What Happens to Student Records When You Leave Banner SIS?
As colleges and universities modernize their tech stacks, some are moving away from Banner SIS in favor of other platforms. But amidst the excitement of transformation, one question is often left unanswered: what happens to your historical student records?
For most institutions, those records live in Banner Document Management (BDM), powered by AppEnhancer (previously known as ApplicationXtender). And here’s the challenge—once your Banner license expires, that data doesn’t just come with you. Without a deliberate strategy, schools risk losing critical information, breaking compliance, or being locked out of legacy systems.
At Revolution Data Systems, we help institutions navigate this transition with confidence. Our end-to-end migration process ensures complete, compliant data transfer. But we go further: by offering re-licensing and upgrades through AppEnhancer (AE), we help schools preserve the look and feel of their current system, while gaining modern capabilities, enhanced security, and a future-ready infrastructure.
In this article, we’ll explore what’s at stake when leaving Banner, the myths around “seamless” migration, and how our team helps protect your student records while unlocking new opportunities.
What’s at Risk When Leaving Banner SIS
Transitioning from Banner SIS introduces new possibilities, but it also opens the door to potential data complications that can undermine compliance, continuity, and trust. Student records aren't stored in simple spreadsheets. They're embedded in complex document relationships, metadata fields, and long-term compliance requirements. Here's what can go wrong without a structured migration:
1. Data Loss
Critical documents like transcripts, disciplinary files, and academic histories can be lost during migration if not properly identified and mapped. Even a single missing record can compromise FERPA compliance or accreditation reporting.
2. Mismatched or Corrupt Data
Every SIS structures data differently. Without proper field mapping and transformation, migrated data can appear in the wrong context or fail to appear at all. You might see:
Incomplete course histories
Misaligned student IDs
Broken links between documents and metadata
3. Format Incompatibility
Many documents in Banner Document Management are stored in formats or schemas that new SIS platforms don’t recognize. Without format normalization, schools risk losing access to entire categories of files.
4. Loss of Access Post-Licensing
Once your Banner license expires, so does your access to BDM and the records stored there, unless you’ve made provisions to migrate or relicense. Institutions often discover this too late, when retrieving a missing file becomes urgent and impossible.
The Myth of "Seamless" Migration
Many institutions enter a Student Information System (SIS) transition assuming their data will migrate smoothly from one platform to another. Vendors often promise “seamless” migrations. But when it comes to complex student records, that promise rarely holds up.
Why It’s Not Plug-and-Play
Banner SIS and its connected tools, like BDM, use unique data structures, customized index fields, and often decades-old configurations. New systems, no matter how advanced, can’t inherently interpret these variations without deliberate translation. What looks like a simple export/import process often leads to:
Misplaced or misnamed fields
Disconnected document relationships
Inconsistent formatting or encoding issues
The Role of Field Mapping and Schema Translation
Every institution has tailored its student database management system over time. Migrating this data requires more than moving files. It requires rebuilding meaning from one system’s logic to another. That means:
Mapping fields between legacy and modern schemas
Validating identifier consistency across systems
Accounting for custom document types and workflows
Why Testing and QC Are Non-Negotiable
Assuming migration worked because “the files are there” is a costly mistake. Without testing in a parallel environment, institutions can go live with incomplete or corrupted data. At Revolution Data Systems, we use structured validation and real-time QC checks to ensure every document and metadata field is present, accurate, and functional before final cutover.
Revolution Data Systems’ End-to-End Migration Process
At Revolution Data Systems, we’ve seen firsthand how risky and complex a Banner SIS transition can be, especially when student records are involved. That’s why our approach is built around structure, accuracy, and institutional peace of mind. Moving your data is only part of the job. We make sure it behaves the way your teams expect once it’s in place.
Step 1: Discovery and Mapping
We begin by identifying every record type, metadata field, and storage structure in your existing BDM system. This includes:
Document types (transcripts, financial records, correspondence, etc.)
Custom fields and historical naming conventions
Cross-references between student IDs, dates, and categories
Step 2: Data Normalization and Quality Control
Before migration begins, we standardize data formats, clean inconsistencies, and flag any anomalies. This ensures that records will align properly with the schema of your new student information management system, not just technically, but logically.
Step 3: Parallel Testing in a Staged Environment
We validate migrations in a live-test environment where your team can interact with the new system before the switch. You’ll be able to search, retrieve, and audit records to confirm integrity and functionality. Nothing goes live until your team signs off.
Step 4: Seamless Cutover and Post-Migration Support
Once validation is complete, we schedule a controlled cutover with minimal disruption to daily operations. Post-migration, we continue to support your team, handling any questions, edge cases, or adjustments that arise during real-world use.
With this level of care, your institution not only preserves its records but also preserves confidence across the registrar, IT, and compliance teams.
Don't Lose Access: Re-Licensing and System Continuity with AE
For institutions planning to leave Banner SIS, access to BDM is often assumed to continue—until it doesn’t. Once your licensing agreement with Banner or its vendors ends, access to the system can be severely limited or terminated altogether. That means any student records not fully migrated could be lost, putting your institution at risk.
At Revolution Data Systems, we offer a strategic alternative: re-licensing and upgrading your existing document management environment through AppEnhancer (AE), the modern evolution of ApplicationXtender.
Preserve What Works—Upgrade What Doesn’t
AE enables institutions to maintain the look and feel of their legacy BDM system, which helps users stay productive without a steep learning curve. At the same time, it introduces significant improvements in security, usability, and compliance support:
A modern web interface with intuitive navigation
Advanced permission controls and audit trails
Improved document search and retrieval capabilities
Browser-based access with no legacy plugins or controls
Extend the Life of Your Records—Without Relying on Banner
By re-licensing through AE, you ensure long-term access to your institution’s historical records without being tied to the original SIS vendor. Whether you’ve already migrated to a new ERP software education platform or are still exploring options, AE gives you control over your document archive, now and into the future.
RDS handles both the licensing and technical transition, ensuring your legacy system evolves into a modern, supported platform that aligns with your broader IT strategy.
Why It Matters: Compliance, Retrieval, and Institutional Memory
Student records carry legal weight and institutional significance, serving as the backbone of compliance, accreditation, and historical accountability. When these records are mishandled during a system transition, the consequences extend far beyond technical inconvenience.
FERPA Compliance Is Non-Negotiable
Federal regulations like FERPA mandate strict control over student records. Incomplete migrations, lost audit trails, or inaccessible archives can lead to non-compliance, putting your institution at legal and reputational risk.
Accreditation and Legal Readiness
Accrediting bodies and legal teams often require access to records from years—or even decades—past. If your archives are broken, improperly indexed, or locked in a decommissioned system, proving institutional integrity becomes nearly impossible.
Institutional Memory Has Value
Beyond compliance, historical student data reflects the life of your institution. Transcripts, course histories, and disciplinary records reflect the real-world decisions and changes that have shaped your institution over time. Losing access to them means losing a piece of your identity.
At Revolution Data Systems, we treat these records with the gravity they deserve. Our process ensures they remain intact, accessible, and audit-ready, long after your transition from Banner SIS is complete.
Next Steps: What to Ask Before Leaving Banner
Leaving Banner SIS is a significant move, but it’s also a moment to ask the right questions. Whether you're planning your transition or are already mid-migration, clarity around data handling, licensing, and access is essential. Here’s a checklist to help guide internal discussions or vendor evaluations:
Migration Readiness
Have we accounted for all historical student records, including archived and custom document types?
Have we identified and mapped all metadata fields accurately?
Access and Continuity
Will we retain ongoing access to legacy student records during and after the transition?
Do we have a strategy for licensing or migrating our document management system?
Testing and Validation
How will we test the integrity of migrated data before going live?
Are we set up for parallel testing in a staging environment?
Long-Term Support
What system will we use for long-term record retention?
Is the new system aligned with FERPA, accessibility standards, and institutional policies?
Revolution Data Systems helps institutions answer these questions with confidence, bridging the gap between old systems and new strategies, without leaving student data behind.
Plan Your Transition with Confidence
Modernizing your student information management system should be a step forward, not a risk to your records, compliance, or institutional memory. However, without a structured migration plan, access strategy, and trusted partner, the transition away from Banner SIS can have more significant consequences than you may realize.
Revolution Data Systems does more than migrate data. We protect it. We preserve it. And we position your institution to thrive with a modern system that respects your legacy while unlocking new capabilities through AppEnhancer (AE).
Whether you’re planning, in transition, or recovering from a partial migration, we’re here to help. Let’s talk about how to move forward without leaving anything behind.