Slate follows a "train-the-trainer" implementation model. A core team from each institution—the Slate Captains—attends the Fundamentals of Slate online training and oversees the project. The Slate Captains actively take responsibility for creating sustainable business processes within Slate and provide training to other users on campus. 

We recommend limiting the number of Slate Captains to two or three individuals. 

Selecting Slate Captains

Slate Captains should be experienced student success or advising officers who understand current processes and how they intersect, such as caseload management, reporting, and analytic requirements, communication processes, and record/event management.

Captains should be organized individuals who can clearly articulate current business processes. They should be creative and willing to reimagine new business needs. They should also be able to commit adequate time to focus and go through the necessary build-out and training along the way.

Perhaps most importantly, Slate Captains should be empowered to make decisions throughout the implementation without consistently relying upon outside support.

Possible candidates for the Slate Captain role include Director of Student Services, Associate Director/Dean of Student Affairs, and Coordinator of Academic Advisement/Success.

Slate users assigned the Support Ticket Submit permission are designated as Slate Captains by Technolutions and included in important communications.

Other Stakeholders

Other essential staff are involved at key moments during implementation, including leadership and IT staff, but the Slate Captains will ultimately make decisions and build out the process. 

Much like a student success office itself, Slate is an integrated system. And as such, different team members may be asked to support particular phases during the transition to Slate. Potential roles in Slate and the associated team members are outlined below:

Slate Preferred Partners

Although no third parties are required as part of the solution, institutions that desire deeper project management resources and technical expertise benefit from engaging a Slate Preferred Partner. Slate Preferred Partners offer on-campus and remote dedicated services, including implementation, consulting, and support services for Slate and your organization's Slate projects and priorities.

IT Involvement

Slate is not a conventional IT project. Slate was designed and built for those who will be the primary users of the system, namely student success and advisement staff. 95% of the tasks related to implementation are focused on business processes and can be completed directly by Slate Captains without the need for intervention by IT staff. 

IT staff play an important role in integrating with other external and campus systems.