New FERPA training requirement

If you have access to PeopleSoft Campus Solutions and/or APLUS, you will need to complete the new FERPA training course by October 31, 2024. This training needs to be completed regardless of any previous FERPA training recorded. If you do not complete the new training on time, you will lose your PeopleSoft Campus Solutions and/or APLUS access. 

The new course should take 20-30 minutes to complete. If you are required to take the training, you will be automatically enrolled through Training Hub the first week of October. You will receive additional information and reminders by email. 

Moving forward, FERPA training will need to be completed on a regular basis to maintain access to PeopleSoft Campus Solutions and APLUS. This is to ensure that those with access to private student data remain informed of their responsibilities and to prevent FERPA violations. If you have questions, you can contact cctraining@umn.edu. 

2025-26 FAFSA availability delayed

In August 2024, The Department of Education released a timeline for the 2025-2026 FAFSA. The 2025-2026 FAFSA will be released by December 1, 2024.

GPA Calculator decommissioning

The GPA calculator will be decommissioned no later than summer 2025. This decision is based on current usage rates, the amount of resources needed to maintain it, and the availability of alternatives. The decommissioning process will include outreach to affected stakeholders to develop an appropriate timeline, available alternatives, and transition plan. If you have feedback that would be helpful to the team working on the transition plan, you can complete the feedback form. 

MyU and PeopleSoft applications unavailable Oct. 19–20

On October 19–20, 2024 (Saturday and Sunday), MyU and other PeopleSoft applications will be unavailable while the University upgrades PeopleSoft. This upgrade helps our PeopleSoft systems remain current and secure and ensures we retain Oracle support.

The timing of the upgrade was set cooperatively to minimize disruption to the University. Please make note of this outage and plan accordingly.

Impact

• MyU and PeopleSoft applications, and some applications dependent on PeopleSoft, will be unavailable while the upgrade is in progress.
• Aside from downtime during the weekend, no significant impact is expected.
• Some who use PeopleSoft will notice some minor changes to the interface.
• Those who use PeopleSoft will need to clear the cache on their web browser following this upgrade.

FERPA Q&A

Q: Can college or department staff communicate with students who have a directory or full suppression of their record?

A: It depends. College staff, including those in a marketing department, can send college-related communication to students, including those who have suppressions on their records if the information pertains to their role as a student. University staff who have a "need-to-know" may access student contact information, regardless of suppression level. The information of students with address or full suppressions, however, cannot be given to individuals or organizations outside of the University. Colleges should, of course, be respectful of any student's desire to "opt out" of marketing-type communications.

Policy reminders

As we near the start of the term, we wanted to share a few policy reminders. The Mandatory Attendance policy requires students to attend the first class meetings for all classes in which they are enrolled unless they have prior approval from their instructor to be absent. Please consult the policy FAQ for more details on how this policy applies to online classes or when students register after the first day of classes. 

Please also consult the Excused Absences and Makeup Work policy and the Makeup Work FAQ. Reasonable accommodations must be made for students who miss class due to excused circumstances, including:

• Illness, especially for in-person or blended classes
• Religious holiday observance
• Pre-approved first-day absence
• Late registration

Instructors are expected to observe scheduled class times as stated in the Teaching and Learning policy. 

We also recommend reviewing the Student Conduct Code.

Course Works

With the rollout of Course Works, instructors should submit textbook and course material orders to the University Libraries and/or the campus store if they have not done so already. The sooner materials are adopted, the sooner students will have access to the required materials and make informed program option decisions. The last day for Twin Cities students to opt out of Course Works is September 16th. For additional information, please see Course Works Faculty and Instructor FAQs.