The following, outlines the procedures for testing updates for Ellucian Colleague. 

IT and/or various functional areas are notified by Ellucian when patches are released. Patches are applied quarterly or as needed. These patches should be applied to the system in sequence to ensure continuity and integrity in the University’s processes and databases. Once these patches are applied to the Test Database, each responsible department must verify that there are no adverse problems.

This verification requires that staff, in the areas influenced by each software patch, test for problems in the Test database and document testing on the appropriate testing spreadsheet. A designee in each unit will approve patches before they are put in the Live Database.

Once all patches in a group are approved, IT will schedule the software installation and notify the Ellucian CORE Team. Patches must be applied in sequence. Not applying patches in a timely manner will delay the process of maintaining an up to date system and could inhibit Spalding’s ability to move forward with system enhancements. Once patches have been applied to the LIVE database, they cannot be backed out. The steps required for testing a patch are:

• Testing processes listed on department testing spreadsheets.
• Testing any other processes or systems affected by the patch group.
• Evaluating the impact on current processes and procedures in both ideal and non-ideal situations.
• Reporting what happened in each situation during the testing, including any test data utilized or output generated.
• Patches, which effect multiple departments, must be approved by all those involved.

Process:

1. Ellucian issues patches and posts information in client portal.

2. IT downloads and installs the patches in to the Colleague Test environment and emails out the descriptions to the Ellucian CORE Team. IT creates a SharePoint site to share the documentation on the patches.

3. The patch checklists are also placed in the SharePoint site.

4. IT Colleague Administrators: a. download patches from the Ellucian site into Colleague including all patches recommended for installation by Elluican b. will research patches and the impact on the system c. install patches in Test Databases d. notify the Ellucian CORE Team of patches and testing

5. IT will email the Ellucian CORE Team:

• Email will reference patch testing
• Patch names and brief descriptions of the patches to be tested
• Attached or link to detail patch documentation from Ellucian for each assigned patch
• Patch details and documentation will be placed in the SharePoint site.
  
  

Change or Customization Management

A change to an Ellucian will only be made when
A. Alternative solutions, including changes in office procedures, have been explored and have been determined to be unsuitable.
B. The change does not affect Ellucian's processing logic or flow of data, and
C. The change is necessary for the continued effective use of the administrative system.
When these conditions are satisfied, a change may be made in accordance with the following procedures.

CHANGE MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES
I. Initiation
A change request may be made to the Executive Director of IT by any user member of the Ellucian CORE Team. The Requestor will describe the change and the reason for it, and will specify the date by which the change is required.

II. Change Request Documentation
If after consulting with the Requestor to explore alternative solutions the Executive Director of IT concludes that the conditions for a change have been satisfied, the Executive Director of IT will document the request in the IT Work Order Database
a) identifying Requestor, the request date, the Ellucian application and/or module affected and the person or persons who must approve the change
b) describing the change and the reason for the change; and
c) summarizing the impact the change will have on the system .

III. Approval
The Ellucian Software Modification form must be approved by the Ellucian CORE Team and the department/unit head affected.
IV. Software Modifications
The Executive Director of IT will assign an approved change request to the appropriate IT staff member.
The IT programmer will develop the software modification specifications. If the change affects Ellucian supplied code the senior analyst will make a backup of the original Ellucian code and move a copy of the code to the custom development area.
The programmer will make the required change in the custom development area, do appropriate unit and system testing and complete the Ellucian Software Modification form.
The Senior Programmer will review the change to ensure that the change was made in accordance with programming standards and that the changed system functions as required, and will review the documentation to ensure that it is complete.
The Senior Programmer will then make the changed system available in the test area for review by the Requestor.
Any problems discovered by the Requestor will be directed to the Senior Programmer who will ensure that appropriate modifications are completed.

V. Change Request Sign-off
Once the Requestor and the Senior Programmer approve the change, the Senior Programmer will provide the Applications Manager with the documentation.
Once the person approving the request has also approved the change, the change will be made available in the live system.

VI. This Policy and the related standards shall be reviewed and maintained regularly, but no less than once per year.