Excelsior's legacy, homegrown SIS no longer aligned with modern higher education demands. Limited scalability and long-term sustainability introduced growing operational complexity and increased institutional risk.
Ellucian Student selected to modernize SIS and advance digital transformation. A strategic RFP and campus-wide alignment prioritized scalability, partnership, and integrated solutions like Scholarship Universe.
- Reduce long-term technology and staffing risk
- Improve scalability and sustainability
- Enable access to the broader SaaS community
- Position the institution to leverage AI and continuous innovation
- Shift focus from system maintenance to institutional transformation
The first step in a thousand-mile trek is the hardest one. You have to understand your risks first."
Modernizing for Institutional Transformation
Excelsior University, a fully online institution based in Albany, New York, was founded in 1971 and recently transitioned from college to university status as part of a broader expansion strategy. As Chief Information Officer, Frank Azuola, Ph.D., was hired to lead digital transformation across the institution, beginning with its student information system.
For more than 24 years, Excelsior operated a homegrown SIS originally developed to meet institutional requirements at the time. While the internal team continuously enhanced the platform, it was built around legacy design principles and requirements that no longer reflect the demands of modern higher education. Scalability limitations and reliance on institutional knowledge created increasing risk, particularly in staffing and long-term sustainability.
Excelsior made the strategic decision to replace its legacy system with Ellucian Student powered by Banner. The goal was not simply modernization, but transformation, reducing risk, improving scalability, and aligning with industry best practices.
The selection process was intentional and inclusive. Academic and administrative stakeholders participated in defining requirements and evaluating vendors. Ellucian distinguished itself through responsiveness and a demonstrated willingness to listen, positioning the relationship as a long-term partnership rather than a transactional purchase.
While implementation is ongoing, early deployments such as Scholarship Universe have already delivered value to students. The transition to Ellucian Student powered by Banner also provides access to a broader higher education community, continuous platform enhancements, and automatic updates that reduce upgrade disruption.
For Dr. Azuola, modernization is only one element of a larger transformation. The university is rethinking how it operates internally and how it participates in a broader ecosystem of institutions and partners. Ellucian Student powered by Banner provides a scalable foundation to support that evolution, enabling innovation while mitigating institutional risk.
