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 enrolled classes 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.

U Card reminder

With the start of the term approaching, remember to bring your U Card to ensure access to campus buildings. You can find entrances with a card reader by reviewing Campus Maps and turning on the layer for Accessibility in the top right. 

Directed Activity Contract: Transition to new solution

The new version of the Directed Activity Contract in the Jadu platform will go live the week of August 4. All new contracts will be initiated and carried out using the new solution. Any in-progress contracts will finish out using the previous version in WorkflowGen. 

The new version follows the same workflow and requires the same information. There are changes and updates to the language, question format, and interface. All in-progress contracts in WorkflowGen must be completed by Friday, September 12, 2025. Any in-progress contracts may no longer be available after this date, as WorkflowGen is prepared for retirement. For questions about Directed Activity policy and procedures, please contact oue@umn.edu. 

Academic Standing training course

A refreshed version of the Academic Standing training course was released earlier this month. Only new users who are responsible for updating the academic standing of undergraduate students are required to take this course. 

Quarterly APAS User Group

APAS users are invited to attend our quarterly APAS User Group meeting on Tuesday, August 19 at 1 p.m. over Zoom. APAS and TES best practices, training, and helpful tips and tricks are shared along with timely information. Please reach out to apasle@umn.edu if you do not already have the meeting invite on your Google calendar. You may also submit questions or topics for discussion in advance if there’s something you or your team would like more information about.

New Coursedog prompts

The Curriculum Administration Best Practices Working Group has approved new Coursedog prompts related to modality and assessment. These changes are effective July 1 for Twin Cities and Rochester Fall 2025 and later proposals. Please direct questions to oue@umn.edu. 

Coursedog modality definitions

The modality selections available for courses in Coursedog will be updated and effective on July 1 to align with those in PeopleSoft. This update impacts all University of Minnesota campuses. Changes will not be made to previously approved courses, but courses should be updated to reflect the appropriate modality selections when updates are being made through standard processes. 

Please direct questions to oue@umn.edu.