Years of customization and an antiquated infrastructure limited flexibility and adaptability. Leadership recognized the need to move from maintaining legacy systems to building a more sustainable ecosystem that could evolve with changing student and institutional needs.
The college chose to migrate on-prem Colleague to the SaaS-based Ellucian Platform, prioritizing continuity while modernizing its infrastructure. In partnership with Ellucian and peer institutions, the team approached the effort as a people-centered transformation — integrating new platforms and shifting IT from maintenance-focused to strategic enablement.
- Stronger confidence in navigating large-scale change
- Shift from maintenance-focused IT to strategic enablement
- Improved cross-functional collaboration
- Greater long-term sustainability for core systems
- Clearer path for continued digital transformation
Modernization isn't about reaching a finish line. It's about creating an environment where change becomes more manageable and more sustainable over time."
Modernizing With a Mindset Shift
Anne Arundel Community College (AACC), located in Maryland, serves approximately 30,000 credit and non-credit students. As a large community college with a complex ERP ecosystem, AACC recognized that sustaining long-term growth required more than incremental upgrades — it required a fundamental shift in how the institution approached modernization.
Over time, extensive customizations and an aging infrastructure made system changes increasingly difficult. While the environment functioned, it limited flexibility and created barriers to adapting quickly to evolving student and operational needs. Leadership understood that continuing to maintain legacy systems would constrain future innovation.
Rather than viewing modernization as a single technology project, AACC reframed the effort as a mindset shift. The college made the strategic decision to migrate its on-prem Colleague system to the SaaS-native Ellucian Platform, ensuring continuity while modernizing its infrastructure.
The transition was approached deliberately and collaboratively. Strong internal project leadership, cross-functional engagement, and peer collaboration across Maryland community colleges helped inform decision-making. The team emphasized structured planning and ongoing communication to ensure alignment throughout the process.
Even before full go-live, AACC began to see a shift in perspective across campus. Teams gained confidence in managing change and thinking more strategically about the future. IT leadership moved from maintaining customized systems to enabling broader institutional priorities.
For AACC, modernization represents more than a platform change. It signals a commitment to sustainability, adaptability, and positioning the college to evolve alongside higher education's changing landscape.
