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Major Milestone: All BPA Retirement Use Cases Are Now Being RefinedÌý

The project has reached a significant milestone: all 350+ use cases gathered during the March and April undergraduate-focused discovery sessionsÌýhave been loaded into the project management system (JIRA) and are now visible as active work items for development teams. This comprehensive inventory provides full transparency into the scope of work and enables detailed prioritization, planning, and communication about what will be delivered in the initial rollout versus future phases.Ìý

The team is now defining acceptance criteria for each story, assessing sizing and complexity, and working with campus stakeholders to determine priorities. A prioritization survey featuring 66 user stories has been distributed to the Adoption Leads group (Working Group 4) to gather feedback on which functionalities are most critical for day-to-day operations. This input will directly inform decisions about the minimum viable product (MVP) scope and help the project team communicate clearly about which features will be available at launch and which will be delivered in Phase 2.ÌýÌý

Sprint Progress: Testing Complete, Development ContinuesÌý

Sprint 4 has been successfully demonstrated and tested, with feedback reviewed and incorporated into ongoing development work. The team has confirmed alignment with accessibility requirements and addressed issues identified during testing. Sprint 5 is now underway, continuing to build and refine Education Cloud functionality based on campus input and technical validation.Ìý

Responding to Campus Feedback: Prioritization and ExpectationsÌý

In response to feedback from advisors, Adoption Leads, and other working group members, the project team is taking several steps to manage expectations and ensure transparency:Ìý

• Clear MVP Definition: The team is creating tools—including charts and matrices—to help campus users understand which Buff Portal Advising functionalities will be available at launch, which will change, and which will be deferred to later phases. It is not feasible to deliver all 350 stories by the anticipated go-live date, and the project is committed to communicating this clearly.Ìý

• Governance Workshop Planned: A focused workshop will bring together Working Group 1 and Working Group 4 members to address governance-related questions that impact system design, including policy decisions and access models.Ìý

• Data Retention and Security Discussions: Dedicated sessions are being held this week to finalize decisions on data retention policies and the student group security model, informed by survey data collected from theÌýcommunity of current BPA usersÌýabout current usage patterns.Ìý

These efforts reflect the project's commitment to building a system shaped by real campus needs and grounded in sound policy and governance.

Go/No-Go Criteria and Decision-Making ClarityÌý

The project team has distributed a template for defining go/no-go criteria to assess system readiness before cutover. Working group leads are providing input on essential criteria that must be met to ensure a successful transition.ÌýÌý

Roadshows and Website Launch PreparationsÌý

The Change Management, Communications, and Training group (Working Group 3) continues scheduling campus roadshow sessions and preparing for the launch of an updated project website. Persona-based messaging is being refined based on interviews with Adoption Leads and feedback from the change assessment survey. The team is also developing a comprehensive onboarding plan that includes timelines, training resource needs, and facility requirements to support the successful transition of over 500 staff members to the new system.Ìý

Decommissioning Planning UnderwayÌý

The project team is advancing planning for the retirement of Buff Portal Advising, including the development of a comprehensive decommissioning plan. This plan will address data migration, system cutover, retention requirements, and the resolution of open questions about MVP scope and platform governance. A draft plan is expected by the end of this week for team review.Ìý

Share Your FeedbackÌý

If you have not yet completed the BuffET Feedback Interest Form, we encourage you to do so. We are seeking input from students, staff, and faculty to help shape the system and ensure it meets the needs of those who will use it. Students who participate in feedback activities may be eligible to receive an Amazon gift card. Ìý