Workflows help your team route and track multi-step Student Success processes in a consistent way.
Before building a workflow, define the process and participants. Then map the workflow structure and choose how to measure the process. Once the process is established, staff can spend less time coordinating routine tasks and more time providing timely support.
Guiding principles
Use these principles to keep workflows useful, accountable, and easy to improve:
Process clarity: Define the starting point, outcome, and decision points before building.
Ownership: Each step should have a responsible role or queue.
Student focus: Workflow actions should help students complete a task or receive support.
Automation: Routine routing and status updates should happen consistently.
Visibility: Staff should be able to see where a case or request stands.
Iteration: Workflows should be reviewed and adjusted as process needs change.
Step 1: Define the process and outcome
Start by choosing a process that benefits from structure or accountability. A strong workflow candidate has a clear trigger and a defined outcome. It usually requires more than one step or reviewer.
Common Student Success workflow candidates include:
Internship approvals.
Conduct or academic discipline review.
Student support referrals.
Exception requests and petitions.
Early alert follow-up that requires coordination across offices.
Define what starts the workflow and what successful completion looks like. Also decide what data staff should capture along the way.
Step 2: Map roles, stages, and decisions
Map the workflow before configuration. The workflow should reflect real handoffs and decision points.
For each stage, identify:
The staff role or queue responsible for the step.
What the assignee must review or complete.
Which decisions can be made at that stage.
What happens after each decision.
For example, an internship approval workflow might begin when a student submits required forms. The request can route first to the academic department and then to career services or an internship coordinator. The final step sends the student an approval or denial message.
Step 3: Collect the required information
Most workflows need a structured intake point so staff can review consistent information. Use forms and record data to capture required details. Add supporting materials when the process depends on uploaded documents.
Common intake details include:
Student information and program context.
Submitted forms or supporting materials.
Advisor or department review notes.
Student-facing status messages.
Action item: Review Forms when a workflow should begin with student, staff, or departmental input.
Step 4: Configure routing and automation
Use workflow structure and automation to move work to the right person at the right time. Automation should support the process without obscuring ownership.
Workflow automation can include:
Routing a request to the appropriate department or queue.
Creating tasks for required reviewers.
Sending confirmation or follow-up messages.
Updating status fields as the workflow progresses.
Escalating overdue items.
Action item: Review Rules and Deliver when workflow steps should trigger routing or messages.
Step 5: Test and launch the workflow
Test the workflow with realistic records and users before launch. A workflow that works for an administrator can still fail for a reviewer, advisor, or student-facing user.
Before launch, confirm that:
Each role can see and complete its assigned steps.
Notifications send at the correct points.
Decisions follow the expected path.
Students receive clear messages about status and next steps.
Reports or dashboards show workflow status and outcomes.
Step 6: Monitor and improve the process
After launch, review whether the workflow improves the process it supports. Workflow reporting should help you identify bottlenecks and missed handoffs.
Useful measures include:
Volume by workflow type or stage.
Time spent in each stage.
Overdue tasks or stalled requests.
Decision and escalation rates.
Student outcomes after workflow completion.
Action item: Use Queries to report on workflow activity and outcomes.
Recommendations
A well-designed workflow makes a routine or complex process more consistent and visible for students and staff.
Start with the process map: Build only after the trigger, main stages, and outcome are clear.
Assign ownership: Each step should have a responsible person or queue.
Keep students informed: Send clear messages when the workflow changes or requires action.
Automate routine work: Use automation for routing and status updates. Keep human review for decisions that require judgment.
Review bottlenecks: Use workflow data to improve staffing and communication.