Banner Consolidation with DoIT

Southern University’s Department of Information Technology (DoIT) is planning on replacing the current Self-Service Banner system for the entire Southern University System sometime around November 26. The new, replacement system, dubbed BannerSUnited, is a combination of the three Self-Service Banner systems across the three campuses Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Shreveport, into one, updated system.
The new, updated system is intended to allow students to have the same online experience, regardless of physical campus location, and to allow greater connectivity between the three campuses. Currently, three separate Banner platforms for each campus are in operation and are being funded. This means that the Systems Department of Information Technology has been paying for what is essentially the same product, three times over. By consolidating all three systems into one, the cost of maintaining and running the system will be drastically reduced.
With the new system, students now have the ability to move between the three campuses almost seamlessly as the new system merges all the student records from the three campuses into one central location. This will eliminate the long process of sending transcripts between the three campuses and will reduce the amount of online-systems that individuals will have to learn. Autasia Jewels, a junior nursing major, is one of the students the banner consolidation is intended to help, “I think this is a perfect idea. Consolidating the systems will make things easier on students and staff. When I first came to Southern, I had trouble with their online system when I first transferred. I thought I was a SUBR student but they couldn’t see me in the system.” 
Another long-term benefit the student body can look forward to is an easier transition between semesters. The way that registration and the financial aid process are being updated. Dr. Fagbeyiro, Associate Vice President for IT for Southern University system, goes more in depth about the beneficial changes being made, “One of the things that students always complain about is how they’re tired of the paperwork…The time it takes to package your financial aid will also be streamlined. Some of the documents that have to go off to the feds, are uploaded and downloaded, but now they’ll be automated. Students will now have the ability to do online deferred payments and will no longer have to be on campus to complete paperwork.” 
Student functionality and maximizing the user-experience is the ultimate goal of the new system. As students are doing more and more tasks from mobile devices, the DoIT is also launching a new app, ‘MySU Mobile’, to go along with the new banner system that will allow users to access online files from not only a computer, but also a phone. Dymond Barrow, a sophomore nursing major, explains her thoughts on the new upcoming system and what she thinks will be the end result, “Anything that helps cut back on cost at this point is good. What they’re doing is a wonderful idea. I’m happy we have a good IT team to make changes like this. In the end I think students and staff will be pleased.”  
The set launch date of BannerSUnited will be sometime after the Bayou Classic in late November. This is to ensure students and faculty can become adjusted to the new system before a new semester begins.