In an effort to save time, improve data accuracy and enhance effectiveness, Case Western Reserve University has started upgrading key technology systems across campus.
Guided by the Office of Academic and Faculty Affairs and senior vice provost Don Feke, this ongoing work is designed to better align technology with the university’s academic mission. These upgrades are a critical part of the Office of the Provost’s goals, which aim to promote more effective administrative, financial and data systems that deliver exceptional service and innovative solutions to support the campus community.
“By automating routine tasks and improving data accuracy, we’re freeing up valuable time for faculty and staff to focus on teaching, research and mentorship,” said Feke. “These system improvements will help create a more seamless experience for everyone.”
Read on to learn more about these improvements.
About Student Information System (SIS) Enhancements
The Student Information System (SIS) team, composed of functional and technical resources across the university, is advancing initiatives to strengthen the system and align with strategic institutional priorities. Key efforts include modernizing admissions interfaces, enhancing security through audits and role-level controls and applying the latest PeopleTools updates and image releases. This includes the new Fluid Faculty Center, to keep SIS current with industry standards, ensure stability and deliver new functionality.
Additional priorities include onboarding resources to support long-term strategy and continued collaboration with peer institutions. The team is also partnering with [U]Tech to investigate the use of programming models and artificial intelligence to optimize the final exam schedule.
“Collectively, these initiatives will enhance data integrity, security, and operational efficiency,” said Amy Hammett, university registrar and associate vice provost for student information systems. “We are excited about this work and the ways it will better support the university’s academic and administrative goals.”
About Degree Planning Platform (Stellic) Advancements
The degree planning platform, Stellic, continues to evolve through enhancements led by the Registrar’s Office to better support academic needs. Recent and upcoming improvements include enhanced degree checkout reporting, digitized workflows for exception handling and expansion to additional schools, such as the School of Law and others over the next several years. New administrative and analytics features will also be introduced to optimize reporting and planning.
These upgrades reflect a continuous effort to make academic planning more efficient, accessible, and responsive to students, advisors, and academic units.
About Curriculum Management System Improvements
To build upon the automated curriculum-to-publication pipeline, the Registrar’s Office is leveraging user survey feedback to improve the review process and organizational structure of the General Bulletin. These efforts complement the recent dashboard and navigation upgrades, which provide faculty and staff with essential visibility into the status of program and course actions.
About Faculty Information System (FIS) Improvements
The Faculty Information System continues to evolve, with recent upgrades focused on enhancing the user experience. Faculty feedback on this system is critical and has been incorporated into recent modifications. Improvements include updates to the interface that make the system easier to navigate, more intuitive and visually clearer.
The team is also prioritizing performance improvements to ensure pages load more quickly and efficiently. And, work is under way to automatically integrate course evaluation data, develop improved election management tools and streamline the import of patent records.
“Looking ahead, we’re exploring the integration of AI-supported tools to further simplify faculty data entry,” said Lindsay Jacobs, director of faculty affairs and information systems. “We welcome feedback and insights from our campus community as we continue this work.”
About Academic Search and Recruitment Platform (Interfolio) Expansion
CWRU’s search and recruitment platform for academic employment, Interfolio, was recently expanded to house postdoctoral, research associate/scientist and student hiring. Implementing Interfolio to recruit postdocs, research associates and students has standardized position approval procedures, enhanced applicant experiences and increased transparency in search processes.
According to Feke, these upgrades will ensure that the systems not only meet today’s needs but also grow alongside our community to support future success. The team will also leverage AI to streamline processes and save time—allowing faculty and staff to focus more on mentoring students and being present for our campus community.
“We remain committed to listening closely to faculty and staff feedback,” Feke added. “Our goal is to create solutions that empower everyone and adapt as our university continues to evolve.”
