Navigating Workday at the University of Miami: A Comprehensive Guide

The University of Miami is currently transitioning to Workday Student, an extension of the existing Workday platform already housing HR, payroll, and financial functions. This article provides a comprehensive overview of Workday at the University of Miami, focusing on security roles, the upcoming Workday Student implementation, and key information for students, faculty, and staff.

Understanding Workday Security Roles

Security roles within Workday are critical for managing access to data and business processes. These roles determine who can initiate and approve actions related to Human Capital Management (HCM) and Finance, as well as who can view specific data within the system.

Key Aspects of Security Roles:

Definition: Workday designations that determine access to the initiation and approval of business processes as well as to data in Workday.
Access Levels: Roles define the ability to initiate and approve certain HCM and Finance business processes for workers in specific Cost Centers or Cost Center Hierarchies.
Assignment: Roles may be assigned at either the Cost Center or the Cost Center Hierarchy level, depending on the responsibilities within the organization.

Specific Security Roles and Their Functions:

Several specific security roles exist within Workday, each with distinct capabilities:

Cost Center Manager (CCM): Able to view compensation and other information for workers in their Cost Center(s).
Finance Reviewer (FR): Able to see the same information as a CCM but lacks the ability to initiate or approve actions. Individuals with the FR role who do not also possess the FBPI role are generally assigned at the Cost Center Hierarchy, reflecting a higher level of responsibility. May be assigned to FBPI's to provide access to compensation information for workers in their Cost Center(s).
Financial Business Process Initiator (FBPI): Able to initiate certain limited business processes, including costing allocations, changes to org assignments, and payroll accounting adjustments. Cannot see compensation data without also having the FR role. This role has no approval authority and cannot view multiple jobs in other Cost Centers. Generally, it is assigned only to specific Cost Centers, with the exception of the Specialty Hospitals where the role is assigned at the Cost Center Hierarchy.
Sr. Role: Has elevated view access to information for workers in assigned Cost Center Hierarchy. Role is assigned to those who have either the FR or CCM role and requires approval by their Dean, Chair (MSOM), or Vice President, and approval by the Vice President for Human Resources.

Finding Your Assigned Roles:

You can view the roles assigned to you by navigating to your worker profile in Workday and using the related actions to find "Security Profile." This action displays your roles and the organizations to which they are assigned.

Importance of Knowing Your Roles:

Understanding your Workday roles is crucial for several reasons:

Training: Knowing your roles allows you or your manager to find appropriate training in ULearn by searching for role-based training.
Access: Your roles determine the tasks you can perform and the data you can access within Workday.
Support: Understanding roles helps you identify who supports specific organizations. Employee’s default organization assignments are by position and are found on the Organizations tab within Workday. If the employee is not in an organization you have responsibility for, you can find out who does support them by clicking on Support Roles (also visible for any employee). Scroll down to find the role you’re looking for (e.g. FBPI). If you see your name, you’ll know that individual has assignments in organizations you support.

Distinction from HCM Roles:

It's important to differentiate these security roles from HCM roles, such as HR BPI, Timekeeper, Manager, and HR Partner, which are assigned to supervisory organizations.

Workday Student: Enhancing the Student Experience

Workday Student is a significant addition to the University of Miami's Workday platform, designed to streamline administrative tasks, enhance the teaching experience, improve collaboration across departments, and enhance service to students.

Key Features and Benefits:

Unified System: Workday Student is not a separate system but an integrated part of Miami’s existing Workday platform.
Streamlined Tasks: Workday’s capabilities will allow for streamlined administrative tasks and enhanced teaching experience.
Improved Collaboration: Workday’s integrated platform will improve collaboration across departments and enhance service to students.
Data Security: Workday Student prioritizes data security and confidentiality to protect the privacy of student information.

Implementation Timeline:

The rollout of Workday Student is being implemented in phases:

Current Status: Miami is currently live on Workday Platform, which houses the university’s HR, payroll, and financial functions.
Extended Timeline: In September of 2025, university leadership determined that it would be in Miami’s best interest to extend the project timeline by one year.
Phased Rollout: Workday Student functionality will be rolled out in phases over the course of the 2026-27 academic year instead of the originally planned 2025-26 academic year. This decision came following extensive discussions surrounding the need for additional capabilities beyond what Workday currently provides, specifically in relation to the critical function of awarding financial aid.
Full Implementation: Workday Student is slated for final completion in the fall of 2027.
First Student Cohort: All students starting at Miami for the 2027 Fall Semester will begin using Workday in the summer of 2027 when they complete their class registration.

Training and Preparation:

Miami is committed to ensuring that all students, faculty, and staff have access to training and are thoroughly prepared before Workday Student launches. With Miami’s transition to Workday, where and how you complete tasks may look a little different.

Staying Informed:

Workday Change Champions: The university has established a network of Workday Change Champions, individuals who will work together to help champion communication, engagement efforts, training, and overall strategy.
Terminology Review: Review the common terms you will hear surrounding the Workday transition.
Targeted Demos: Preview Workday Student’s capabilities by attending targeted demos. Additional demos will be scheduled, including on the Instructor Dashboard, Registration and APRs, and Grading. A Student Sneak Peek will also take place.

Tips and Engagement

The University of Miami encourages active participation in the Workday transition. If you have a tip to share, please do so! Published tips may even earn you a "Transform Your Workday" swag item as a thank you.

Read also: Comprehensive Workday Guide

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