Advising Software Committee

Overview 

In July 2022, the Advising Software Committee was charged with recommending a platform to assist students in academic planning and facilitate collaboration among undergraduate advisors across the University. Sponsored by University leaders in academic administration, information technology, and student affairs, the committee drew its members from more than 20 offices across Grounds. Members brought a range of expertise, perspectives, and experience to the work.  

They began by reflecting on their experiences working with students and on the needs of faculty and staff colleagues. The committee identified key priorities for potential platforms: intuitiveness of the platform; simplification of tasks, planning processes and access to information; a people- and relationship-centered product; self-service functionality; accessibility with respect to users’ varying technical abilities and physical needs, and design features of the platform’s user interface; improving access to information and the visibility of support services.  

The committee sought to identify a platform that would make academic planning more intuitive while fostering a collaborative approach to advising across Grounds. The goal is to make it easier for students connect with advisors in UVA’s many support offices, to help advisors communicate with advisees and refer them to other advisors, and to help advisors and administrators identify and connect with students who may need support.  

In August 2022, the committee reviewed materials from five potential vendors and refined the extensive list of desired functionalities. They issued a Request for Information (RFI) to all five vendors and received detailed responses in November. Based on these responses, the committee developed a short list of three vendors whose software most closely aligned with the University’s highest priorities for the platform. Recognizing that stakeholder feedback was critical to the success of this project, the committee invited students, faculty, and staff to attend in-depth demonstrations of the three platforms under consideration in late January 2023. Feedback from these stakeholders was incorporated into the committee’s report to the Provost, weighing the strengths of each platform and providing a recommendation. 

In spring 2023, the Provost accepted the committee’s recommendation that the University adopt the Stellic platform. Implementation will take place throughout the 2023-24 academic year and the new platform will be launched by fall 2024. 

Committee Members

Executive Sponsors

  • Kelly Doney, Vice President and Chief Information Officer 
  • Brie Gertler, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs 
  • Christopher Holstege, Interim Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer  

Past Sponsors:

  • Virginia Evans, Vice President & Chief Information Officer;
  • Dana German, Associate Vice President and Deputy Chief Information Officer; 
  • Robyn S. Hadley, Vice President and Dean of Students, Chief Student Affairs Officer 

Co-Chairs

  • Michelle Ball, Associate Director, Career Center 
  • Laura Hawthorne, Associate Vice Provost and University Registrar, Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost 

Past Co-Chair:

  • Nicole Eramo, Assistant Vice President and Chief of Staff, Office of the Vice President & Chief Student Affairs Officer, Dean of Students  

Project Managers for the Committee

  • Katie Densberger, Director of Academic Student Support, Provost’s Office 
  • Sam Waddell, Senior Project Manager, ITS 

Members

  • James Bland, Director, Center for Diversity in Engineering 

  • Leah Blue, Senior Transfer Counselor, Provost’s Office 

  • Matthew Burgess, Director, Learning Technology Services 

  • Amanda Crombie, Assistant Dean for Academic Programs, Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy 

  • Dudley Doane, Director, International Studies, Summer & Special Academic Programs 

  • Heather Downs, Associate Athletics Director for Academics and Student Development 

  • Catrina Garland, Assistant Dean, Office of Admission 

  • Mike Holian, IT Supervisor, Student Financial Services 

  • Tom Horton, Associate Professor, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences 

  • Jessica Humphreys, Director of Information Technology, Housing and Residence Life 

  • Alex Johnston, Associate Director, Virginia College Advising Corps 

  • Courtney MacMasters, Accessibility Specialist, Student Disability Access Center 

  • Julia May, Associate Professor and Academic Administrator, BIS 

  • Sarita Mehta, Presidential Fellow 

  • Tracy Missett, Director of Undergraduate Programs, School of Education and Human Development 

  • Rachel Most, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Academic Programs and Professor, College of Arts and Sciences 

  • Danielle Muriel, Student Affairs Fellow, Multicultural Student Services 

  • Tracy Pettit, Director, Enterprise Applications 

  • Benjamin Raske, Director for Student Data and Information, McIntire School of Commerce 

  • Donald Reynard, Assistant Vice President, Custom Applications & Consulting Services 

  • Kyle Sturgeon, Assistant Dean, School of Architecture 

  • Kristin Wentland, Student Success Specialist, School of Nursing 

  • Brian Wright, Assistant Professor and Director of Undergraduate Programs, School of Data Science 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Q: Who will use this software? 

A. Our implementation of Stellic is designed to serve all undergraduates. Stellic will be helpful to all faculty and staff members who serve in advising roles across academic departments, deans’ offices, Student Affairs units, and other key offices around Grounds. 

We intend for all undergraduate students to use Stellic to connect with their advisors—both those who are assigned as well as those students are referred to or seek out independently. To ease the course planning process, Stellic will allow students to plan their courses without going to SIS, which we have heard from students is a priority. The platform is designed to be used not only by assigned academic advisors but also more broadly by all faculty and staff who work with students. For example, students should be able to connect with their pre-major academic advisor, favorite Career Center counselor, and the coordinator for their prospective major all in one place. 

Q: How will the University protect students’ privacy while fostering collaboration among faculty and staff across Grounds who are working with students?  

A: Protecting students’ privacy is important to us. Leaders in student support units and central offices, in consultation with legal counsel, are developing guidelines and expectations associated with information sharing to ensure not only that we remain compliant with laws such as FERPA but also that students’ privacy is protected. 

Q: When will the University launch its new undergraduate advising software platform? 

A: Implementing the Stellic platform is a complex undertaking that requires integration with other systems on Grounds. We are eager for our students and the UVA community to begin to use this new tool and have set an ambitious timeline, with a goal of launching the platform by fall 2024.  
 

Total Advising
Undergraduate Education
Academic Affairs