Summer 2026 NextGen Newsletter

Welcome to the Summer 2026 NextGen Newsletter!

Change is never just about systems. It’s about people, purpose, and progress. In this issue of the NextGen Newsletter, we explore how Minnesota State is building the foundation for the future by strengthening data and technology infrastructure to preparing campuses for the transition to Workday Student. You’ll learn how campus feedback is directly shaping Student Worker design sessions, what we learned from our first systemwide Change Readiness Assessment, and how initiatives like Modern Data Architecture and Identity and Access Management are helping create a more connected, efficient, and secure experience for faculty, staff, and students.

NextGen Moves to the Web: A New Home for Information and Connection

We’re excited to share an important evolution in how the NextGen Project connects with you. Moving forward, the Minnesota State website will serve as the primary home for NextGen communications, creating a more streamlined and accessible experience for everyone.
This shift marks an exciting step forward. By bringing NextGen information into an easier-to-navigate space, it’s now simpler to stay informed, find what you need, and follow NextGen progress. We encourage you to bookmark the site and take a few minutes to explore it. We hope you’ll find the website brings the story of this work to life by providing clear, engaging content that helps you understand what’s happening, why it matters, and how it impacts you. Thank you for taking the time to explore the new site and remain actively involved. Your engagement continues to make a difference as we move forward together in the NextGen journey.

The New Modern Data Architecture Initiative: A Smarter Way to Use Data Across Minnesota State

Minnesota State is taking a coordinated step forward in how data is accessed, understood, and used across its colleges and universities. As the need for clearer insights, consistent data definitions, and stronger decision making support continues to grow, the Modern Data Architecture initiative establishes a shared, future-ready foundation. This approach is designed to simplify how data is used, reduce duplication, and support better outcomes, while building on the systems, tools, and expertise already in place across the system.

A Simpler, More Consistent Data Environment

At the center of this work is a shared, cloud-based environment that brings together information from systems such as Workday, D2L, and ISRS. Instead of maintaining separate local copies of data, institutions will be able to work from a unified, governed source that is accessible through familiar tools such as Power BI, Excel, Tableau, and SQL connections.

This represents an important shift from today’s environment, where institutions have long taken initiative to meet local data needs. Over time, that approach has led to duplicated work, inconsistent definitions, and uncertainty about what data can be trusted. By organizing data in a shared environment with shared definitions and governance built in, Modern Data Architecture reduces the need for reconciliation and improves confidence in reporting and analysis across the system.

A Shared Direction for Data

A key part of this approach is its federated design. In simple terms, this means data continues to be stewarded the people who know it best, such as finance, human resources, or student services, while also being supported by shared systemwide standards.

Day-to-day responsibility stays with those functional areas, but the overall environment is managed through shared administration. This helps ensure consistency, security, and reliability across all institutions, while still allowing campuses to apply their own expertise and context.

This balance allows Minnesota State to operate as a connected system without losing the value of local knowledge. A modern data dictionary supports this work by aligning definitions and making sure data is clearly understood and used consistently. As part of this effort, a Data Cookbook is being reintroduced as the shared tool for managing and maintaining the data dictionary. Additional training and information will be available this summer to help institutions engage with and contribute to this resource.

To support ongoing collaboration and oversight, a Data Governance Committee is also being reimagined. This group will bring together stakeholders and data stewards across Minnesota State to help guide shared standards, review definitions, and ensure broad input into how data is defined and used across the system.

What This Means for Institutions

For campuses, the impact is practical. Shared datasets can be reused across institutions, reducing duplication and making it easier to build on each other’s work. At the same time, institutions retain the flexibility to combine shared and local data to meet their specific needs.

The overall shift is toward simpler processes, better consistency, and more focus on insights and decision-making.

Looking Ahead

This work also creates a strong foundation for predictive analytics and artificial intelligence, which depend on well-defined, governed data. By putting that structure in place now, Minnesota State is positioning institutions to adopt these tools in a way that is consistent, responsible, and scalable.

Implementation will take place over time, with continued expansion of datasets and phased onboarding for institutions. As the shared environment grows, reliance on legacy tools will gradually decrease in a way that supports a steady and manageable transition.

In parallel, the Data Hub Communities of Practice (CoP) will continue to provide spaces for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and alignment across institutions, helping to build shared understanding, promote best practices, and support.

The Modern Data Architecture initiative represents a coordinated step forward for Minnesota State. It strengthens how we work with data today while creating a shared foundation for the future. For more information, visit the Data Architecture Connect site for the latest updates or contact DataTeam@MinnState.edu.

Word on Workday

A shared vocabulary is essential for effective systemwide work. The Student Phase Glossary brings together commonly used terms and definitions from the NextGen Student project and the Workday Student implementation. Designed to support clear, consistent communication across campuses and functional areas, the glossary reflects current project language and will continue to evolve over time. As the work progresses, definitions may be refined, and new terms added based on feedback and emerging needs—helping ensure the resource remains clear, relevant, and useful for the Minnesota State community.

Student Worker Design Sessions Resume with Updated Approach

Earlier this spring, the Student Worker project entered the Design Phase of Architect and Configure, focused on building and refining how student employment business processes will function in Workday. Campus feedback is helping shape how Student Worker design activities move forward.

Following input from institutions regarding scheduling challenges and participation demands, the Student Worker Project Team paused design sessions in May to reassess and refine the approach. Feedback from campuses highlighted the need for greater flexibility, improved coordination, and a session structure that better aligns with institutional workloads while still supporting engagement. As a result, Student Worker design sessions resumed the week of June 8 using an updated model intended to provide campuses with more opportunities to participate.

To further strengthen coordination, each institution was asked to designate a Student Worker Campus Lead. These individuals serve as the primary campus contact for Student Worker activities, helping coordinate communications, and support participation in project work.

One of the first tasks for Student Worker Campus Leads was identifying campus subject matter experts (SMEs) to participate in design sessions, which are now offered twice weekly, with topics repeated each week. This approach provides campuses with greater scheduling and staffing flexibility, helping ensure each session can include campus SME participation.

Design sessions focus on the key functional areas supporting the student employment lifecycle, including HR Core, Financial Aid, Payroll, and Recruiting. Participating SMEs provide campus perspectives, review proposed business processes, and help ensure that the designs will reflect operational needs across Minnesota State.

The revised design approach reflects the project's commitment to listening to campus feedback and making adjustments that support both effective participation and successful project outcomes.

Building Readiness for Workday: What We Learned from the First Systemwide Change Readiness Assessment

The Change Readiness Assessment provides the NextGen Program Team with an important opportunity to better understand the perspectives of faculty, staff, and leaders from all campuses as we prepare for the transition to Workday Student. The first in a series of systemwide assessments was recently completed, gathering valuable feedback from across colleges and universities to understand how aware, engaged, and prepared our campuses are for the transition to Workday Student. Results indicate a solid starting point, with an overall readiness score of 3.44 out of 5, showing that faculty and staff recognize change is underway and are prepared to participate in the journey ahead.

Key Takeaways

Overall, the assessment highlights a strong foundation for organizational readiness across the system. Respondents show high awareness that business processes and ways of working will change (4.08), a clear willingness to learn new skills and adopt new tools (4.17), and confidence in strong peer support throughout the transition (4.08). At the same time, feedback points to opportunities to strengthen communication, create more visible ways to share input, and better connect the project to daily responsibilities and roles.

Insights and Metrics

Participation included 1,435 responses, offering a broad, systemwide view. While readiness is strong in areas like understanding the need for new skills (4.17), lower scores for communication clarity (3.02), ability to provide input (3.03), and understanding personal impact (3.04) signal where more focus is needed. For instance, some of the feedback shared in the survey included statements like “I hope the system streamlines all of the processes and makes it easier to navigate for staff, faculty, and students.” In plain terms: the results suggest faculty and staff are willing to embrace change but are looking for more consistent, role-specific information, and a clearer understanding of how the implementation of Workday Student will affect their work.

What’s Next

The NextGen Program team intends to build on this momentum by strengthening two-way communication, expanding opportunities for feedback, and providing clearer, role-specific information. The NextGen Program will continue sharing updates through familiar channels and creating more visible ways for campuses to stay involved. Together, this is our shared work, allowing everyone a role in shaping, supporting, and strengthening readiness as we move forward.

Identity and Access Management (IAM) 3.0 Project Now Underway

Minnesota State is moving forward with the Identity and Access Management (IAM) 3.0 project, a technology modernization effort focused on improving how students, faculty, and staff access campus systems and applications.

Identity and access management refers to the systems that manage digital access across Minnesota State, including StarID, Workday, D2L, Microsoft 365, email, and other campus technology resources. IAM systems help ensure people receive the access they need when they join Minnesota State, when their roles change, and when access should be removed.

The project comes as the current identity management system approaches end-of-life status and can no longer fully support the growing demands of modern systems. Older technology and manual processes can contribute to delays, inconsistent access, duplicate accounts, and increased troubleshooting for campus staff.

To address those challenges, Minnesota State will begin a phased implementation of Okta, a modern identity and access management platform selected for its ability to better support enterprise systems such as Workday. The modernization effort is expected to improve both system reliability and the campus user experience.

Overall system benefits include:

• Modernizing access management and reducing manual effort

• Improving security, compliance, and visibility into access-related issues
• Reducing risks associated with outdated or duplicate accounts

Campus benefits include:

• Providing faster, more reliable access to systems and applications
• Reducing access-related delays, especially during high-demand periods such as the start of a semester
• Simplifying access management processes and reducing troubleshooting for staff

The implementation will follow a phased approach over approximately two years to minimize disruption. Campus IT staff and technical contacts identified by campus CIOs will play an active role throughout the implementation, with ongoing communication and coordination continuing as project milestones and readiness activities progress.

Expanding the Community Companion Project Portfolio

Building on the previously announced Community Companion Projects of Handshake, Maxient, and Curriculum Approval and Management Software, the Companion Project Team is excited to introduce three additional projects identified through systemwide collaboration and campus input: PaperCut, BP Logix, and Ready Campus.

These projects emerged from a recent survey that invited colleges and universities to share ideas for addressing business needs not fully supported through the core Workday Student implementation. The strong response demonstrated the value of working together to identify solutions that can benefit institutions across Minnesota State.

To support greater visibility into companion project work, the project team has also published a systemwide campus companion project list, providing a view into companion projects currently being worked on across the system.

Visit the Companion Project Teams site to learn more.

Stay Connected and Engaged

Want to stay connected and learn more about what’s ahead? The NextGen Hub offers updates, deeper insights, and helpful resources related to the Workday Student and Student Worker implementations, companion projects, and other initiatives supporting the goals of NextGen. Be sure to bookmark it and check back often as the work continues to evolve.

Have questions or want to connect with the project team? We’d love to hear from you—reach out anytime at NextGenERP@minnstate.edu.