Moodle is mobile

Moodle's May 13 upgrade added a mobile interface that enables students to access Moodle course content and perform tasks on their mobile devices via a more user-friendly format. Now, students can now do the following:

• take a quiz and check scores


• view and reply to discussion forum posts


• view videos

Classes with top enrollments

Have you ever wondered what the most popular classes on campus are? Twin Cities campus courses with the top 10 enrollments for the fall 2011/spring 2012 semesters included the following:

1. University Writing 1301
2. Introduction to Psychology 1001
3. Chemical Principles I 1021
4. Public Speaking 1101
5. Principles of Microeconomics 1101
6. Intermediate Spanish 1003
7. Calculus I 1271
8. Organic Chemistry I 2301
9. Intermediate Spanish 1004
10. Chemical Principles II 1022

Nearly 4,600 students registered for University Writing, which had the highest enrollment among undergraduate courses. Organic Chemistry I, which rounded out tenth place, had 1,677 enrollments.

PLC and CC updates

As part of the ongoing graduate education transition, Plan Level Coordinator (PLC) and College Coordinator (CC) roles must reflect current information, as it ensures the critical success of workflow processes. Forms without correct information will be routed to the wrong person for approval, delaying a timely decision for the student. Please be sure to update any PLC or CC changes by emailing Heather McLaughlin or Brad Bostrom.

Missing high school preparation requirements no longer a graduation requirement

As of spring 2012, any undergraduate student admitted to the Twin Cities campus who was missing stated high school preparation requirements at the time of admission will not be required to complete the missing requirement in order to graduate. Students should contact their academic adviser if they have questions.

Financial aid update

Awarding of summer financial aid for both graduate and undergraduate students began the first week of May. Summer financial aid disbursements for these students will begin June 5. The first summer disbursements for Medical, Dental, Veterinary Medicine, and Pharmacy students have taken place, with Law school student disbursements scheduled for May 22.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) review will take place May 29. Academic records are reviewed to confirm financial aid recipients are meeting SAP requirements related to GPA, credits completion ratio, and maximum time frame.

FERPA Q&A: What student information is OK to give out during an emergency?

Question: What if a parent (or friend or hospital) calls and says that a student is in the hospital, and they need information (e.g., emergency contact info, instructor contact info)? What can be given out?

Answer: You can release non-suppressed, public information about the student but should not release other information. Specific, non-public information about students (e.g., class schedule, instructors) should not be released. You can refer the caller to One Stop Student Services to work with the instructors. The One Stop website has a page dedicated to help students with questions on this topic.

Adviser and committee workflows and degree program form

As a part of the ongoing Graduate School transformation, Academic Support Resources (ASR) will launch the adviser and committee assignment workflows, along with the revised degree program form. A target launch date is planned for late June. The workflow processes and the new Graduate Degree Plan (formerly known as the Degree Program Form) will be released together; once they are live, the Graduate Degree Plan and online workflows will replace the Degree Program Form.

Imaging of degree packets

As part of the continuing graduate education transition, the scanning of Graduate School documents is being incorporated into the Academic Support Resources (ASR) imaging unit. The degree packets of graduating students will be scanned first, followed by all supporting documents.

Degree packet documents include: UMN transcripts, Master and Doctoral thesis titles and signatures, petitions, thesis and dissertation hold requests, grading system sheets, thesis project proposals, final oral exam report and reviewers report, among others.

Grad School transformation feedback form

As the transition of Graduate Student Services and Progress (GSSP) and Graduate School Data Management (GSDM) to Academic Support Resources (ASR) continues, you may submit any questions you have about the graduate education transformation via this feedback form. This is anonymous unless you prefer a personal response, in which case you may share your contact information. Questions and answers to all questions will be posted on The Ledger.

Graduate Student Services and Progress office hours May 16

The Graduate Student Services and Progress (GSSP) office will be closed on Wednesday, May 16 from 8 a.m.-noon for a staff meeting. Regular office hours are as follows:

Monday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Tuesday 8 a.m.-noon
Wednesday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Thursday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Friday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Spring cleaning: be sure to destroy records properly

Spring is here, and for many departments, that means it's time to organize and discard unneeded materials. If your cleaning involves the disposal of student records, be sure it is handled appropriately. Student information can be destroyed by either shredding it or placing it in confidential recycling. Never place materials with student information in public trash or recycling bins.

Confidential recycling can be arranged by contacting Dana Donatucci. Other questions regarding student privacy should be directed to Tina Falkner.

Speedy registration statistics

Registration statistics were exceptionally fast, despite a few bumps with system performance. More than 99 percent of registration transactions were completed in less than three seconds. During high volume days, more than 38,000 transactions were completed. The quick performance is due, in part, to the recent Exadata upgrade.

Extended Technology Help hours

The Office of Information Technology's Technology Help service desk has new and extended hours. The new hours are as follows:

Monday - Thursday: 7:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Friday: 7:30 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sunday: noon - 6 p.m.

Transition of Graduate School staff and functions

Transition of Graduate School staff and functions

Vice Provost Dean Henning Schroeder and ASR Director Sue Van Voorhis recently sent an email [PDF] to the Associate Deans of Graduate Education, Directors of Graduate Studies (DGS), SGS Assistants, and College Coordinators regarding the transition of Graduate School staff and functions to ASR.