diff --git a/app/models/sis_batch.rb b/app/models/sis_batch.rb
index b36b14630a8..3353ab14c3c 100644
--- a/app/models/sis_batch.rb
+++ b/app/models/sis_batch.rb
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ class SisBatch < ActiveRecord::Base
     if self.workflow_state == 'created'
       self.workflow_state = :importing
       self.progress = 0
+      self.started_at = Time.now.utc
       self.save
 
       import_scheme = SisBatch.valid_import_types[self.data[:import_type]]
@@ -201,7 +202,7 @@ class SisBatch < ActiveRecord::Base
       self.workflow_state = :failed
       self.workflow_state = :failed_with_messages if messages?
     end
-    self.ended_at = Time.now
+    self.ended_at = Time.now.utc
     self.save
   end
 
@@ -250,6 +251,7 @@ class SisBatch < ActiveRecord::Base
     self.options ||= {} # set this to empty hash if it does not exist so options[:stuff] doesn't blow up
     data = {
       "created_at" => self.created_at,
+      "started_at" => self.started_at,
       "ended_at" => self.ended_at,
       "updated_at" => self.updated_at,
       "progress" => self.progress,
diff --git a/db/migrate/20150119204052_add_started_at_to_sis_batches.rb b/db/migrate/20150119204052_add_started_at_to_sis_batches.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b5992c5713a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20150119204052_add_started_at_to_sis_batches.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+class AddStartedAtToSisBatches < ActiveRecord::Migration
+  tag :predeploy
+
+  def change
+    add_column :sis_batches, :started_at, :datetime
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/apis/v1/sis_imports_api_spec.rb b/spec/apis/v1/sis_imports_api_spec.rb
index 22dbe02898f..a2ae5e69963 100644
--- a/spec/apis/v1/sis_imports_api_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/apis/v1/sis_imports_api_spec.rb
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ describe SisImportsApiController, type: :request do
     json.delete("updated_at")
     expect(json.has_key?("ended_at")).to be_truthy
     json.delete("ended_at")
+    expect(json.has_key?("started_at")).to eq true
+    json.delete("started_at")
     if opts[:batch_mode_term_id]
       expect(json["batch_mode_term_id"]).not_to be_nil
     end
@@ -87,6 +89,8 @@ describe SisImportsApiController, type: :request do
     json.delete("updated_at")
     expect(json.has_key?("ended_at")).to be_truthy
     json.delete("ended_at")
+    expect(json.has_key?("started_at")).to eq true
+    json.delete("started_at")
     batch = SisBatch.last
     expect(json).to eq({
           "data" => { "import_type"=>"instructure_csv"},
@@ -115,6 +119,8 @@ describe SisImportsApiController, type: :request do
     json.delete("updated_at")
     expect(json.has_key?("ended_at")).to be_truthy
     json.delete("ended_at")
+    expect(json.has_key?("started_at")).to eq true
+    json.delete("started_at")
     expect(json).to eq({
           "data" => { "import_type" => "instructure_csv",
                       "supplied_batches" => ["user"],
@@ -499,6 +505,7 @@ describe SisImportsApiController, type: :request do
     json["sis_imports"].first.delete("created_at")
     json["sis_imports"].first.delete("updated_at")
     json["sis_imports"].first.delete("ended_at")
+    json["sis_imports"].first.delete("started_at")
 
     expect(json).to eq({"sis_imports"=>[{
                       "data" => { "import_type" => "instructure_csv",