new class schedule search tool on the Office of the University Registrar website.
“This new tool does not replace Workday, which is where students will discover the details needed to arrange their schedules and enroll,” Disch explained. “But it does provide some functionalities that are not yet available in Workday, such as the capability to search for courses categorized by school.”
Culbreth mentioned that the fall Mock enRoll preview and practice events yielded invaluable insights on ways to enhance Workday’s course section search.
“In response, we’ve revised our course section search tutorial to better assist students in locating classes, and we’ve also been collaborating directly with Workday to tackle feedback from WashU and other institutions,” she noted.
Enhanced resources to assist audiences in preparation
Instructor-led training for various groups continues throughout the spring, and numerous eLearning courses, accessible in Workday Learning, are available for any faculty or staff member. To aid specific groups with information on what actions to take and what training to pursue, the Sunrise team has updated and broadened its audience pages in the Go-Live Year section of its website. Visit the pages below to learn more about what each audience group needs to do and when.
For students
For advisers
For faculty and staff who teach
For course and section managers
For student support offices and administration
For financial aid administrators
FERPA training available
To assist faculty and staff in reacquainting themselves with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Office of the University Registrar, with assistance from Student Sunrise, has initiated a FERPA eLearning course that is accessible through Workday. The training is open to any faculty or staff member.
“With the transition to Workday, now is the opportune moment to formalize regular FERPA training for anyone who can access student data at WashU,” Disch stated. “While this training is currently voluntary, my office will shortly require it for anyone who has or seeks access to student data.”
Training can be accessed via this link or by searching “FERPA” within Workday’s Learning app. Managers are able to assign this training to their staff at any time.
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