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Thursday, December 18, 2014

Can I send to non-University assigned email accounts?

Scenario: You have noticed that a student isn’t responding to her University assigned email account but you need to share information with her. You think the student reads her personal email account and she has given you that address before. You are desperate. Can you send the information to her non-University assigned account?

The answer is both yes and no. If you are sending general, non student-specific information, then you can use a non-University assigned account. If, however, you are sending student-specific information you must use the University assigned account. To encourage the student to check the University account, you can email the personal account stating you have sent important information to the University account.

Change to 13-Credit Exemption Request deadline

Due to a planned system outage for the Peoplesoft Upgrade, the 13-Credit Exemption Request deadline for the Twin Cities campus has been moved to Thursday, February 12 (formerly Monday, February 16). It is at the discretion of the department or college whether to grant exceptions after the February 12 deadline.

This change is only effective for spring 2015 semester due to the upgrade. Please update any materials and websites you may have regarding this date change.

If you have any questions, please contact Julie Selander at goode021@umn.edu or 612-625-6579.

Change in process ownership for graduate non-degree registration

As of December 5, the responsibility for processing the Registration Request for Graduate Credit form (OTR026) for the Twin Cities campus shifted from One Stop Student Services to the Office of the Registrar. The change in process ownership was discussed at the December 1st RAC meeting.

A student wishing to receive graduate credit for a course must continue to receive written approval from authorized signers in each department or program offering courses in which they plan to enroll. If the form is missing signatures or incorrectly filled out, it will be given back to the student to complete.

Once the form has been completed, it must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar for approval. Forms can be sent by email to otr@umn.edu or by mail to:

Office of the Registrar
Room 130 Coffey Hall
1420 Eckles Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55108

Once the Office of the Registrar has approved the form and registered the student, confirmation will be sent to the email address listed on the registration form.

Questions regarding the processing of these forms can be directed to the Office of the Registrar at otr@umn.edu. Students may continue to contact One Stop at onestop@umn.edu.

If you have questions regarding this notice, please feel free to contact Amber Cellotti in the Office of the Registrar.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Registration for Upgrade Collaborative Class Scheduling training is open

Registration is now open for the PeopleSoft 9.0 Upgrade Collaborative Class Scheduling (CCS) training that is required of all ECS schedulers as part of their Upgrade training. This class provides current ECS schedulers an overview of the changes to class scheduling resulting from the Upgrade. Staff who use ECS may use the above link to register for an in-person, hands-on session where they will learn about:

  • CCS pages in PeopleSoft and page navigation
  • Changes to wait lists
  • Access to grading
  • Introduction to Faculty Center  
  • Astra Schedule (for those who schedule classes into departmental classrooms)

Keep in mind:

  • PeopleSoft 9.0 Upgrade Collaborative Class Scheduling (CCS) training will be offered in both Duluth and the Twin Cities. Staff should make sure they are selecting the appropriate location when registering.
  • It is recommended (though not required) that ECS users complete the Student Systems Upgrade Overview prior to their PeopleSoft 9.0 Upgrade Collaborative Class Scheduling (CCS) training session.
  • Neither of these trainings will be used to grant new access. Those who do not already have access to Campus Solutions or are not current ECS users will need to complete additional training.


Upgrade Overview training is now available online

The PeopleSoft Upgrade will bring changes not only to PeopleSoft, but to the processes it supports. The Student Systems Upgrade Overview training, which will prepare users for these changes is now available in ULearn. This training is required for all staff with access to student data in PeopleSoft.

The Student Systems Upgrade Overview is an online course. Staff may complete it at their own pace and on their own schedule between now and when the Upgrade goes live. Most people should be able to complete this course in 30 minutes or less.

Upon completion of this course, staff will understand:

  • Upgrade-related changes to functionality in the new MyU portal
  • Self Service centers
  • Reporting Center
  • Business process changes specific to Student Records staff
  • How and where to find self-study materials on specific processes not covered in the overview

Keep in mind:

  • The Student Systems Upgrade Overview will not be used to grant new access. Those who need to be granted access to Campus Solutions should complete the Access Request Form and both Student Data Inquiry and the Student Systems Upgrade Overview prior to the Upgrade go-live.
  • Staff may complete the course more than one time. Staff are welcome to complete it now and then repeat it closer to go-live.


Friday, December 12, 2014

MyU Preview: Academics Tab

MyU Preview is a series giving a peek into pages within the new MyU. Keep in mind MyU content is still in development and some things will be updated between now and Go Live.

If you’re a student, after the Upgrade goes live, you’ll do many of the tasks you currently complete at the One Stop website in the new MyU. These tasks include things like registration, applying for financial aid and paying bills. The Academics tab shown here is your entry point to information about your degree, registration, classes, and grades. Click on the images to enlarge.



1. Weekly view of your class schedule with the option of changing to a list view. 2. Sub-tabs to navigate to details about your classes, registration, progress towards your degree, and grades. 3. Adviser information and more enrollment tools. 4. Classes without a set schedule (such as online classes).
1. Select the term above to see your personal registration time. 2. If you need help, this will connect you to the right resource. One Stop will still be here for you.
1. Degree milestones (most frequently used in graduate programs) 2. The link to apply to graduate will appear when you are eligible to apply. 3. Degree planning resources.
1. All your grades are easily accessible. 2. Print a verification of your enrollment, view your unofficial transcript, or order an official transcript.  3. Notifications (actions you need to take) and Holds appear on the bottom of each page. You can also click on the “Notifications” count at the top right of the page.

Previously:
Questions? Contact esup@umn.edu.

Faculty Features in the New MyU

Watch a walkthrough of some of the features and changes for faculty in the new MyU, including easier access to teaching and advising information, consolidated grade entry, the Reporting Center, and MyU tabs for research and faculty career information.

Link to walkthrough

[If you receive an error using Firefox, click OK and then hit the play button at the bottom of the page. Content should play normally.]

Take a closer look at some of the MyU screens here:



Questions? Email us at esup@umn.edu

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

A farewell to the final grading application

As the semester comes to a close and the PeopleSoft Upgrade prepares for a scheduled launch in April 2015*, many current systems will be used for the last time. For example, this fall will be the last time that faculty, instructors, and their proxies use the current final grading system. When The Upgrade goes live, grade entry (mid-term grades, final grades, and grade changes) will change. Here are some highlights:



More information and resources will be provided to faculty and instructors closer to the final grading periods for spring semester.


*This article was updated on 02/04/2015 to reflect the most recent timing information.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Probation/Suspension schedule

The Twin Cities probation/suspension schedule for fall 2014 and spring 2015 is now available.

Fall 2014 is as follows:

Date
Day
Event
12/18/2014
Thursday
Last day of finals (end of term)
12/23/2014
Tuesday
Final grades due by 11:59 p.m.
12/24/2014-1/7/2015
Wednesday-Wednesday
PeopleSoft query for probation/suspension run
12/24/2014-1/7/2015
Wednesday-Wednesday
Probation/suspension report available to view in UM Reports
1/7/2015
Wednesday
Fall 2014 SAP run
1/7/2015
Wednesday
P3 suspension holds due by 4 p.m. (need to be placed for Financial Aid SAP processing no later than this date)

The full schedule can be found on the One Stop website.

New policy language: Credit and Grade Point Requirements for an Undergraduate (Baccalaureate) Degree

The new policy language reflects that D grades cannot count in fulfilling certificate requirements (this is for Twin Cities and Rochester only). The policy states:

“[Twin Cities and Rochester only] D grades are not permitted in major, minor, or certificate courses. Required courses for the major, minor, or undergraduate certificate in which a student receives a D grade (with or without plus or minus) do not count toward satisfying the major, minor, or certificate requirements (including transfer courses). All other courses, including courses in the major or minor field that are not required to complete the major or minor, will count toward a degree if the student earns a D or better.”

The full policy is available here: http://www.policy.umn.edu/Policies/Education/Education/BACREDITREQ.html

FERPA: Are students allowed to access other students' educational record information?

Two of the principle tenets of FERPA are: school officials and legitimate need to know.

At the U of MN, school official is defined in the Board of Regents policy on Education Records. Specifically, school official shall mean a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the University has contracted to perform an institutional service or function in accordance with law; a person serving on the Board of Regents; or a student serving on a University committee or otherwise assisting another school official in performing institutional tasks.

Legitimate educational interest is defined as: an interest in reviewing student education records for the purpose of performing an appropriate University research, educational or administrative function. 

So, based on these two criteria If students are serving in a capacity as a school official and their position requires access to student educational records, it's perfectly acceptable for them to access it. 

Just like with non-student staff, these individuals must compete FERPA training and it's very important for them to understand that they should not discuss the materials with which they are working.

If you have any questions about this or other FERPA related matters, please contact Tina Falkner at rovic001@umn.edu or Dan Delaney at delan021@umn.edu.

Grade entry best practices

As a reminder, fall 2014 grades (full semester) are due on Tuesday, December 23. A complete list of grading due dates is available online. The Office of the Registrar would like to highlight some common questions and issues related to grade entry that might affect your instructors and faculty. 

Verify access to grade rosters
Instructors should verify that they have access to all of their assigned grade rosters before the last day of instruction by using the "My Classes" report in UM Reports. Grades can be entered online through the University Self-Service grades pages. Class rosters and grade entry for courses owned by the School of Public Health are available only through the School of Public Health grading system.

Mobile devices 
At this time, smart phones and iPads cannot be used to enter final grades. (The PeopleSoft self-service pages for grade entry are not compatible with mobile devices.)

Browser compatibility 
The browser type and version used by the grade enterer can also affect grade entry. Mac users typically have the best success with the Safari browser (Safari on an iPad will not work for grade entry). PC users typically have the best grade entry success with the Firefox browser.

Clearing your cache 
All grade enterers and approvers should clear their browser cache prior to the grades entry period to ensure they have the most recent version of the grades pages. Some assistance is available on the grade entry section of the Faculty One Stop web page.

Releasing "Student-Release Questions" from the Student Rating of Teaching
Consider consenting to allow the release of students' responses to the "student-release questions" from the Student Rating of Teaching form. Students use this information to make more informed choices about courses in the future. To release your information, go to this website.

Where to go for help
If you know of someone encountering issues with grades entry please refer them to the Student Records Training and Support Team for further assistance at (612) 625-2803 or via email at srhelp@umn.edu.

Please share this message with your department staff, faculty, and instructors. Thank you for your attention.

**Due to the PeopleSoft Upgrade, the process will be changing for spring semester grade entry. We will keep you informed via this publication or The Upgrade website as more information becomes available.**

Now available for viewing: Upgrade Student System Preview session

In October the ASR Training team presented a series of preview sessions about The Upgrade impact on staff with access to student data in PeopleSoft. Attendees learned about required training and how to access training resources. There were also demonstrations of the new MyU, the new Faculty Center, the new Advisor Center, and key processes (e.g., permission numbers, service indicators, related content). If you missed these sessions, you can watch and access the session handout on the training website.

PeopleSoft 9.0 Upgrade training - Coming soon!

The ASR Training team is developing two training courses to prepare staff for The Upgrade.

  • The Student Systems Upgrade Overview course will be provided online and is required of all staff who have access to student information in PeopleSoft. This online, on-demand training becomes available on December 15. 
  • As part of The Upgrade, Electronic Course Scheduling (ECS) will change to Collaborative Class Scheduling (CCS). Staff with access to ECS will attend an in-person Collaborative Class Scheduling class, which will cover the changes coming with CCS. Registration for this class will be available on December 15, with classes starting on January 6.

In the coming weeks, staff who have current access to student data/records and ECS will be sent invitations to complete training. For more information about training, please visit the PeopleSoft 9.0 Upgrade Training website.

See how the PeopleSoft Upgrade will affect students

In November and December, One Stop will be presenting several Student Experience Previews to staff. The sessions will include demonstrations of class registration, bill payment, and viewing financial aid. Also covered will be how MyU and the One Stop website will work together after the upgraded systems launch in February. For more information including dates and time, check out this Upgrade blog post.

New online workflow for requesting a minor

A new online workflow is now available for graduate and professional students who wish to request a minor. This new workflow is intended to complement the business process for Academic Advisement (AA) and will help standardize processes for graduate (GRD) and departmental master’s (DMS) students.

Departmental master’s students will have access to this workflow starting November 17. Graduate programs will go through a roll-out process that will coincide with the upgrade and the implementation of Academic Advisement in February.

A student will be unable to request a minor if:

  • The program prohibits GRD minor declaration
  • The student does not have an active graduate program

Once a student has completed the minor request form, it will be routed for data entry. After processing is complete, a notification will be sent via email to program level coordinators (PLCs) and the adviser(s). DMS students will need to check with their program for specific minor coursework approval procedures after they have completed the form.

The workflow will be accessible from the following two pages on the Graduate School's website:


We appreciate your updating of internal documentation to reflect the availability of this new tool and communicating to departmental master's students in your program/college interested in pursuing a graduate (GRD) minor.

If you have any questions, please contact gssp@umn.edu.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

MyU Preview: Faculty Career Tab

MyU Preview is a series giving a peek into pages within the new MyU. Keep in mind MyU is still in development and some things will be updated between now and Go Live.

After the new MyU launches with the Upgrade in spring 2015, faculty will have access to the new Faculty Career tab. The tab aggregates resources for tenured and tenure-track faculty. These resources are critical components for faculty development and success: key information about support and collaboration, as well as the policies pertaining to faculty appointments. Click the image to view more detail.


Faculty Career Tab: 1. Promotion and tenure related policies and forms 2. General resources for faculty 3. "Works" is a new system designed to make it easier for faculty to maintain an accurate record of activities and accomplishments 4. Links to service, collaboration and development opportunities

Previously:

Questions? Contact esup@umn.edu.

Friday, November 7, 2014

MyU Preview: Research Tab

MyU Preview is a series giving a peek into pages within the new MyU. Keep in mind MyU is still in development and some things will be updated between now and Go Live.

After the new MyU launches in spring 2015, faculty, PI’s and Co-I’s will have access to the new Research tab. If you’re a faculty member, PI or Co-PI, the Research tab will show you:

  • Details about your sponsored and non-sponsored research activities
  • Deep links to the UMReports that display the details of your sponsored and/or non-sponsored activities.
  • Supportive links to Research tools: Reporting Center, EGMS, REPA, eResearch Central, eProtocol, Effort Certification and Research Topics.
If you do not have sponsored or non-sponsored grant funding, you still get all the research support information and links to other systems. Click the image to view more detail.

Research tab: 1. Number of your sponsored and non-sponsored activities. 2. Link to the UM Reports with the details of your sponsored and/or non-sponsored activities. 3. Links to resources for research. 4. Links to external systems related to research.

Previously:
Questions? Contact esup@umn.edu.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Watch the Student Systems Preview

In October, Student Systems Preview Sessions were held on all campuses to share training information, give demonstrations of the new MyU, the new Faculty Center, the new Advisor Center, and explain key processes (e.g., permission numbers, batch processing of service indicators and student groups, academic standing).

If you missed these sessions and are interested in the content, view an edited recording of one of the presentations (the accompanying handout is also available). The recording is less than 40 minutes and will help those with access to the Student Systems (i.e., Campus Solutions) prepare for the changes coming with the Upgrade.

See how the PeopleSoft Upgrade will affect students

Interested in learning how the Upgrade will affect students? Attend one of the several Student Experience Previews held on each campus. The sessions will include demonstrations of class registration, bill payment, and viewing financial aid. Also covered will be how MyU and the One Stop website will work together after the planned upgraded systems launch in April 2015*.

These sessions were created for those who support students (e.g., advisers, student services staff). Previews for a student audience will be available in January and February. No need to register, just come when you can!



Crookston
  • Wednesday, December 3, 2-3 Bede B-E
Duluth
  • Wednesday, December 3, 10-11
    Griggs Center
  • Thursday, December 4, 1-2
    Griggs Center
Morris
  • Monday, December 1, 1-2 109 Imholte Hall
  • Monday, December 1, 3:30-4:30 109 Imholte Hall
  • Tuesday, December 2, 9-10 109 Imholte Hall
  • Wednesday, December 3, 1-2 109 Imholte Hall
Rochester
  • Tuesday, December 2, 10-11 (location, TBD)
  • Wednesday, December 3, 1-2 (location, TBD)
Twin Cities
  • Wednesday, November 12, 10:30-11:30 2-260 Keller Hall (East Bank)
  • Friday, November 14, 2-3 2-122 Molecular & Cellular Biology (East Bank)
  • Tuesday, November 18, 9-10 10 McNeal Hall (St. Paul)
  • Thursday, November 20, 10:30-11:30 140 Nolte Center (East Bank)
  • Friday, November 21, 10:30-11:30 31 Rapson Hall (East Bank)
  • Monday, November 24, 3-4 143 Ruttan Hall (St. Paul)
  • Wednesday, November 26, 9-10 50B Humphrey (West Bank)
  • Monday, December 1, 3-4 512A STSS (East Bank) NEW DATES ADDED!
  • Tuesday, December 9, 2-3
    212 Mechanical Engineering (East Bank)
  • Thursday, December 11, 10-11 512A STSS (East Bank)
  • Wednesday, December 17, noon-1 108 Folwell Hall (East Bank)
  • Tuesday, January 6, 10-11 140 Nolte (East Bank)
  • Thursday, January 8, 2-3 143 Ruttan (St. Paul)
  • Monday, January 12, 2-3 1-123 CSOM (West Bank)
  • Wednesday, January 14, 10-11 512A STSS (East Bank)
*This article was updated on 02/04/2015 to reflect the most recent timing information.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Classes on election day, Nov. 4, 2014

All day and evening classes will be held on this date as scheduled. University policy does not consider voting as a legitimate absence. Students should make arrangements to vote before or after class or via an absentee ballot.

Information about voting can be found at here.

After the Upgrade: When do I register for classes?

When The Upgrade goes live in spring semester, one of the first process changes students will notice is how they find out their registration time (a.k.a. registration queue time). Currently, students go to the One Stop website and use an interactive tool that provides personal enrollment timing information based on their student record. After Go Live, it will simply be part of the Academics tab in MyU!

View of Registration Time tab within the Academics tab of the new MyU
How students will view their registration time in the new MyU (click to enlarge). 

Student Degree Progress update

ASR continues to reach out to colleges in its final push to find students eligible to graduate in our efforts to help the institution reach its 4-, 5-, and 6-year graduation rate goals. The snap of the graduation rates will happen Thursday, October 30.

Registration queue time emails

Spring 2015 registration queue time emails will be sent to students the week of October 27. The spring 2015 registration time table can be found on the One Stop website.

As a reminder, spring 2015 registration begins Tuesday, November 11 for students admitted to degree and certificate programs. Open registration begins Friday, December 5.

Note: Due to the PeopleSoft upgrade, starting with fall 2015 registration, students will receive this information differently. More information can be found on The Upgrade blog.

What rights do students have under FERPA?

Currently enrolled or formerly enrolled students have the following rights under FERPA:


  • the right to inspect and review information about them maintained by the institution (there are two exceptions to this: parents financial records and letters of recommendation the student has waived the rights to see);

  • the right to request an amendment to the record that the student believes is inaccurate or misleading (this does not provide them the right to request an amendment to a grade or an institutional judgement that they disagree with);

  • the right to file a complaint with the Family Policy Compliance office within the Department of Education if they believe that the institution has provided information to third parties without consent or denied them access to their own information.



Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Office of Classroom Management receives recognition from Disability Resources

The Disability Resource Center will be honoring OCM with a 2014 Access Achievement Award. The award celebrates OCM staff who go above and beyond to make the University accessible to students, faculty and staff.

Upgrade Training Preview Sessions wrap up

The Training Team's Upgrade Training Preview Sessions, held at all five campuses, will wrap up at the end of October. The sessions were well attended and we appreciate the great turnout, questions, and feedback. In November we will post an online Upgrade Training Preview Session recap for those who were unable to attend in person. We are compiling the questions that came out of the sessions and will post frequently asked questions, with answers, as well. Details on where to find the recap and the FAQs will be communicated once posted.

ImageNow upgrade

On November 7-9, Collaboration & Web Content Services will upgrade ImageNow to version 6.7. While changes to the user experience will be minimal, it is necessary to upgrade in order to maintain technical support from the vendor. In addition, based on vendor recommendations, the ImageNow infrastructure will be enhanced to conform more closely with industry standards.

The upgrade activities will require down time for the tool. To minimize disruption to University business, the majority of the work will occur over the weekend of Nov 7-9:

Status updates will be provided during the upgrade via IT Service Status. Additional details about the upgrade will be sent to ImageNow users in the near future.

If you have questions about the upgrade or ImageNow, send a message to imagenow-support@umn.edu.

Employee Engagement survey

The University of Minnesota is conducting its second annual E2 Employee Engagement Survey. You should have received an email Thursday, October 9 from Mary Stein in Bob McMaster's office with the subject line "IMPORTANT: Employee Engagement Survey." That email contains important information about how to define certain terms used in the survey.

Benefits-eligible faculty and staff will receive an email on October 13 from the Hay Group, an external vendor that is administering the survey. Take 10 minutes to share your thoughts about your work and your workplace. All answers are confidential. Your answers will help the University fulfill its teaching and research mission.

If you have any issues with the survey link you receive, contact the Hay Group directly to request a new link at UofMNsurvey.US@haygroup.com. Each survey link is customized and can only be used one time.

More information on engagement is available from the Office of Human Resources.

Updated Education Abroad policy

The updated Student Travel and Education Abroad: Health & Safety University policy is now live on the UWide Policy Library.

The policy governs all University-purpose travel outside the U.S. by all students. It includes student requirements as well as the requirements of units supporting, promoting or organizing student international travel. Specifically, the updated policy:


  • Clarifies requirements and definitions:


--Unit requirements including program planning requirements

--Student requirements reflecting new online process for registering independent student travel

--Definition of university-purpose travel and student populations

--Includes an FAQ that reflects questions actually asked




  • Includes a new requirement that all undergraduate education abroad opportunities organized or promoted by units must work through an education abroad office



  • Revises the composition of the University International Travel Risk Advisory and Assessment Committee (ITRAAC) regarding travel approval to U.S. Department of State travel warning countries or locations that pose a specific health, safety, or security concern:


--Adds the Associate Dean of Graduate Education as a new member of ITRAAC (tenured faculty member & administrator in the graduate school)

--Adds the role of the Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost as a tiebreaker when necessary

--Adds the involvement of the collegiate Dean(s) in any situation where ITRAAC is considering a rejection (or request to delay travel) of an application submitted by a graduate student.


Please contact Stacey Tsantir, Director, International Health, Safety and Compliance or the education abroad office on your campus with any questions.

You are invited to the 8th annual Student Veterans Appreciation Day

Come one, come all to the 8th annual Student Veterans Appreciation Event on Thursday, November 6, 2014 from 1-3 p.m. in the Great Hall at Coffman Memorial Union. Say "thank you" to student veterans, grab a slice of pizza, and participate in some carnival games.

The event is free and open to the public; no RSVP is required. Can't make it? Stop by our booth to write a thank-you message to our veterans. Dates and locations are available on the One Stop website.

Community Fund Drive - donate now!

Last year the U's annual charitable giving campaign raised $1.3 million and we had the highest participation level in a decade. This year we need your help to give even more--$1.45 million to help our community before October 31.

A Reason to Give
The 2014 Community Fund Drive begins on October 1 and runs through October 31. The theme is A Reason to Give, which reflects the University's long tradition of giving back to the community. The Community Fund Drive has six federation partners that work with nearly 500 agencies/charities. You can also make a pledge to your own favorite charity as long as it's a 501(c)3 organization. Select the federation or charity you want to support and give online at www.umn.edu/cfd today.

Giving Made Easy
The Community Fund Drive is unique because you can give a small gift from each paycheck or a one-time gift. Donate online through the University, or use the forms that were recently sent to you in intercampus mail. Printable forms are also available here.

Prize drawings
When you donate, you're entered to win a prize in a weekly drawing. (There is also an option on the pledge form to enter the drawing if you are not making a pledge this year. Look for the box next to "I can't give financially but want to be entered into the prize drawing.")

More details available online at www.umn.edu/cfd.

Limited One Stop Service on Oct. 29

The West Bank and St. Paul One Stop Student Services locations will be closed from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Wednesday, October 29 for a staff event. The Science Teaching and Student Services location will be open with full service.

Update on milestone conversion project

New and amended milestone numbers that will be implemented in fall 2014. They are:

Amended

  • 0804 - completion of the Graduate Degree Plan (GDP)

  • This is the current milestone number for the GDP. We are revising this milestone so that it is capturing only completion of the GDP rather than the current process which has this milestone capturing both the GDP and committee completion.

  • 0800 - time to degree for graduate students

  • This milestone was previously used to capture time extensions for GRD students and is now being used to capture time to degree (time limits) for both "old" (i.e., 5-year and 7-year) and "new" (i.e., 5-year and 8-year) sets of graduate education policy


New

  • 0827 - doctoral prelim oral committee

  • 0828 - master's and doctoral final committee

  • 0829 - mater's plan c and doctoral w/no committee associated



All milestones will appear in the MyU Portal as well as student self-service in PeopleSoft after go-live in Spring 2015.

Some benefits of having the 0800 milestone populated are:

  • Transparency for students regarding their time to degree

  • Easier tracking for graduate programs to determine how much time a student has left to complete

  • Opportunities for reporting



Currently, all milestones are added to the GRD record. Those DMS programs that are interested in exploring the addition of the 0800 milestone may contact Amber directly at knap0071@umn.edu.


Monday, October 13, 2014

Clarification - Employee Engagement Survey Definitions

Sent to all ASR staff on Monday, October 13

Dear ASR Staff,

I wanted to send a reminder to all of you before you take the University-wide Employee Engagement (E2) Survey.

Several questions on the survey use terms like "department" or "college/workgroup." In an effort to ensure that all employees are defining those terms the same way, the following definitions have been provided by the Office of Undergraduate Education:

College/unit = Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Education

Department = Academic Support Resources (ASR)

Immediate Work Group = Your department within ASR (either ASR-IT, Continuity and Compliance, the Office of Classroom Management, the Office of the Registrar, the Office of Student Finance, or One Stop)

Thank you for keeping that in mind as you complete the survey. If you have any questions, please contact Olga Kavun-Wozniak at 5-2468 or speak with your supervisor.

Sue

Sue Van Voorhis
ASR Director and University Registrar
Academic Support Resources
University of Minnesota

Thursday, September 25, 2014

FERPA: Amending a student's academic record

Q: What parts of a student's record can be amended according to FERPA? If a student wants to challenge a grade received, can they amend the grade under FERPA?

A: The right to request an amendment to the student's education record pertains to information that the student believes is inaccurate or misleading. The student should write the university office involved, clearly identify the part of the record he or she wants changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the university decides not to amend the record as requested, the university must notify the student of the decision and advise the student of a right to a hearing regarding the amendment.

The right to amend a record does not pertain to challenging a substantive decision such as what grade was awarded. It pertains to a recording error. So, a student cannot challenge a grade via the amendment process allowed in FERPA, however, students can seek assistance for a grade disagreement with the Student Conflict Resolution Center (on the Twin Cities campus) or a comparable office on the other campuses.

Student Degree Progress

As the cost of higher education rises, it is important that the University is clear and transparent to students and families about the cost of a U of M education. Further, the University wants its students to graduate and move on to make a difference in their community and state. Graduation rates show our commitment to access and our efforts to improve the student experience.

To assist the University reach it's 4-, 5-, and 6-year graduation goals, ASR has two staff dedicated to "looking for graduates." What this means is that these two individuals scour student's APAS reports and transcripts in search of students who appear to have met degree requirements but haven't yet been cleared to graduate or haven't had their degree posted. Once these students are identified, the information is sent to the colleges for them to investigate further. Often these students have neglected to apply to graduate, have had an incomplete or pending grade post or completed an extended term distance education course that now makes them eligible to graduate. In the past two years, this ASR/College partnership has had a significant impact on graduation rates. Going forward, it is hoped that ASR can help the colleges identify where students might be getting themselves off track to graduate with enough time for the colleges to reach out to the students to have them adjust their registrations.

If you have suggestions about ways to improve student degree progress or graduation rates, please contact Rachel McKessock (rmckess@umn.edu) or Tracy Fischer (fisch074@umn.edu).


Administrative Degree Clearance Procedure

The final touches are being added to the Administrative Degree Clearance Procedure. This document will give colleges step-by-step instructions on what they can do to clear a student for his/her degree without the student formally applying for the degree. This procedure will streamline processes for the college advising units while covering all necessary compliance related issues that go along with clearing students for degrees.


Mid-Term alerts available through November 3

The mid-term alert period has been extended to November 3 on account of the drop date extension from the 8th week of classes to the 10th week. Instructors can provide a mid-term alert for students who, on the basis of performance in the course by the time the alert was submitted, appear to be in danger of earning a grade of D, F, or N. For students experiencing academic difficulty, a timely warning about performance can result in appropriate corrective action. Mid-term alerts also help advisers and advisees work together to develop strategies for academic success.


Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Changes to Graduate Student Services & Progress customer service model

Graduate Student Services & Progress (GSSP) is undergoing some changes to their staffing and customer service model. These changes will allow GSSP staff to continue to provide exceptional, timely customer service while streamlining points of contact (e.g., walk-in, phone, email).

Effective September 8, GSSP began their new phone answering system, utilizing Auto Call Distribution (ACD) functionality. This allows up to five people to call the main number (612-625-3490) at the same time. If that line is busy, they will will be able to hold to speak to someone on that same line (it won't go to voicemail). Calls will be answered in the order they are received.

Additionally, GSSP will be transitioning out of ServiceNow and into Salesforce. With the transition to Salesforce, there will no longer be "tickets" (incidents) when sending an email to gssp@umn.edu. Additionally, all interactions will now be logged on the student or staff members record for historical reference. Inquiries for GSSP should still be sent to gssp@umn.edu.

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Save the date: Student Systems Preview Sessions

The Student work stream has announced the dates for its preview sessions--the first step for learning about training and maintaining access for the upgraded system. Save the date:

Crookston
Thursday, October 30, 2-3:30, Kiehle Auditorium
Friday, October 31, 8:30-10, Sargeant Student Center (formerly known as Bede)

Duluth
Thursday, October 23, 10-11:30, Kirby Student Center, Griggs Room
Thursday, October 23, 1-2:30, Kirby Student Center, Griggs Room

Morris
Monday, October 27, 11-noon, HFA, Studio A

Rochester
Tuesday, October 21, 9:30-10:30, University Square Bldg, Room 419
Tuesday, October 21, 1-2, University Square Bldg, Room 419

Twin Cities
Wednesday, October 1, 10:30-11:30, Peik Gym G55
Friday, October 3, 9-10, Rapson 54
Wednesday, October 8, 9-10, Nolte 140
Thursday, October 9, 2-3, CSOM 2-213
Wednesday, October 22, 2-3, McNeal 33
These sessions will paint the training picture for those needing to maintain access to the “campus solutions” area of PeopleSoft. Attendees will learn about required training and how to access other training resources. There will also be demonstrations of the new MyU, the new Faculty Center, the new Advisor Center, and key processes (e.g., permission numbers, service indicators, related content).


All those with current access to the student services system received an invitation on September 19 with more details.

While not required, the Student Records Training & Support Team highly recommends attendance for those with student systems access. The sessions will be highly informative and set the stage for the required training that will follow.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Orientation for Directors of Graduate Studies

Directors of Graduate Studies are invited to attend a DGS Orientation on Wednesday, September 17, from 10-11:30 a.m. in 101 Walter Library.

All Directors of Graduate Stuides are welcome to attend, but new Directors are particularly encouraged to take this opportunity to learn more about the role of the Graduate School, meet members of the Graduate School staff as well as the Academic Support Resources graduate student services staff, and hear about how we can assist you with your DGS responsibilities.

Click here to RSVP.

Changes to tuition billing and due dates

Beginning fall 2014, tuition billing and due dates will occur approximately two weeks earlier than in years past. This will affect most students holding a Graduate Assistantship or Fellowship, as they will receive their first paycheck after the first bill for tuition and fees is due. In order to ensure that those students are not adversely affected by the change, late and installment fees will be waived for the first bill of each fall and spring semester.

The Office of Student Finance sent an email to incoming graduate students with job codes that are eligible for the late and installment fee waiver on Tuesday, August 26. The Office of Student Finance is planning on identifying students that will receive the waiver on approximately Thursday, September 4. Only students who have those job codes entered on their student record will receive the waiver.

Programmatic student holds

With the start of fall semester, it is important that any programmatic holds on student accounts are reconciled (provided the student has completed all necessary steps to resolve the hold).

As a reminder, colleges and programs are now able to place/remove the following holds:

  • OJ - general hold

  • OM - too many incompletes

  • OG - doctoral program not filed

  • OF - master's program not filed

  • OL - GPA requirement not met



If you are interested in being able to place/remove holds, please email Amber Cellotti directly at knap0071@umn.edu. However, in order to be able to place holds and give access, you must have completed Student Data Inquiry and Student Data Update training in PeopleSoft. If you're not sure you have completed these, you can check your training history on the HR website.

Continuous enrollment for graduate and professional students

All Twin Cities and Duluth post-baccalaureate students enrolled in a graduate or departmental master's program (excluding Twin Cities MBA students) that have not registered for fall 2014 term received an email on Tuesday, August 26 indicating they must register by Monday, September 15, or they will be discontinued.

Program staff who have students requesting permission for GRAD 999, xxxx-8777, xxxx-8666 and xxxx-8888 may issue the necessary permission provided students have met internal eligibility requirements. Students requesting permission for xxxx-8333 and xxxx-8444 should be directed to the Graduate Student Services office at gssp@umn.edu.

If a student is discontinued and wishes to resume graduate work, he or she must request readmission to reactivate his or her status. It is up to the program or college to determine the best readmission path for a student. In all cases, students should contact the major program for which they are applying.

Important announcement regarding PBED Digest

After much consideration, we will no longer be producing the PBED Digest in newsletter form. This will be the last issue.

A Google Group has been created as a means to provide an additional communication channel and venue to discuss issues. The email for the group is pbed@umn.edu. If you are no longer interested in being on this list, please email me directly at knigh161@umn.edu.

In addition to the Google Group, information will continue to be delivered at RAC meetings, in the Graduate & Professional Update (GPU), and the Synthesist.

Thank you for your readership.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Stop, drop, & enroll

It’s registration time and students are anxiously awaiting their opportunity to select classes for the next term. They wait for their enrollment appointment time (currently called “queue time”) to arrive and keep tabs on the classes they want. They hope those classes remain open (have seats available), but sometimes all the seats are taken and the class is closed when it is their time to register. Then what?

Currently, students usually find an alternate class, add themselves on the desired class waitlist if one exists, and wait for a spot to open up. If a seat becomes available, they would be invited to enroll in the class from the department offering the class. The invitation includes a permission number that allows them to register. With that in hand, they then have the opportunity to adjust their enrollment to avoid time conflicts before registering for the desired class.


The new waitlist process, as a result of the PeopleSoft upgrade, eliminates the invitation step and automatically enrolls students when seats open. However, this auto enroll process will not complete if the student was added to the waitlist and is enrolled in another class that has a time overlap. Instead, they will receive a notification alerting them that there was a conflict. The student can then resolve the conflict by dropping the other class before the auto enroll process runs again.

But there is a better way.


Along with the auto enroll waitlist process, the University will begin using delivered functionality that allows students to have the system automatically drop them from a conflicting course if a seat becomes available for them. Rather than placing themselves to the waitlist from the “Add” function, they will use the “Swap” functionality in the enroll tab. This will place them on the waitlist (that can be prioritized by faculty or departments), but in a way that tells the system to drop them from the conflicting class if a seat becomes available for them in the desired class.


If students use this “Swap” functionality, they have a streamlined waitlist experience and  be able to maintain a full-time schedule as they wait for their desired classes. Best of all, students will be able to determine when to use this swap functionality because they will have a new weekly view of their schedule. This will show them when there are time conflicts with their enrolled and waitlist classes!


If you have questions about this new functionality email esup@umn.edu.

Friday, August 15, 2014

Newly enhanced classroom support hotline

The Office of Classroom Management (OCM) hotline has been enhanced to align with University-wide support services and has expanded the hours of availability for technology services. The phone number remains the same (612-625-1086), but callers will be prompted to select from a menu of options. This will connect them to the support staff who are best able to meet their needs.

Technology calls will be routed to a team of support professionals who are available 24 hours a day. OCM support staff remain available for all other classroom and scheduling-related calls Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Staff resource guide: New Graduate & Professional International Students

International Student and Scholar Services, Graduate School Admissions,and the Minnesota English Language Program collaborated on the creation of a "Staff Resource Guide: New Graduate & Professional International Students."

The goal of this resource guide is to provide you with information and resources which will help you in assisting international students during the first semester. By creating a smooth transition, international students are more likely to succeed academically and be fully engaged in their graduate level experience.

If you have any questions about the guide or its content, please contact the contributors listed on page 9 of the guide.

Visa delays announcement

The U.S. Department of State reports that there is a potential for delays in visa processing for some international students and scholars. Several affected students have contacted the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) office, who is working to understand the scope of impact on international students and scholars who will be arriving this August. Note that the delays impact both new students and scholars and those who are returning (have traveled home and need a visa renewed to re-enter the U.S.). Many students and scholars have successfully received their visas and have arrived on campus already; this is a proactive measure in assisting those who may face delays.

ISSS staff and the Graduate School will assist students and scholars as best they can and will reach out to departments and colleges as necessary to discuss specific student situations. If you hear from an affected student or scholar, please make sure they contact the appropriate office immediately - graduate students who are not able to arrive by the report by date on their I-20 document should email the Graduate School at gsquest@umn.edu; professional degree students should contact Debra Siegel in ISSS at siege002@umn.edu.

Continuous enrollment for graduate and professional students

All Twin Cities and Duluth post-baccalaureate students enrolled in a graduate or departmental master's program (excluding Twin Cities MBA students) that have not registered for fall 2014 term received an email the week of August 25 indicating they must register by Monday, September 15, or they will be discontinued.

If a student is discontinued and wishes to resume graduate work, he or she must request readmission to reactivate his or her status. It is up to the program or college to determine the best readmission path for a student. In all cases, students should contact the major program for which they are applying.