York University is on a mission to transform the student, faculty, and staff experience and deliver a culture of service excellence through its Student Systems Renewal Program (SSRP), which is introducing new online systems and user-focused processes across the University. As part of the program, a new solution for financial aid, awards and scholarships is scheduled to launch this July.
The system will make it easier to see which financial aid options, awards and scholarship opportunities are available to students, as well as simplifying the processes for submitting and tracking applications by bringing them all into one place. It will also benefit faculty and staff by automating workflows and significantly reducing manual administrative efforts.
In advance of the launch, several initiatives are underway to help educate the community about the new system.
An SSRP webinar for faculty and staff was held recently, demonstrating the new system’s features, how it works and the training activities planned to prepare users. Approximately 300 people attended and watched the presentation from the SSRP team, followed by a live 20-minute Q-and-A session. Those who were unable to attend the event are encouraged to watch the recording of the webinar on the SSRP website.
In addition to the webinar, event attendees were the first to see the new animated video that was debuted at the event. The video explains the new solution in an entertaining, simplified and highly shareable format.
For those who will use the new system, a demonstration video is also available on the SSRP website, providing a preview of it before its official release. Another demo will take place later this month, and will also be posted online. The recordings offer a hands-on walk-through of specific system functionalities.
Lastly, because gaining the perspective of students is crucial to this project, students will be invited to participate in system testing to help gather their input. Plans to engage with students are currently in development, with tailored communications set to begin rolling out this month. These efforts are intended to ensure students are equipped with the resources and support necessary to integrate the new solution into their academic journey, making it easier for them to apply and be considered for awards.
For more information about the new financial aid, awards and scholarships solution, visit yorku.ca/ssrp.