NextGen at Minnesota State
NextGen: for Our Students
NextGen is more than a digital transformation. It's how we become one Minnesota State; serving students better, together.
Guided by the Minnesota State North Star—transforming students’ lives by delivering the best educational experience in the state—NextGen is reshaping how we serve students, employees, and communities. To reach this vision, Minnesota State is modernizing its digital landscape with innovative, student-centered projects designed to make education more accessible, equitable, and valuable for all learners.
What NextGen Means for Minnesota State
- From campuses to one Minnesota State – aligning processes and tools so the strengths of one institution become the strengths of all
- Modern, mobile, intuitive – Workday replaces the Integrated Statewide Records System (ISRS) with a platform designed for today’s students and employees
- Collaboration at scale – Communities of Practice foster connections, problem-solving, and shared solutions across the system
- Equity at the center – removing barriers so every student has a clear path to success
For the Students
For more than two decades, the Integrated Statewide Record System (ISRS) has served as the backbone of operations for Minnesota State. Originally built in-house, it no longer meets the needs of a modern, connected, and student-first education system.
To deliver on our promise of transforming lives through education, we must move forward:
- Outdated tools can’t support future-ready students – today’s learners expect intuitive, mobile, and personalized digital experiences
- Innovation is limited by legacy systems – ISRS constrains growth, collaboration, and adaptability across campuses
- Equity requires a unified approach – disconnected systems and inconsistent processes create barriers for students, particularly those historically underserved
NextGen is our commitment to progress. It’s how we ensure every learner has a seamless, supportive experience—from application to graduation—and how we strengthen our system to serve all students, together.
Check out the latest highlights of the NextGen Journey to create a modern technology landscape for Minnesota State.
NextGen Journey
The NextGen project is focused on replacing the Integrated Statewide Record System (ISRS)—the core data system at Minnesota State for over two decades—with Workday, a modern, cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) solution. This transition strengthens our commitment to long-term sustainability, adaptability, and innovation. By adopting this next-generation technology, we reinforce our dedication to delivering a seamless, student-centered experience that empowers learners to achieve their goals and aspirations.
Minnesota State successfully launched Workday Adaptive Planning on March 1, 2024, followed by the implementation of Workday Human Capital Management (HCM) and Finance on July 1, 2024. This foundational rollout, which began in 2021, marked a significant milestone in the transition to a modern technology environment designed to support students, faculty, and staff across all colleges and universities.
The Journey Continues
In spring 2025, Minnesota State officially launched the Student Phase of NextGen—an initiative aimed at unifying core operational systems by integrating Student with HCM and Finance within Workday. This next phase includes the implementation of Workday Student and Student Worker, further advancing the vision of a seamless, modern experience for all of Minnesota State.
Delivering a Seamless Student Experience Across Minnesota State
NextGen is a foundational step in our journey toward a modern, unified, and student-centered future. At the heart of this transformation is our commitment to student success, ensuring that every learner has access to flexible, equitable, and intuitive tools and support—from enrollment to graduation.
By aligning with the vision of Equity 2030, the NextGen Goals, Objectives, and Guiding Principles drive a shared systemwide approach to delivering exceptional education and operational excellence.
NextGen Goals
Seamless Experience for Students – Deliver a unified and intuitive experience for students across Minnesota State
Student Outreach – Use multiple channels—including mobile —to engage students throughout their journey, from recruitment through graduation
Data and Analytics – Improve decision-making by streamlining data sharing and enhancing access to real-time, integrated insights across the system
Integration of Solutions – Ensure full integration between Workday and third-party systems to create a consistent experience
Maintain Competitiveness – Keep Minnesota State competitive with private and online higher education providers through modern, user-friendly systems
Systemwide Processes – Standardize operational processes across the system using cloud-based technology, and update policies to improve efficiency and consistency
Systemwide Software Consistency – Reduce duplicative technology and streamline platforms across institutions for a more cohesive user experience
Security – Implement a stable, maintainable, secure, and intuitive suite of applications
Guiding Principles
The success of NextGen depends not only on the solutions delivered but also on the collaborative approach taken to develop them. Forged in a commitment to working as one Minnesota State, the team focuses on delivering solutions that are sustainable, effective, and centered on what’s best for students, faculty, and staff.
The Approach:
- Start with leading practices
Adopt proven industry standards to ensure strong foundations - Challenge the status quo
Reimagine how we work—questioning legacy processes to find better, smarter ways - Design solutions for the end user
Prioritize the needs and experiences of students, faculty, and staff in every design decision - Minimize manual processes
Automate wherever possible to reduce complexity, errors, and administrative burden - Simplify when possible
Streamline systems and workflows to enhance usability and efficiency - Operate as a system
Make decisions that support shared goals and benefit the entire Minnesota State community - Work collaboratively and transparently
Foster trust and inclusion through open dialogue - Communicate frequently
Keep stakeholders informed and engaged with clear, timely, and consistent updates - Engage institutions early and often
Include campus voices throughout the project lifecycle - Maintain a single system of record
Create a single and accurate source of truth across Minnesota State
Project Governance Structure
The NextGen Project is guided by a governance framework designed to ensure clarity, accountability, and momentum at every stage. The structure empowers teams to raise critical issues and make strategic decisions that will support student success. By fostering collaboration across project teams and keeping leadership connected, the governance model keeps the project on track for success. Below is an overview of the key roles and responsibilities guiding the governance of all areas of the NextGen project: Finance, Human Capital Management, Student, and Student Worker. The governance bodies described include support and participation from NextGen Project implementation partners at Workday.
Executive Sponsor
The Minnesota State Chancellor is the executive sponsor of NextGen Student. The executive sponsor is responsible for the overall success of the project by working with the project team to promote the project’s vision and values while championing the project across the system. The executive sponsor resolves escalated project issues and has final approval on project decisions. The executive sponsor is advised by the Board of Trustees and Leadership Council.
Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees is comprised of volunteers appointed by the Governor. Board of Trustees responsibilities for the NextGen project include serving in an advisory role to the executive sponsor on resolution of decisions and issues and providing overall support for the project.
Leadership Council
Leadership Council is comprised of the chancellor’s cabinet and presidents from each college and university within Minnesota State. Leadership Council’s role in the NextGen Project is to advise the executive sponsor on the needs and concerns of institutions. Leadership Council is also responsible for change leadership and championing NextGen goals throughout the system.
Project Sponsor
The Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs (ASA) is the NextGen Student project sponsor. In addition to championing the project across the system, the project sponsor plays a key role in the NextGen Student feedback loop to solicit and address institutional feedback and concerns. The project sponsor is advised by ASA Advisors.
Academic and Student Affairs Advisors
Senior leaders representing the colleges and universities of Minnesota State serve as advisors to the project sponsor. This group works with Minnesota State system directors and ASA leaders from each college and university to drive collaboration and systemwide partnerships.
Executive Operations Team
The Minnesota State Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs as well as the Vice Chancellors for Finance and Facilities, Human Resources, and Information Technology Services, and the Associate Vice Chancellors for Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, and Educational Development & Technology are the executive operations team for NextGen Student. The executive operations team assists the project sponsor and executive sponsor in providing project direction and support. The executive operations team is responsible for executive level communication, the distribution of information throughout the project teams, and ensuring project work and decisions align with the NextGen mission, goals and guiding principles. The executive operations team supports the work of and is advised by the NextGen steering committee.
Steering Committee
The executive operations team, as well as three college and two university presidents, as well as one college and one university Chief Financial Officer, Chief Information Officer, and Chief Human Resources Officer, and the Chief Audit Officer are the steering committee for the NextGen project. In partnership with the executive operations team, the steering committee is focused on ensuring project work and decisions align with NextGen mission, goals, and guiding principles.
The People Behind the Work
NextGen is about more than technology. It’s about serving students better as we move to becoming one Minnesota State. Bringing this vision to life depends on the expertise, insights, and voices from across Minnesota State. At the center of this work is a web of campus subject matter experts, Change Readiness Network members, and Transition Leads. Together, they help ensure NextGen is shaped by the real needs and experiences of both employees and students.
The heartbeat of NextGen is the student and employee experience. Subject matter experts like registrars, enrollment managers, and academic and financial aid advisors bring critical, day-to-day knowledge to the NextGen Project Team that aids in designing a system that truly works for students and employees. Through this collaboration, Minnesota State is aligning processes, sharing strengths, and removing barriers to access and equity to serve students today and for generations to come.
By elevating local insight and working as one, transition leads and campus subject matter experts are helping transform a system of campuses into one Minnesota State.
Explore the list of campus Transition Leads on the NextGen Hub.