You've probably heard the word "Banner" bantered around for months in the context of budget talks and workflow conversations.

But do you know what it is or how it will affect your daily work in the coming years? Most university administrators and staff are just now getting a glimpse of those answers, but our information technology staff has been preparing and planning for Banner’s introduction for almost a year. Rick Cashion, assistant director for Information Technology Services, explains what Banner is, why the campus needs it and how it will affect our workday.

“Banner is software that maintains records used by university personnel who deal with student records, payroll, finances, and financial aid,” says Cashion, who explained there are several reasons to change to Banner and replace SIS, HRS, and FRS, systems currently being used by most staff and administrators.

“If we are ever going to add enhancements or new features to how we handle information, we must make the switch,” he says. “The old system has become increasingly hard to maintain, and it is not flexible enough to allow us to extract information any differently from how we are doing it now. The vendor will no longer enhance the old system as new needs for information arise, so in order to have a system that can grow and change with the university’s needs, we need Banner.”

There are five pieces to the Banner puzzle that are scheduled to be put into place in the coming years, in addition to the implementation of Luminis, a web portal that allows users to customize the information they see when they access the TTU web site.

Human Resource Services will be the first to go live with Banner when the January 2007 payroll is written in the new software. The university's financial records will be moved to the new system effective at the beginning of the new fiscal year, July 1, 2007. The first student registration through Banner will take place spring 2008 for the fall 2008 semester. However, both student admissions and financial aid will have to move to the new system in 2007 in order to prepare for that first registration.

Currently, “train the trainer” sessions are underway at Pellissippi State Community College. What those trainers learn, based on what system they work with, will be shared with campus users.

“When we are ready to go live, everyone on campus using these systems, including students, will be trained,” says Cashion.

Will changeovers to the new software mean that systems will be down for any period of time?

“While the data is being extracted and converted, users will not be able to update records for about a week before the new system goes live, but they will be able to access and view records,” he says.

As with most change, Cashion anticipates some apprehension and concern from users faced with learning a new system.

“People’s jobs are not changing, and Banner will not replace anyone’s job, but how people do things will change,” he says. “Banner has a totally different look and feel, and it will take a while to get used to. We all understand there will be a learning curve.”