A firsthand look at how institutions are navigating the emotional and operational journey of modernizing systems to build a more agile, student-centered future.
GUEST COLUMN | by Jennifer Beyer
WENICH MITSANTHEAR
For the past few months, I have been on a pseudo listening tour with campus leaders, IT staff, system users and students sharing their biggest technology challenges. One distinct theme has come through loud and clear—not just in formal sessions but in hallway conversations, too: moving to the cloud isn’t just a technical shift. It’s an emotional one. It’s not just modern technology, it’s fitting in time to think about change and then actually trying to implement it. It’s balancing existing processes that work with an openness to new ideas.
At face value, cloud-based systems offer what every institution wants: stronger security, lower costs and simpler maintenance. But for the people responsible for running those systems—many of whom have spent years customizing on-premise software and developing tried and true processes to fit their institutional needs —making the move to the cloud can feel like giving up control.
And understandably so.
‘Making the move to the cloud can feel like giving up control.’
On-premise systems often represent years, even decades, of hands-on configuration. Every workflow, workaround, and process was created to align with the way an institution operates. IT is accustomed to full access to the back end, managing servers in-house and writing its own rules. End users are accustomed to a system that can flex to their specific processes – to support the unique ways that institutions execute common processes. Letting go of that feels risky—like handing over the keys to someone else.
From Risk to Opportunity
This year, though, a shift was noticeable. More and more campus leaders began expressing something different. A sense that the tradeoff didn’t have to be so stark. That cloud-based platforms aren’t about losing flexibility—but gaining a different kind of freedom. Aligning the institution to outcomes – delivering a great student experience, increasing efficiency for staff users, providing insights through accurate data – is the focus needed to creating the foundation for a successful cloud migration.
Cloud systems, when built the right way, can preserve the nuance and complexity that make each institution unique. And perhaps more importantly, they take care of the heavy lifting—maintenance, updates, security patches—so teams can focus on what comes next. That’s where the real opportunity lies, when functional users can focus on optimizing the way they work instead of being dependent on an IT queue to develop solutions, the entire campus sees benefit.
Building the Capacity for Continuous Change
That opportunity, however, doesn’t happen without intentional change management. Technology alone won’t transform an institution. Adoption, process change, and stakeholder alignment are what bring the technology’s potential to life. Institutions that invest in structured change management strategies are not only more likely to succeed—they’re more likely to sustain that success in the long run. According to Prosci, a leading change management methodology, effective change strategies can improve project outcomes by as much as sixfold.
‘Technology alone won’t transform an institution. Adoption, process change, and stakeholder alignment are what bring the technology’s potential to life.’
This is where leadership plays a critical role. CIOs and senior executives must model what adaptive, continuous change looks like. That means more than approving budgets or signing contracts—it means embedding change management into the fabric of strategic planning, resource allocation, and team structure. CIOs should ensure their teams are equipped not just to implement new technology, but to support ongoing communication, training, and feedback loops. Provosts and deans should be active voices in aligning academic needs with evolving tools. Chief financial officers should factor in ongoing change management investments—not just one-time implementation costs—as essential operating expenses.
Compared to on-premise systems, cloud platforms open the door for broader innovation and deeper connectivity. With infrastructure concerns handled by a trusted partner, institutions are free to experiment, iterate and respond more quickly to the evolving needs of students and staff. For example, using real time analytics to understand registration patterns can drive an advising outreach plan targeted to unregistered students with specific calls to action in an automated way.
But rapid innovation brings a new challenge: how to keep up with continuous change. Many SaaS platforms push updates every few weeks. That cadence requires campuses to rethink how they communicate, train, and evolve—quickly and often. It means building change as a core competency, not an isolated phase of implementation. Institutions that approach change as a one-time event risk being left behind even after “go-live.
That was a recurring theme in feedback I read from our annual user conference sessions this year: “I can see it. I get it. I believe I can do this.” Once people understood that a cloud system still gives them room to tailor experiences for students, staff, and faculty—while removing the bottlenecks of outdated infrastructure—they saw the path forward.
Reinforcing a Change Culture
Letting go of an on-premise system can feel like relinquishing control. But what institutions are discovering is that they’re actually regaining something more powerful: the ability to adapt faster, align better across departments and focus on long-term impact. With executive sponsorship, clear communication, and a community of champions, change doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. It becomes part of the culture.
‘Success isn’t just about modernizing systems—it’s about modernizing mindsets.’
Sustaining this momentum requires governance structures that prioritize enterprise-wide coordination. Cross-departmental steering committees, regular check-ins tied to release cycles, and defined roles for change champions can all ensure progress doesn’t stall post-launch. For CIOs and presidents alike, the message is clear: if your institution isn’t continually evolving, it’s falling behind.
Because in higher ed, success isn’t just about modernizing systems—it’s about modernizing mindsets. And that starts with recognizing that change management isn’t a luxury. It’s the linchpin.
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Jennifer Beyer is the VP of Product Management at Thesis Elements, helping colleges and universities operate with comprehensive and user-friendly tools, analytics, and integrations to streamline administrative tasks, enhance student engagement, and drive institutional success. Connect with Jennifer through LinkedIn.
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Original Article Published at Edtech Digest
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