A colossal software overhaul of the University of Rhode Island’s (URI) administrative and payroll systems on track to launch next fall may need to change course after state officials asked university officials to possibly take over a big responsibility it previously told them not to pursue.
URI began its transition to a more modern infrastructure for its finance, human resources, payroll, budgeting, and faculty administration systems in January. Based around the Workday platform — the same software used by the state of Rhode Island to administer its payroll — the project is about halfway complete and is expected to launch in October 2027.
Abby Benson, URI’s vice president for administration and finance, told trustees during a Sept. 14 Finance and Facilities Committee meeting that the school has always managed its own administrative systems while still relying on the state for payroll…