Leadership, Vision, and Strategy
Explore the leadership, guiding vision, and strategic goals driving the successful implementation of Workday Student at Hamilton College.
Leadership, Vision & Strategy
The successful implementation of Workday Student at Hamilton College is driven by a unified vision, strategic goals, and guiding principles that prioritize collaboration, sustainability, and forward-thinking. The project team consists of members from across the campus community, with leaders on several levels.
Vision Statement
Hamilton College will modernize our student systems to deliver a unified, secure, intuitive platform that enhances the student experience, supports academic success, and enables efficient, data-informed operations.
Guiding Principles
At the heart of the Workday Student implementation, these principles create a shared understanding, promote accountability, reflect our core values, and keep the project focused on delivering meaningful outcomes. By aligning our work with these principles, we ensure the success of the project and the growth of Hamilton College's academic community.
User-Centered & Transparent
We prioritize the needs of our faculty, staff, and students, making decisions that enhance their experience and simplify tasks. We maintain transparency in our process and communication.
Adaptable & Forward-Thinking
We plan for today and the future. Change is part of the process. We stay flexible, keep learning, and evolve as we go.
Consistent & Sustainable
We aim for clarity and alignment across the College. What we build should be easy to understand, repeat, and maintain.
Collaborative & Cross-Functional
We work together across departments and roles, valuing every voice. The best solutions are built with shared understanding.
Trustworthy & Data-Driven
We configure reliable systems, maintain accurate data, and make decisions rooted in facts, not assumptions. Our work reflects integrity.
Areas of Strategic Focus
Empowering the Hamilton College community is at the heart of our Workday Student implementation. We will provide faculty, staff, and students with a modern, intuitive platform that supports their needs and enhances collaboration. Our goal is to create a system that offers control and transparency for every user, from students to faculty and staff.
To support this transformation, we are focused on the following Strategic Goals:
- Ensure a secure, trustworthy solution with a common security model to provide confidence to users.
- Deliver a flexible, agile solution that adapts to changes and supports continuous improvement with quicker release times for enhancements.
To guide this work, we have developed a set of Value Statements that drive collaboration, transparency, and meaningful engagement across our campus community:
- Support inter-departmental collaboration to drive student success.
- Improve advising, outreach, and engagement with clearer access to data.
- Strengthen onboarding and the transition process for incoming students.
- Reduce administrative burden, enabling meaningful student-faculty interaction.
- Enable responsive, proactive support across the College.
Streamlining processes and enhancing usability is central to our Workday Student implementation. We are committed to creating a system that reduces manual tasks and simplifies workflows, making essential information easily accessible for everyone in the Hamilton College community. Our goal is to deliver an intuitive, efficient platform that empowers users by increasing self-service capabilities and improving overall accessibility.
To achieve this commitment, we are focused on the following Strategic Goals:
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Provide a modern, efficient, and intuitive user experience with streamlined self-service and reduced manual processes.
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Harmonize and standardize processes with automated workflows and leading practices to ensure efficiency and simplicity.
To bring this vision to life, we focus on the following Value Statements that guide how we design, build, and deliver improved user experiences:
- Replace paper forms, emails, and old systems with a single intuitive platform.
- Simplify various workflows, from scheduling to financial aid.
- Support real-time access to essential information for employees and students.
- Reduce redundancy and manual entry with automation and centralized tools.
- Provide a consistent, connected experience reflecting best-in-class service.
Ensuring accurate, secure, and accessible data is a cornerstone of our Workday Student implementation. We aim to improve system interoperability to provide a trusted, real-time source of information that supports confident decision-making across Hamilton College. By simplifying the technology landscape and strengthening data governance, we will enable better insights while maintaining rigorous security and privacy standards.
Strategic Goals:
To support this commitment, we are focused on:
- Creating a comprehensive and reliable system of record that delivers accurate, real-time data.
- Simplifying the technology environment by retiring legacy systems, integrating platforms effectively, and minimizing exceptions.
With these goals in mind, we emphasize the following Value Statements that shape our approach to data management and accessibility:
- Deliver a trusted and comprehensive system of record.
- Strengthen security, privacy, and ensure appropriate access for all users.
- Reduce dependence on custom reports and manual updates.
- Maintain complete and consistent academic records with improved data governance.
- Keep application data dynamically up-to-date through agile integration orchestrations.
Project Leadership
Executive Sponsors champion the Workday Student implementation at the highest level. They provide strategic vision, executive guidance, and institutional insight to support successful transformation. As visible advocates for change, they help drive campus-wide engagement and ensure alignment with Hamilton College’s long-term goals.
Joe Shelley, Vice President for Libraries and Information Technology
Ngonidzashe Munemo, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty
Karen Leach, Vice President for Administration and Finance
The Executive Steering Committee plays a vital role in guiding the Workday Student implementation. Comprised of the project’s Executive Sponsors and senior leaders from across the College, this group provides strategic oversight, secures necessary funding and approvals, and ensures alignment with institutional priorities. By championing the project and supporting key decisions, the committee helps remove barriers, manage change, and promote campus-wide engagement.
Responsibilities include:
- Securing funding and necessary approvals
- Authorizing major changes to scope, timeline, and deliverables
- Providing strategic direction to project leadership
- Prioritizing project goals alongside other institutional initiatives
- Supporting communication, transparency, and adoption across the College
- Reviewing design decisions and recommending policy updates as needed
Steering Committee Members:
- Joseph Shelley, Ngoni Munemo, and Karen Leach serve as Executive Sponsors
- Kevin Flannery, Workday Project Manager
- Maureen Scoones, Associate Director, LITS Finance and Resources, Workday Change Manager
- Michael Sprague, Director of Enterprise Information Systems
The Workday Student Information System implementation project remains deeply connected to the needs of faculty, staff, and students. To support this, the project oversight and advocacy has four key areas, including the project leadership. Learn more about those working on the project, as well as how you can get involved and have your voice heard.
