Tarrant County College (TCC) is preparing a major technology upgrade that promises to give students, faculty and staff a single online portal for routine tasks. Trustees are scheduled to vote on Nov. 19 on five contracts totaling roughly $57 million to replace the aging Colleague system with Ellucian’s cloud‑based Banner platform.
One portal for registration, aid, payroll and purchasing
Under the proposed MyTCC Experience, a student will be able to view required courses, register, submit financial‑aid forms and schedule advising appointments from one site. A virtual adviser powered by artificial intelligence will field basic questions and direct users to the appropriate staff member.
Employees will similarly benefit from a unified system that lets them check pay, approve purchases and verify supplier tax identification numbers. The new software will also integrate with Canvas, the learning‑management platform used by instructors.
Scope and timeline
The overhaul will affect TCC’s three physical campuses in Fort Worth, Arlington and Hurst, as well as its online campus. The college plans to roll out the system in stages, beginning with accounting and budgeting, then employee records and payroll, and finally student services such as class registration. The first registration phase on Banner is targeted for fall 2030, with full implementation expected by the end of 2032.
Financial outlook
The five contracts include an initial $33.2 million for subscriptions and three setup agreements, with possible renewals adding another $23.7 million. All contracts will draw from the $88 million fund set aside by trustees in 2022. CFO Pamela Anglin noted that $72 million remains in the fund and suggested annual contributions over the next three to four years to cover ongoing costs.
TCC estimates the entire project will cost $104.7 million through fiscal year 2036 – $75.3 million for implementation and $29.4 million for ongoing subscriptions after rollout.
Why the change now?
Chief Transformation Officer Victoria Yen explained that the college’s “decades‑old technology” forces employees to duplicate effort and reconcile records across more than 50 separate tools. “Students should not need to understand TCC’s organizational chart in order to get help,” Yen said. “Employees should not have to reconcile multiple sources to answer a basic question.”
Reginald Gates, vice chancellor for communications, added that the new tracking system will let TCC follow up with prospective students who begin but do not complete the registration process.
Oversight and next steps
Executive Program Director Marcus Kerr said the college will hold back part of the payments to vendor Strata until agreed‑upon milestones are met, and will pay Groves’ fixed fee in five installments as work is signed off. Kerr also indicated that trustees will receive regular updates and that a public dashboard is being considered to show project progress.
Trustee Shannon Wood expressed concern about the timing of registration changes, noting feedback from parents who have struggled to help their children enroll. The college plans to test each phase thoroughly before go‑live dates, ensuring records transfer correctly and staff receive proper training.
Overall, the MyTCC Experience aims to deliver a seamless, single‑source experience for all campus users while keeping the college operational throughout the transition.
Original reporting: Fort Worth Report — read the source article.
