James Gorman is a demonstrated leader with more than 20 years of experience in information technology and transformational change at large institutions and has been hired to oversee the WVU Modernization Program.
His last role was as managing director with Florida-based Higher Education Administration Advisors LLC, and he has advised higher education executives on major organizational initiatives related to finance, human resources, technology implementations, facilities management and research administration.
The Modernization Program is a multi-year initiative to position the University for future success through a combination of modern technology systems, and more efficient business processes and practices. Current systems and processes have evolved over several decades with the implementation of stand-alone technology solutions, and without consideration for long-term design or integration strategies. The program aims to create a unified, integrated ecosystem that will let WVU adapt as technology changes and better support innovation.
He will oversee all four workstreams of the Modernization Program: Workday Business Modernization, Data Strategy, Student Experience Enhancement and Research Connect.
• A new data and analytics website will be launching this fall. The website will include dashboards to support decision making, data management and governance material, and fast facts about the University. Projects are underway to identify and clean WVU data. These projects are laying the groundwork for a single source of truth for the University.
• Huron Research Suite, also known as the new WVU Research Administration Portal, will launch in January 2025 with modules for grants, agreements, conflicts of interest and WVCTSI Clinical Trial Center of Excellence. Informational sessions for the research community are already underway and will continue through the launch.
• Workday Business Modernization is a modern, multi-faceted software platform that will streamline the way WVU does business by replacing legacy finance and human resources systems with one system. This fall, the project team will gather information from across the institution, meeting with key stakeholders and people who execute current business processes to identify areas for improvement. A formal kickoff to begin planning and design work will be held in early 2025.
• Student Experience Enhancement projects will focus on effective recruitment, application management, decision-making and communications throughout the admissions funnel. The first phase of a Salesforce implementation is anticipated to launch in fall 2025. Eventually, Workday will also become the University’s official student information system.
Monitor MOUNTAINEER E-News and email for updates on the Modernization Program.
Direct questions to ModernizationProgram@mail.wvu.edu.