Why the Expected Completion Date Is Your Secret Sauce

There are core elements in Workday Student that, if the data is not accurately maintained, can quietly wreak havoc across your tenant.

One often-overlooked element is the Expected Completion Date. While it may seem unimportant at first glance, neglecting to keep it current can create big challenges. This date is crucial for students and staff alike, impacting everything from program enrollment to financial aid.

Why It Matters

The Expected Completion Date is more than just a date; it's closely linked to the Attendance Plan, which is vital for many parts of a student's academic journey. For example, if this date is not accurate, it can affect financial aid eligibility and restrict students from making essential changes to their program of study. When an Expected Completion Date is outdated, it may prevent students from enrolling in new programs or even lead to complications with housing and transportation services.

Here's a statistic to consider: according to a survey by the National Student Financial Aid Association, 53% of students who encounter issues with their financial aid cite "administrative errors" as a major source of frustration. Keeping the Expected Completion Date updated can reduce such frustrations significantly.

Real Example

Let’s look at a real-life situation. At one institution, administrators were excited to roll out a new advisory program. Everything looked promising until they encountered a system error:

“Expected Completion Date must be greater than the Declare Date.”

This halted the project entirely. The incident highlights how essential keeping the Expected Completion Date current is to smooth administrative operations.

Best Practice

Regardless of whether you’re working in a large university or a community college, it’s crucial to routinely update the Expected Completion Date. Workday requires that this date always be in the future for active students, and failing to comply can frustrate both students and staff.

To simplify the process, consider creating a report as a worklet on your custom dashboard to flag students with outdated Expected Completion Dates. This proactive approach can save you countless hours.

If you're unsure about setting this up, we can provide guidance. For a free recording from one of our Lean One New Thing events, we demonstrate how to create effective custom dashboards tailored to your institution's needs.

Additionally, leverage the Enterprise Interface Builder (EIB) for bulk updates of Expected Completion Dates. This tool allows you to quickly make changes for multiple students, which can be a huge time saver compared to individual updates. This helps maintain accurate data while reducing administrative burden.

Your Path to Expected Completion Date Success

The Expected Completion Date in Workday Student is a critical element that deserves your full attention. Keeping it updated can help you avoid a range of complications, ensuring smoother experiences for both students and staff. Don't let outdated information hinder progress at your institution.

If you want to optimize your systems for peak efficiency, we're here to help! We offer a free health check on your Workday Student setup to identify what might be slowing your team down and provide actionable solutions to any institution that asks.

Take charge today and make the Expected Completion Date your secret sauce for success!