UMass PeopleSoft/Slate Quick Admit

The University of Massachusetts Office of the President

The University of Massachusetts (UMass) system—comprising campuses in Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell, and the Medical School in Worcester—leverages technology to drive academic success and operational efficiency.

UMass uses enterprise systems like PeopleSoft for student, HR, and finance management, Slate for admissions, and Blackboard/Moodle for learning management. These tools support streamlined processes, secure data handling, and enhanced student experiences.

UMass also offers dual enrollment programs across its campuses, allowing high school students to earn college credit. At UMass Dartmouth, the Commonwealth Collegiate Academy (CCA) and Commonwealth Dual Enrollment Partnership (CDEP) provide opportunities for juniors and seniors—especially from schools like Brockton, New Bedford, and Taunton—to complete transferable college courses while still in high school.

CHALLENGE:

Students participating in the dual enrollment program at UMass Dartmouth faced an outdated and inefficient application process. The existing workflow using PeopleSoft’s delivered Quick Admit feature required manual data entry from Slate, making the process time-consuming and prone to errors.

Without integration:

Staff had to manually re-enter student data from Slate into PeopleSoft.
This caused delays in enrolling high school students into college-level courses.
The manual process increased the risk of data entry errors and miscommunications, especially during peak periods.
These inefficiencies hindered operational effectiveness and strained partnerships with local high schools, ultimately impacting the student experience.

SOLUTION:

Solidan quickly assembled a dedicated team to integrate Slate with PeopleSoft for UMass Dartmouth’s Dual Enrollment Program, focusing on students from Dartmouth High School and the CCA population.

The objective was clear: automate the transfer of student application data from Slate to PeopleSoft’s Quick Admit process—eliminating manual steps and improving enrollment speed and accuracy for high school students entering college-level courses.

Here’s how Solidan made it happen:

Application Process Automation

Students initiate the process by completing a Slate form, which collects all required enrollment data.
The form is routed to a parent/guardian for consent and additional information.
It then proceeds to the high school counselor for review and approval.
Once approved, UMass Dartmouth staff perform a final review, with the ability to edit data if needed, and mark the form as ready for import into PeopleSoft.

Seamless Data Transfer and Processing

A scheduled PeopleSoft Application Engine (AE) retrieves approved form data from Slate via an API call triggered by a Slate query.
The data is written to a staging table in PeopleSoft, allowing for controlled processing.
The AE then processes the staging data to create a student record using PeopleSoft’s Quick Admit functionality.

Error Handling and Data Validation

Built-in validation checks during data transfer and processing ensure all required fields are present and accurate.
If errors are found (e.g., missing or invalid data), records are flagged for manual review.
UMass Dartmouth staff can correct these issues before final record creation, ensuring high data integrity and minimizing delays.

“Solidan’s expertise in automating our non-degree quick admit process has been transformative. By integrating Slate and PeopleSoft, they’ve streamlined our admissions workflow, significantly reducing manual data entry and minimizing errors. The process is now efficient and user-friendly, allowing our team to focus on student support rather than administrative tasks. Solidan’s solution has not only saved us time and resources but also enhanced the accuracy and consistency of our student records. We’re thrilled with the results and highly recommend their services.”

Susan McHugh

Director, Student Technology Operations

Result:

With Solidan’s support, UMass Dartmouth achieved a smooth and effective integration between Slate and PeopleSoft, delivering immediate and measurable benefits:

Seamless Data Flow

Automated data transfer from Slate to PeopleSoft eliminated manual entry, significantly accelerating processing times.

Multi-Step Application Review

The process now includes structured checkpoints for students, parents, counselors, and university staff—ensuring complete, accurate, and approved applications.

Error Handling & Data Integrity

Built-in validation and error-handling ensure that only clean, complete data is imported into PeopleSoft, minimizing discrepancies and rework.

Efficient Enrollment

The integration enables faster student onboarding, allowing high school students to begin their college-level courses without administrative delays.

Streamlined Dual Enrollment Management

UMass Dartmouth can now efficiently manage its growing dual enrollment program, supporting student success while maintaining data standards.