The Challenge
In late 2024, St. Elizabeth University made the decision to migrate from its long-standing SIS, PowerCampus, to Thesis Elements. While excited for a modern cloud-based ecosystem, SEU faced several significant challenges:
An Aggressive Migration Timeline.
SEU signed with Thesis Elements in December 2024, initiated implementation by February 2025, and targeted a go-live for start of the Fall semester.
Small Team. Big Goals.
SEU kept a lean IT organization, responsible for supporting campus operations while simultaneously delivering a full SIS transition. The team also underwent staffing changes during implementation, including periods without a registrar or financial aid director – adding operational complexity during a critical project window.
Commitment to Configuration Over Customization.
SEU made a strategic decision to adopt Thesis Elements as a configurable cloud platform, not recreate years of legacy customizations. This mindset shift required not only technical adjustments, but cultural ones. Institutions coming from long-time legacy products with customizations must let go of control and meet the product where the product is.
The Solution
SEU was ready for a big change.
“We wanted to go all-in on the cloud and adopt something modern,” said Jeff Gutkin, Chief Information and Innovation Officer at St. Elizabeth University. “Even with a small team, we knew we needed to focus on one system, not maintaining two. Going live fast meant we could turn our full attention toward building the future.”
From the start, SEU embraced a campus-wide approach. IT, academics, student services, enrollment, and financial aid reconstructed their workflows with a shared focus on flexibility and scalability. This wasn’t the old customization mindset, this was SEU reorganizing itself for the future, one process at a time. And while the institution initially hoped to leave PowerFAIDS mid-cycle, the reality of staffing gaps made that move too risky. Together with Thesis and 3D Technologies, SEU pivoted, choosing to remain on PowerFAIDS for the year to maintain stability. Rather than derail momentum, that decision kept the project on schedule.
The pace never slowed. Thesis and strategic partner 3D Technologies became extensions of SEU’s team, providing hands-on support and daily collaboration. Real-time triage in Teams, deep technical guidance, and a shared commitment to transparency kept implementation moving forward even during the most complex phases.
“Having that level of partnership made all the difference. For a small school, that kind of hand-holding is crucial. The Elements team was in the trenches with us, learning our needs and helping us move forward fast,” Gutkin said.
The Results
By early September, the work paid off. On September 8, 2025, SEU successfully went live, just seven months after implementation began. The milestone was significant, but it was only the beginning of the story. St. Elizabeth University emerged stronger, more modern, and well-positioned for long-term success.
Like any major system transition, the first semester was gritty and demanding. Workflows shifted. Integrations settled. Tickets poured in. It was intense, but the momentum never disappeared.
By early spring, everything began to change. The Moodle integration stabilized. Slate began to take shape. Campus transactions became smoother and more reliable. Departments that had once been anxious about change were now finding their rhythm. The system was no longer an idea. The team could see the system they envisioned taking shape.
“There were moments of mayhem while working at breakneck speed. But today we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We have a great system; the foundation is strong, and it’s all coming together,” said Gutkin.
Through the process, SEU gained more than a new SIS. They strengthened their project management processes, sharpened communication practices, and built internal confidence around APIs, automation, and business intelligence. Now, the university is positioned for long-term growth on a cloud platform that evolves with them.
For St. Elizabeth University, the move to Thesis Elements wasn’t just a SIS migration. It was a strategic leap into the future … fast, focused, and guided by a partnership rooted in trust, transparency, and shared momentum.
