Estimated Financial Aid notices

The University began sending estimated Financial Aid Notices (FANs) to new incoming students on the Twin Cities and Rochester campuses on Tuesday, April 16. This is later than typical, and some students still do not have packages due to delays and errors by the US Department of Education (DOE) with FAFSA processing. As updates come from the DOE and the State of Minnesota, we will continue to implement solutions and resolve errors that impact our students.

Save the date: PeopleTools upgrade

On June 8 and 9, 2024 (Saturday and Sunday), MyU and other PeopleSoft applications will be unavailable while University IT upgrades the PeopleSoft development platform, PeopleTools, to version 8.60. This upgrade helps our PeopleSoft systems remain stable and secure, and it ensures we retain Oracle support.

Aside from downtime during the weekend, no significant impact is expected, though some PeopleSoft users will notice some minor changes to the interface. This upgrade will also deliver an enhancement: a self-service control to enable Accessibility Mode for end users of the MyU/PeopleSoft self-service systems.

Helping prepare students for leaving the University

As students graduate, their access to University applications like Gmail and Google Workspace, Zoom, and Microsoft 365 will change. Share the Leaving the University self-help guide with students so they know what to expect and how to prepare.  

Grading resources

User guides for grading are available on the ASR website. The resources include final grade entry, due dates for grades, and safe handling of grading information. 

UM Report retirement update

Please see below for ongoing updates related to student records reports being transitioned off of the UM Reports platform. The anticipated timelines may fluctuate based on ongoing testing.

Reports moved to new platforms and available in Reporting Center:

• Major/Minor Roster
• Eligibility for lower-tuition fringe-rate assistantship
• Student Roster Summary Statistics/Detail
• Dean’s List
• Grade Selector
• Rochester Student Roster 
• Degree Applicants
• Graduate Education Student Report for Majors/Minors
• Student Group Roster

Reports with work currently in progress:

• Anticipated deployment in May 2024
• GE Student Non-Graded Course Enrollments 
• Anticipated deployment in June 2024
• Graduate Faculty Advising/Committee Summary by Field of Study
• Graduate Faculty Advising/Committee Summary by Faculty

Correction

In last month’s edition of The Record, we announced Natasha Monsaas-Daly as the new director of academic enterprise systems. Unfortunately, we omitted part of her name. Our apologies to both Natasha and you for this oversight. 

FERPA Q&A

Q: May a faculty member include a student’s grade in an email if the email is sent to multiple students?

A: Suppose a faculty member needs to communicate midterm grade information to two of their students, Mary and Bob. The faculty sends an email, with both students' email addresses on the “to” line, and in the body of the message gives information about Mary’s grade and Bob’s grade. This would violate FERPA because it discloses private student data. Faculty and staff should take care to only include private student data in an email when the recipients are allowed to view that information. Incidents such as these can be referred to security@umn.edu. 

Director of academic enterprise systems announcement

Academic Support Resources (ASR) is pleased to announce Natasha Monsaas as the new director of academic enterprise systems. In this role, Natasha will identify key challenges, priorities, and opportunities and provide solutions related to Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and core student systems. She will also participate in the University’s technology resource planning and decision-making. As part of the University’s PEAK initiative, Natasha will have a dual reporting relationship with Associate Vice Provost Stacey Tidball and Phoebe Johnson, senior director of IT leads in the Office of Information Technology. 

Fall 2024 registration times

Fall 2024 class registration begins Thursday, April 11. Registration appointment times were posted for students in MyU on Monday, March 25. Students can find their appointment time by logging into MyU and selecting the "Academics" tab, then selecting the "Registration" sub-tab. Registration times and information on how to register for classes are available on One Stop.

If a student needs their appointment time adjusted because of a system error, contact One Stop Student Services (onestop@umn.edu). Include the student's internet ID, student ID, and name.

Room Scheduling RFP

ASR and the Office of Classroom Management (OCM) have an active Request for Proposals (RFP) for the University’s academic room scheduling system to ensure that the tools we use meet the University’s needs and comply with University policy. Astra is the University’s current academic room scheduling system vendor.

At this point, we’ve received vendor responses, conducted demos and usability with two finalists, and made reference calls to determine a fit with the University's needs. ASR is working with Purchasing, the Office of the General Counsel, and University Information Security to negotiate a contract with our top finalist. The project timeline and contract information will be available soon.

Manage Advising Committees training course

A refreshed version of the Manage Advising Committees course was released in March. Only new users who manage undergraduate advising committee membership are required to take this course. 

UM Reports Retirement Update

Please see below for ongoing updates related to student records reports being transitioned off of the UM Reports platform. The anticipated timelines may fluctuate based on ongoing testing.

Reports moved to new platforms and available in Reporting Center:

• Major/Minor Roster
• Eligibility for lower-tuition fringe-rate assistantship
• Student Roster Summary Statistics/Detail
• Dean’s List
• Grade Selector
• Rochester Student Roster 
• Degree Applicants
• Graduate Education Student Report for Majors/Minors

Reports with work currently in progress:

• Anticipated deployment in late March 2024
• Student Group Roster
• Anticipated deployment in May 2024
• GE Student Non-Graded Course Enrollments 
• Anticipated deployment in June 2024
• Graduate Faculty Advising/Committee Summary by Field of Study
• Graduate Faculty Advising/Committee Summary by Faculty

FERPA Q&A

Q: Our program would like to have alumni reach out to potential applicants or current undergraduate students to apply to a graduate program. What is the best way to do this? 

A: If the alumni is associated with the University in an official capacity, you are not able to share potential applicant information without consent. As an alternative, you could share the first names of students and ask the alumni to write cards out to "Dear First Name," and then the department could send the cards directly to the students on the alumni’s behalf. You would still want to make sure they are not sent to anyone with a full suppression.

Some departments reach out to specific students and ask them if they are interested in hearing from alumni, engaging in conversations, etc. If they "opt in," you could share their contact information more widely. 

 

New digital credential and print diploma vendor: Paradigm

Students with conferral dates of January 1, 2024 and after will receive their digital credential and physical diploma via Paradigm, the University’s new digital and print diploma vendor. The Office of the Registrar (OTR) submitted its first print diploma order with Paradigm this month. The first digital credentialing order will be placed on Monday, March 4. 

OTR began the RFP process for digital and print diploma services in late 2022. The RFP process was initiated due to the University's contract ending with their current digital diploma vendor, Parchment, and the desire to consolidate systemwide diploma services. Prior to the implementation of Paradigm, physical diplomas were produced by University Printing Services and manually distributed by OTR staff. Paradigm’s services will create several efficiencies in this process and provide additional benefits to students, such as providing tracking numbers to students when their diplomas are mailed. 

Students should not expect any disruption in diploma services (either print or digital) as a result of this change. Students with conferral dates prior to January 1, 2024 will continue to access their digital credentials via Parchment. Students have permanent access to their credential via their issuing vendor. Students will also have permanent access to their digital credential regardless of their future affiliation with the University.

As a reminder, digital credentials are not available to students with conferral dates prior to fall 2019. Any questions can be directed to otr@umn.edu. 

Notarization and Apostille process changes

As of February 12, 2024, OTR is no longer offering Apostille services. However, students can still have their documents notarized by OTR and access Apostille services via the MN Secretary of State directly. This service change reflects the standards of other Big10 University partners. All five campuses have adjusted their Notarization and Apostille One Stop pages to reflect these changes. 

FAFSA simplification update

The Department of Education will not begin processing Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) submissions and providing data to schools until Mid-March due to inflation adjustments in the Student Aid Index (SAI). They are anticipating that this delay will not impact the 2024-25 financial aid offer students receive this summer. Students can still complete the FAFSA form and expect an email from Federal Student Aid in mid-March acknowledging that their FAFSA has been processed.

One Stop Student Services will not be able to confirm the arrival of FAFSA information until April because of this delay. This is contingent upon software updates, implementation, and testing. Once One Stop receives this information, they will begin sending out estimated financial aid offers to new students in April. The Financial Aid timeline on the One Stop website will be updated as more information becomes available.

eAgreement

On February 21, all students started receiving a pop-up message in MyU for the annual renewal of the Student Financial Obligations and Responsibility eAgreement. Students are notified in MyU so they have the opportunity to review the updated text on the One Stop website prior to accepting the agreement. Students must accept eAgreement terms by March 6, 2024.

UM Report updates

Please see below for ongoing updates related to student records reports being transitioned off of the UM Reports platform. The anticipated timelines may fluctuate based on ongoing testing.

Reports moved to new platforms and available in Reporting Center:

• Major/Minor Roster
• Eligibility for lower tuition fringe rate assistantship
• Student Roster Summary Statistics/Detail
• Dean’s List
• Grade Selector
• Rochester Student Roster 

Reports with work currently in progress:

• Anticipated deployment in late February/early March 2024
• Graduate Education Student Report for Majors/Minors
• Degree Applicants
• Student Group Roster
• Anticipated deployment in May 2024
• GE Student Non-Graded Course Enrollments 

Prioritized reports for future work:

• Graduate Faculty Advising/Committee Summary by Field of Study
• Graduate Faculty Advising/Committee Summary by Faculty

FERPA Q&A

Q: Can a student challenge a grade by using their FERPA right to request an amendment to their student record?

A: No. The right to amend a student record is for information that is inaccurate or misleading due to a recording error; it does not apply to a substantive decision, such as what grade was awarded. Students do have the right to receive an explanation for their grades under University policy and can seek assistance from the Student Conflict Resolution Center if needed.

Annual Report update

The ASR annual report covering the period of September 2022 to August 2023 is complete and available on the ASR website homepage. This document highlights key metrics and accomplishments from each unit within ASR. The report may be especially helpful to those who partner with ASR as it provides a comprehensive overview of all we do for the University. Feel free to share with anybody you think would be interested! 

2024-25 FAFSA available

The Department of Education launched the newly streamlined Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form on December 31, 2023. During the first few weeks of launch, the form was periodically unavailable for short periods of time due to site maintenance and technical updates. Students can now complete the form to apply for financial aid for 2024-25. An updated financial aid timeline regarding the changes to the FAFSA is available on the One Stop website.

Caucus night

Tuesday, February 27, 2024 is caucus night. Per Board of Regents resolution, the University may schedule classes or events on caucus night with the Board’s authorization. However, students and/or instructors are permitted to attend their party’s caucus night if they wish. Students must notify their instructor in advance, and instructors are expected to accommodate their requests. If enough students indicate that they will be attending their caucus so that holding class becomes impractical, instructors may cancel the class or make alternative arrangements.

UM Report retirement updates

Please see below for ongoing updates related to student records reports being transitioned off of the UM Reports platform. The anticipated timelines may fluctuate based on ongoing testing.

Reports moved to new platforms and available in Reporting Center:

• Major/Minor Roster
• Eligibility for lower tuition fringe rate assistantship
• Student Roster Summary Statistics/Detail 

Reports with work currently in progress:

• Anticipated deployment in late January 2024
• Dean’s List
• Grade Selector
• Rochester Student Roster
• Anticipated deployment in February 2024
• GE Student Non-Graded Course Enrollments 
• Anticipated deployment in late February/early March 2024
• Graduate Education Student Report for Majors/Minors
• Degree Applicants
• Student Group Roster

Prioritized reports for future work:

• Graduate Faculty Advising/Committee Summary by Field of Study
• Graduate Faculty Advising/Committee Summary by Faculty

FERPA Q&A

Q: Can a parent join a virtual meeting with a student, such as an advising appointment?

A: Sharing a student’s private information with a parent or other guest is not allowed unless we have written permission from the student. Even though the student may verbally agree to having the parent present, we need to document this with written permission.