Milligan will launch Milligan Central, a new integrated campus platform, in July, which will consolidate several existing systems, such as Self-Service, Net Partner, PowerCampus, Dynamics and, in January 2027, GreenShades.
Currently known as Jenzabar, the new portal will bring these tools together into one modern, streamlined experience for students, faculty and staff. Staff training will occur throughout the summer, while faculty training will begin in August.
The Stampede had the opportunity to ask several questions of Amanda Bristol, associate vice president of information technology.
Q: What specific problems with the current systems led to the decision to switch?
A: Our three legacy systems are built on older architecture, and the software is being retired by the vendors. We have been using our current systems since 1999, and we are excited to be changing to a modern interface with web and mobile capabilities. Milligan Central is designed for a modern student experience. It will improve communication across campus areas and will enable us to centralize reporting to facilitate data-driven decisions.
The legacy systems include PowerCampus (known to students as Self-Service), PowerFaids (Net Partner) and Great Plains, which is accessed through GreenShades.
Q: How long has this transition been in the works?
A: We have been planning and preparing for this transition for several years. The work of securing funding and ensuring necessary staff are in place to support the implementation has taken considerable planning. Preparing and cleaning the data for movement into the new systems has also been time consuming. Leaders from every area of campus undertook the difficult work of documenting, evaluating and streamlining business processes to ensure efficiency. A team was established to evaluate software vendors against business needs and budget to determine which partners would be the best fit for Milligan. Ultimately, we selected Slate by Technolutions for admissions recruitment and Jenzabar for our student information system and financial aid system. Integrations are currently being built with several of our other systems, including our Canvas learning management system.
Q: What was the total cost of implementing Milligan Central?
A: Much of the expense of this project will be funded by ending contracts for our legacy systems, and we are also investing $175,000 in implementation this year. We have added one position in the IT department, an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) administrator, to focus on the transition. We also have a half-time project manager who is keeping the Milligan team on schedule.
Q: How will this change faculty workflows (grading, advising, attendance, etc.)?
A: Advising functionality will be enhanced, making the requirements for degree completion readily available for advisers and students. The integration with Canvas offers some additional functionality for faculty. Faculty will eventually be able to post final grades directly from Canvas to Milligan Central. Attendance tracking will remain a function of Canvas. We are regularly enhancing functionality in Slate to support athletics and other talent recruitment, scholarship applications and decision workflows. All coaches and faculty recruiters have begun using the new recruitment portals.
Q: What kind of training are faculty and staff receiving before launch?
A: Training is a critical part of this implementation. We have completed basic training with Jenzabar for human resources, business office, admissions, financial aid, registration and student development. We are now in advanced training with Jenzabar consultants in each of these areas. Once Jenzabar completes the training, Milligan will create its own training documentation that incorporates its business processes. There will be many training opportunities available for faculty and staff over the summer and in the fall.
Q: Why is the full transition staggered (GreenShades not until January 2027)?
A: The payroll and time tracking system produces tax documentation for student and regular employees. To keep these records clear and accurate, we will begin using Jenzabar Payroll and HR at the beginning of the calendar year, Jan. 1, 2027.
Q: What’s the biggest risk with switching to Milligan Central?
A: One of the main risks is falling behind our implementation timeline. We are managing the project closely to ensure that does not happen and have allocated adequate resources to remain on schedule. Another big risk in any ERP implementation is lack of buy-in and adoption. We are fortunate to have strong executive sponsorship and a commitment from our faculty and staff to ensure a smooth transition. While we know there will be challenges as we make these changes, we are focusing on the expected results and understand as a staff the importance of our digital transformation for our students’ experience and the continued success of our institution.
In addition to the new launch, student email accounts will be updated from Google Gmail to Microsoft 365, improving security and providing a consolidated platform for students, faculty and staff.
Email addresses will change from username@my.milligan.edu to username@milligan.edu. Everything in students’ Gmail inboxes will be transferred to their new Microsoft 365 account. Any messages sent to the Gmail address will automatically be redirected to the Microsoft 365 inbox. Students will continue to have access to Google Drive after the transition and will also gain access to Microsoft OneDrive.
Recent graduates will continue to have access to their Microsoft 365 mailbox, OneDrive and Microsoft Office licensing for six months following graduation.
Photo: Seeger Chapel (By: Danielle Roberts)
