March 24, 2025 | 10 minute read

Top Four Degree Works Challenges

By Nicole Parker, Consultant, David Kent Consulting

Implementing Degree Works can be transformative for an institution’s advising and degree audit processes – but it’s not without hurdles. From technical complexities to human factors, colleges and universities often encounter similar pain points when rolling out Degree Works for the first time or upgrading to a new version. The good news is that these challenges can be overcome with careful planning, the right expertise, and knowledge of best practices. In this post, we’ll discuss the top issues institutions face during Degree Works implementation and integration, share real-world examples of how to solve them, and outline best practices for a seamless launch.

Challenge 1: Accurate Scribing of Degree Requirements

The Problem: Degree Works relies on “scribing” – encoding all your degree requirements, curriculum rules, and exceptions into the system’s syntax. This is arguably the most challenging and critical part of the implementation. Many institutions struggle with scribing at first because academic catalogs can be convoluted. Complex rules (like “X out of Y courses from this list” or exceptions for certain student cohorts) may be hard to translate. Mistakes or omissions in scribe rules lead to audits that are incorrect or confusing, undermining confidence in the system.

Why It Matters: If the audits generated by Degree Works aren’t accurate, neither students nor advisors will trust the tool. Errors can mislead students about what classes they need, potentially delaying graduation – exactly the opposite of the intended benefit. Incorrect audits also generate a flood of email inquiries or support tickets and explanations or manual fixes are needed, increasing workload instead of reducing it. In short, bad data in means bad data out.

Solution Approaches:

• Effective Scribe Development: Understanding how requirements are scribed directly impacts how they appear on the dashboard, ensuring clarity for both students and advisors. A well-structured scribe not only correctly enforces degree requirements but also presents them in a way that is easy to interpret, fostering trust in the system. There are multiple approaches to scribing requirements, and selecting the right method can enhance readability, reduce confusion, and improve overall system accuracy. By prioritizing clear, consistent, and logical scribing, institutions can create a seamless experience that supports academic advising and student success.
• Leverage Templates, Community Support, and Expert Guidance: Ellucian provides valuable templates and documentation for common scribe scenarios—use them! Many degree requirements follow established patterns that have well-documented scribe solutions, helping to maintain consistency and efficiency. The Degree Works user community is also an incredible resource, with institutions often sharing sample scribe blocks to solve complex requirements. Rather than reinventing the wheel, take advantage of these shared best practices to streamline your work.

For additional expert guidance and tailored solutions, David Kent Consulting is here to help. We work with institutions to refine scribe development, troubleshoot complex requirements, and ensure that degree audits are clear, accurate, and fully optimized. Whether you need training, best practice recommendations, or hands-on scribe support, we can provide the expertise needed to maximize the effectiveness of your Degree Works system.

• Iterative Testing: Don’t wait until all scribing is complete to start testing—ongoing validation is key to accuracy and trust in Degree Works. As you complete scribing for each program or batch of programs, run audits for recent graduates and current seniors to confirm that the requirements align with what students actually need to graduate.

Early testing helps catch errors before they become systemic issues. Engage advisors and department heads by having them review audits for various hypothetical student profiles—such as transfer students, double majors, or students with unique academic paths. These reviews ensure that audits reflect real-world student scenarios and are easy to interpret.

Additionally, test audits for students who haven’t met any requirements—do the unmet requirements display clearly and intuitively? Can a novice user easily understand what’s missing? Ensuring clarity in these cases strengthens the audit’s usability and reduces confusion.

• Accurate Scribing as Ongoing Priority: Scribing accuracy should be viewed as an ongoing priority, even after the initial implementation. As the curriculum evolves each year, it’s crucial to update scribe blocks promptly. Establish regular checks each term to identify potential opportunities for improvement—are there ways to update scribe rules to minimize exceptions? Are there new checkpoints that could enhance the process?

Maintaining precise scribe rules is key to ensuring long-term trust in Degree Works and its effectiveness in supporting graduation rates. Many institutions find value in periodic audits, where a sample of degree audits is formally reviewed for accuracy, helping to ensure everything remains on track.

Challenge 2: Integrating Degree Works with Existing Systems

The Problem: Degree Works doesn’t operate in a vacuum – it must integrate smoothly with your Student Information System (SIS) and possibly your portal, single sign-on (SSO), and other tools. Common integration challenges include: data mismatches between Banner (or other SIS) and Degree Works, trouble scheduling regular data refreshes, authentication issues linking Degree Works to campus login, and making Degree Works accessible via the student portal or LMS. Without proper integration, users might face inconsistent data or cumbersome login processes.

Why It Matters: If Degree Works isn’t pulling the latest student data (courses, grades, program changes) from the SIS, audits can be outdated or wrong. Integration issues might mean a student added a minor, but Degree Works doesn’t show it because of a sync failure. Additionally, if logging into Degree Works or finding it is difficult (say, separate credentials or an obscure URL), adoption will suffer. Students and advisors expect these systems to be unified and easy to access.

Solution Approaches:

• Ensure Data Consistency and Timely Refreshes: Set up Degree Works to receive student data feeds from the SIS on a frequent schedule (nightly is common). Many schools use real-time or near-real-time integration for critical data like course registration. Work with your IT team to implement and test these data transfers. After go-live, monitor for any batch job failures so you can fix integration issues before they affect users. Some institutions initially run Degree Works in parallel with existing audits to confirm data consistency for a term.
• Single Sign-On (SSO) Configuration: Implement SSO for Degree Works, so that users can log in with the same campus credentials they use for other services. Ellucian supports SSO (often via SAML). Having Degree Works behind the same portal login greatly improves user experience – students and staff won’t need a separate username/password. Be sure to test SSO thoroughly with different user roles (student, advisor, faculty) to ensure appropriate access is granted.
• Portal Integration: Make Degree Works easily accessible by linking it in the student and faculty portals. For example, many institutions have a “Degree Audit” or “Degree Plan” button on the student’s portal dashboard that deep-links into Degree Works without a second login (thanks to SSO). Embedding Degree Works within existing navigation increases usage. Some universities also integrate Degree Works with their mobile app, so students can check audits on the go.
• Data Alignment and Cleanup: Before loading data into Degree Works, use the implementation as a chance to clean up student records in the SIS. Resolve any discrepancies (like students declared in programs that no longer exist, or missing necessary concentrations or minors to complete the student record). This way, when Degree Works goes live, it’s working off a clean, current dataset. Also, configure how Degree Works handles in-progress courses, repeated courses, and transfer credits to mirror your institutional policies exactly.
• Technical Expertise or Consulting: If your in-house technical team is small or not experienced with Ellucian integrations, consider bringing in David Kent Consulting to assist with the integration setup. Getting the plumbing right is crucial. For instance, Samford University partnered with consultants during their Degree Works upgrade who helped ensure their data integration and localization was optimal for their needs (Samford University Degree Works | David Kent Consulting Blog). That expert guidance can accelerate overcoming tricky integration hurdles.

Challenge 3: Gaining User Adoption and Trust

The Problem: Sometimes the technical setup goes fine, but people resist using the new system. Advisors might be accustomed to legacy tools or manual checksheets and are hesitant to switch. Faculty can be skeptical of an algorithm advising students on degree requirements. Students may not initially know about or trust the degree audit, especially if early on they hear it had errors. Low adoption undermines the ROI of implementing Degree Works – the tool can’t improve outcomes if it’s not actively used by its stakeholders.

Why It Matters: Degree Works is most powerful when it becomes the central advising tool and a routine part of students’ academic planning. If advisors or students work around it, the institution loses out on the consistency and efficiency it offers. Moreover, partial use can cause confusion (e.g., an advisor uses Degree Works but a student ignores it, or vice versa). Building user trust is essential so that everyone relies on Degree Works as the authoritative guide to degree completion.

Solution Approaches:

• Stakeholder Involvement and Training: Engage advisors, registrar staff, and faculty early in the project. Make them part of the implementation committee or as beta testers. Their buy-in will grow if they feel heard in the process (for example, incorporating an advisor’s suggestion on how to format certain info on the audit). Comprehensive training is a must – offer multiple sessions, hands-on demos, and even sandbox playtime for advisors to practice with the system before going live. Emphasize how Degree Works will make their job easier (less manual record-keeping, less room for error, ability to quickly answer student questions about “What if I change my major?”). For faculty, perhaps highlight how it ensures students take the right courses in sequence, which ultimately benefits academic departments too.
• Student Orientation and Promotion: Don’t launch Degree Works quietly. Market it to students as a beneficial new service: send campus-wide emails, post on social media, present it during first-year orientation and advising seminars. Show screenshots of the cool features like the color-coded audits or “progress bars” towards degree. Some institutions hold a “Degree Works Day” with drop-in labs where students can get one-on-one help reviewing their audit for the first time. The goal is to create buzz and positive awareness so students log in early and often.
• Addressing Initial Mistakes Openly: If there were any audit inaccuracies at launch (which is common), address them head-on. Communicate to advisors and students that, for example, “We discovered a setup issue that affected how minors are tracked, but it’s now resolved. Please run a fresh audit.” Being transparent that there might be some kinks initially – and that you’re fixing them – can actually build trust. It shows that the school is actively ensuring the tool’s reliability.
• Phased Rollout or Dual-Running Systems: Some schools do a soft rollout – running Degree Works in parallel with existing manual audits for one graduating class. Advisors compare the results, and once everything aligns, the old method is retired. During this phase, advisors can gain confidence in Degree Works without risking students’ graduation. After confirming accuracy, make Degree Works the official system of record. Announce deadlines like “Starting Fall term, all graduation checkouts will be done via Degree Works audit.”
• Showcasing Success Stories: Share anecdotes where Degree Works helped. For instance, if an advisor found that a senior was missing a requirement and was able to help the student fix it in their final semester thanks to Degree Works, tell that story (anonymously if needed) at an advisors’ meeting or in a newsletter. Or if a student tried the “What-If” and discovered a double major was feasible within 4 years, share that. When users hear how the tool is making a difference – catching mistakes or enabling opportunities – they’re more likely to trust and use it. According to David Kent Consulting’s experience, institutions that invest in training and expert support during implementation see greater success and adoption (The Importance of Degree Works in Enhancing Graduation Rates).

Challenge 4: Ongoing Maintenance and Upgrades

The Problem: Implementation is not a one-and-done effort. Degree Works, like any software, requires regular maintenance and periodic upgrades to new versions. A common challenge is that after the initial project, focus wanes and the system isn’t kept up-to-date. Perhaps degree requirements change but scribe updates lag behind, or the institution falls multiple versions behind on Degree Works updates because of fear of disrupting the system. Over time, this can lead to a deterioration in the system’s usefulness or even technical issues (compatibility with browsers, etc.).

Why It Matters: Outdated degree requirements in the system can misguide students. Not applying vendor updates means missing out on new features or bug fixes (for instance, newer Degree Works versions have improved student planner interfaces, which could greatly enhance user experience). In the worst case, an unmaintained system could break – for example, a new Java update might not play nice with an old Degree Works version. To fully realize the long-term value of Degree Works, an institution must tend to it continually.

Solution Approaches:

• Assign Clear Ownership: Identify a Degree Works administrator or team responsible for the system post-implementation. This person/team should be tasked with monitoring for updates, coordinating scribe changes each catalog cycle, and responding to user feedback. When someone “owns” it, it won’t fall off the radar. This might be a role in the Registrar’s office or IT, but with close collaboration between them.
• Regular Audit of the Audits: At least once a semester, do a quality control check. For example, randomly select a few students from different programs and verify their audits align with their curriculum checksheet. Or have advisors submit any audit issues they’ve encountered to a shared tracker, then resolve them systematically. This ensures that over time, as exceptions accumulate or curriculum evolves, the degree audits remain accurate.
• Plan for Upgrades: Rather than waiting until your Degree Works version is end-of-life, plan to test and apply major upgrades periodically (perhaps every 1-2 years as relevant). Ellucian often provides documentation on what’s new. Setting up a test environment for Degree Works upgrades is crucial – you can clone your data, apply the new version, and let some staff test it out. By scheduling this proactively (like during a summer or winter break), you avoid the crunch of being forced to upgrade at an inconvenient time. Continuous Training: Staff changes over time; new advisors or admins may not get the benefit of the original training. Offer refresher trainings or include Degree Works orientation for new hires in advising or registrar roles. Keep training materials updated, especially if you’ve upgraded to a new interface. The more knowledgeable your team is, the more effectively they can use and maintain the system.
• Utilize Vendor Support and Consulting as Needed: If an upgrade feels daunting, engage experienced consultants, such as David Kent Consulting experts, who specialize in Degree Works. They can assist with technical upgrades or even temporarily augment staff to update scribe rules for a big curriculum overhaul. For instance, when some schools migrated their whole general education curriculum to a new model, they brought in consultants to help quickly re-scribe the new requirements in Degree Works, ensuring a smooth transition for audits.

Best Practices for Seamless Degree Works Integration and Success

Combining the insights from these common challenges, here are some best practices to ensure your Degree Works implementation not only avoids pitfalls but delivers maximal value:

• Involve End-Users Early and Often: Advisors, faculty, and students (if possible) should be part of the design and testing phases. Their perspective will catch usability issues and build buy-in.
• Document Everything: Maintain up-to-date documentation on scribe rules, business decisions (like how transfer credits are handled), and customizations. This is invaluable when staff changes or during upgrades.
• Leverage Internal and External Expertise: Identify champions internally – tech-savvy advisors or detail-oriented staff – and empower them as Degree Works super-users or trainers. And don’t hesitate to leverage external experts especially for technical integration and troubleshooting.
• Internal Marketing: Treat the rollout as a change management project. Market the benefits, celebrate milestones (e.g., “10,000 audits run in the first month!”), and recognize users who embrace the system.
• Patience and Continuous Improvement: Finally, understand that no implementation is perfect on day one. Commit to a cycle of continuous improvement. Gather feedback after the first term and address issues. As David Kent Consulting often advises clients, pairing the tool with expert guidance and support leads to even greater success (The Importance of Degree Works in Enhancing Graduation Rates) – meaning, keep investing in the tool and the people using it.

By anticipating these common challenges and tackling them proactively, institutions can avoid the pitfalls that others have faced. The result is a Degree Works implementation that truly supports student success: accurate audits, integrated systems, enthusiastic users, and a robust platform that evolves with the institution’s needs. With proper care, Degree Works will become an indispensable asset in your student advising and degree completion efforts.

Internal Link: Read our “Partners in Success – Samford University” case study to see how one institution navigated a Degree Works upgrade with expert support, emphasizing training and system optimization to overcome challenges and achieve a smooth transition.