These notes preserve source details and limits. Original internal files open in the private project repository and need access.

Where the design work starts

Sources: Word guide and PDF guide, prepared October 25, 2026. Both versions were read in full. The same substantive content appears in both, with different layout and automatic list numbering. Word has four tables and no media, comments or tracked changes.

What the guide establishes

E-004, status of source material: the pack calls Jira and Confluence first-pass PruTech work, not SUNY-approved material. Most Confluence pages were written October 3–5. It directs readers to the FRD when sources differ and asks them to raise the difference. Confidence is strong for the guide's stated status, not for approval of the FRD itself. [PDF page 1; Word paragraphs 3–4.]

E-005, opportunity for this engagement: staff catalog work is in Sprint 1; public search, details, maps, saved courses, sharing and employer views are described as not yet assigned to a sprint. That makes the public journey a plausible place to help before implementation. This is the October 25 snapshot, not a live build check. [PDF page 1; paragraphs 13–16.]

Full section notes

Guide section	What it says	Locator
1. Purpose and platform	One service for workforce, continuing education, youth and microcredentials across 64 campuses. Public/learner/employer portal on Experience Cloud, staff on standard Salesforce screens, Education Cloud as the main catalog/learner/registration record, MuleSoft connecting campus systems. Ten modules, six pods; soft launch target July 12, 2027.	PDF 1; paragraphs 5–11
2. Build status	Catalog is first. Sprint 1 dates October 19–November 9, 2026. Guide reports 43 catalog stories, none yet for other modules. Eighteen sprint stories: 17 staff/access stories and SUNY-174 search-platform analysis. Public stories US-CAT-001–014 and 029–038 are not yet in a sprint. Staff design opportunities include field order, labels, layouts and status flows.	PDF 1; paragraphs 12–16
3. Roles	Six FRD roles: public PUB (14 catalog stories), learner LRN (6), employer EPR (3), instructor INS (3), campus CAD (13), central administrator NAD (4). The 21 detailed personas map to them. Story counts describe this backlog, not audience size or need priority.	PDF 2; paragraphs 17–18, table 1
4. Access and language	Working assumption is WCAG 2.2 AA. Guide notes different versions in source material and cites dated legal context. Twelve mandated languages, SUNY-provided translations and Salesforce translation tooling are described. Allow longer text and right-to-left layout. Responsive/mobile access is expected.	PDF 2; table 2 rows 2–4
4. Campus/platform	One portal, campus in the URL and campus branding. Proposal claims about 95% without custom code. Guide recommends standard platform patterns first and agreement with build team for custom components. This is an implementation direction, not proof all interaction needs are met.	PDF 3; table 2 rows 5–6
4. Identity/guests	Public identity provider is being built by SUNY; existing SUNY users use single sign-on and MFA. Identity is unsettled. Current direction is guest browsing only and an account for enrollment because of stated license limits. Guide acknowledges the RFP and persona draft allow guest enrollment.	PDF 3; table 2 rows 7–8
5. Open decisions	Search result count/ties/missing price or date (OPN-CAT-020); taxonomy/matching and map rules (023); Coming Soon/open/waitlist/closed/archive visibility and program roll-up (004/015/016); consortium ownership (014); campus preference (022); verified/stale transfer claims (021); employer reserved seats/worksites (028–030); campus action permissions (010). Cart platform, identity and chatbot release are also open.	PDF 3–4; paragraphs 22–32
6. Pack contents	Workbook: 79 RFP asks/responses, 43 stories, 37 open questions and build-screen list. Personas: 21 draft profiles. Glossary: 57 terms said to quote Exhibit F. Module map links names and roles. RFP/proposal excerpts and architecture views provide context. Proposal screenshots are illustrative standard screens, not SUNY-agreed designs.	PDF 4; table 3
7. Suggested work	Read catalog FRD and stories together; check relevant draft personas; inspect proposal examples; sketch discovery with open questions marked; review staff field/status choices with the technical lead.	PDF 4–5; paragraphs 35–40
8. Contacts	Requirements: Alan Meng (lead BA/FRD owner), with Sara Lim, Syed Khan and Deepak Raj Gokul Das. Architecture: Deepak Saini. Technical lead: Heena Karir. Schedule: Virginia O'Brien. Names identify likely question routes; no one has been contacted.	PDF 5; table 4

Questions and limits

The pack's browse-only guest direction differs from RFP 3.7. Confirm the accepted decision before designing an account requirement as settled.
“About 95%” is a proposal claim, not measured current coverage. Platform options for search and cart are still open in the same guide.
The guide names a research-derived glossary but does not itself provide user research. The persona note below records how those profiles were made.
Excerpt labels mix printed and PDF page references. Use verified page mapping, not the label alone.

Coverage: all Word body paragraphs and four tables; all five PDF pages. Shared findings are recorded once here. No claim of live sprint verification, accepted contract scope, or learner validation is made.