Timeline

Overall Program Timeline

Patriot Connect is planned for a sequential rollout with two releases. Release 1: Student Success launched on April 30, 2025. Release 2: Recruitment and Admissions will launch in early 2026. This phased approach ensures a systematic implementation, providing opportunities for ongoing feedback and adjustments to optimize the user experience.

The timeline graphic illustrates key phases for Patriot Connect Release 2. The program Kickoff was held in January 2025, followed by Discovery and Design from late January through May 2025. The Design and Build phase runs from late May to December 2025, with Test scheduled from November 2025 to February 2026. Release 2: Recruitment and Admissions is targeted to Deploy in March 2026, followed by three Waves of User Activation in March, July, and October 2026.

---

Program Phases for Release 2: Recruitment and Admissions

Discovery & Design: January 2025 – May 2025

• Conduct Discovery sessions to gather business requirements from staff and faculty, listening to their current workflows, addressing operational challenges, and identifying improvements to ensure successful integration with concurrent systems, with active involvement from unit liaisons guiding the design for a distinctive and inclusive student experience.
• Concurrently with Discovery sessions, areas of change for staff and faculty will be identified. These efforts are key to ensure a smooth adoption, with strategic emphasis on training and communication plans for George Mason.

Build, and Test: May 2025 – December 2025

• Build: Utilize the functional requirements gathered during the Discovery and Design phase to develop the technical capabilities within the platform.
• Test: Technical team conducts system testing to ensure accuracy of data migration and that platform functionality is working as designed.
  • Conduct a training needs analysis from design and build sessions to develop targeted training materials.

Training Preparation: November 2025 – February 2026

• This phase empowers selected George Mason superusers to become trainers for impacted stakeholders. These superusers will receive specialized training to effectively guide and support their peers in transitioning to Patriot Connect, ensuring a smooth and well-supported adoption process across the university.

User Acceptance Testing (UAT): November 2025 – February 2026

• This phase verifies that Patriot Connect accurately reflects the correct processes and user experience. It provides an opportunity to assess system navigation, high-level functionality, and anticipated benefits. Feedback gathered during UAT will be instrumental in refining the training approach for Release 2.

Training Delivery: TBD

• End-users receive training for Release 2: Recruitment and Admissions.

Phased Launch: March 2026 – October 2026

• Recruitment and Admissions is scheduled for 2026 and will follow a phased user activation approach with three waves: Wave 1 in March 2026, Wave 2 in July 2026, and Wave 3 in October 2026.

Release 1: Student Success – launched April 30, 2025

Discovery: March 2024 – July 2024 

• Conducted Blueprint Validation sessions to gather business requirements from staff and faculty, listening to their current workflows, addressing operational challenges, and identifying improvements to ensure successful integration with concurrent systems, with active involvement from unit liaisons guiding the design for a distinctive and inclusive student experience.
• Concurrently with Blueprint Validation sessions, we identified areas of change for staff and faculty. These efforts are key to ensure a smooth adoption, with strategic emphasis on training and communication plans for George Mason.

Design, Build, and Test: June 2024 – December 2024

• Design: Utilized the requirements gathered during the discovery phase to design the platform and user interface.
  • Drafted the Change Management Plan, including the communication and marketing plan and training strategy for Patriot Connect adoption.
• Build: Developed the technical capabilities within the platform to support the functional requirements captured in the design phase.
• Test: Technical team conducts system testing to ensure accuracy of data migration and that platform functionality is working as designed.
  • Conduct a training needs analysis from design and build sessions to develop targeted training materials.

Training Preparation: February 2025

• This phase empowers selected George Mason superusers to become trainers for impacted stakeholders. These superusers will receive specialized training to effectively guide and support their peers in transitioning to Patriot Connect, ensuring a smooth and well-supported adoption process across the university.

User Acceptance Testing (UAT): March 2025 – April 2025

• This phase verifies that Patriot Connect accurately reflects the correct processes and user experience. It provides an opportunity to assess system navigation, high-level functionality, and anticipated benefits. Feedback gathered during UAT will be instrumental in refining the training approach for Release 1.

Training Delivery: April 2025 – May 2025

• End-users receive training for Release 1: Student Success.

Launch: April 30, 2025

• Release 1: Student Success and a mass communications tool becomes available.