Supporting faculty during technology upgrade

The Enterprise Systems Upgrade Program (ESUP) will change the way students, faculty, and staff take care of business with the University. The Faculty Go­-To advance team is a group of system users who will serve as resources for faculty in their units throughout the upgrade of the University’s PeopleSoft system. The Go­-To advance team represents the concerns and needs of their units with regard to supporting faculty during the system transition and may serve as a communications contact after the planned launch in April 2015*.

Kick-off meetings will be held:

• Wednesday, August 13, 10-11 a.m. - Biological Sciences Center, room 64 (St. Paul)
• Thursday, August 14, 2:30-3:30 p.m. - STSS, room 114 (East Bank)
• Friday, August 15, 10-11 a.m. - Hanson Hall, room 1-106 (West Bank)

Most colleges have nominated representatives for this Faculty Go-To role. If you wish to join or want further information about who from your college is part of this group, please email vollu004@umn.edu.

You can find more information about the Faculty Go-To team here.

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

Sneak Peek: The new class waitlist process

The Student work stream has released its latest sneak peek. This video explains the “auto enroll” feature of the new class waitlist process resulting from the PeopleSoft upgrade through ESUP. Auto enroll will allow the system to automatically select and enroll students at the top of a waitlist for a class on a space-available basis. Watch to learn more:

For more information about the new class waitlist process, see What’s Changing for waitlist.

RAC meeting Monday, Aug. 4

All advisers and collegiate staff are encouraged to attend the next Registrar's Advisory Committee (RAC) meeting on Monday, Aug. 4 at 9:30 a.m. in 402 Walter Library on East Bank. The meeting will cover several key updates regarding the Enterprise Systems Upgrade Program (ESUP), including the impact on your work. In addition, other changes and information related to the academic year with be provided.

FERPA Q&A: Validity of releases signed in high school

Question: Can a high school obtain college records for an alumnus using a release that the alumnus signed when he/she was still in high school?

Answer: When state high schools request transcripts for alumni, these letters are often accompanied by signed releases from the high school's former students (forms created by the high school with signatures from the students before they graduated from high school). You may be wondering whether or not you can/should fulfill these requests.

Technically speaking, a signed release should be from an "eligible student." While in high school, the student does not qualify as an eligible student, as the record "belongs" to the parent in the K-12 arena. The receiving department should contact the student and obtain the appropriate signed consent. Until that consent is received, the college transcripts should not be released.

Nomination call for Lillian H. Williams award

The Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (EOAA) is now accepting nominations for the 2014 Lillian H. Williams award. The award recognizes individuals or units within the University community that exemplify a commitment to equal opportunity and affirmative action through educating the community on topics related to equity, diversity, and the struggle against discrimination and harassment.

To submit an individual or unit, provide a one-page nomination to Nancy Xiong. All nominations are due by July 28, 2014. The winner will be announced at the 2014 EOAA Fall Liaison Conference on October 27. For more information, visit the EOAA website.

OCM classroom projects underway

The Office of Classroom Management (OCM) has completed two-thirds of its 2014 Classroom Technology Renewal projects. In many classrooms, systems have been enhanced by adding a document camera and class capture outputs. Additionally, OCM has completed its summer project in the West Bank Auditorium located in the West Bank Skyway.

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. While the phone number will remain the same (612-625-1086), callers will be prompted to select from a menu of options that allow you to reach the support staff who are best able to meet your 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 from 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday - Friday.

peerTransfer now live

The University now offers international students a new way to make tuition payments through the use of peerTransfer. The service will allow students to pay the University from bank accounts in their country of origin without having to arrange for a wire transfer or pay bank transfer fees. Students will transfer money from a bank account in their home country to peerTransfer, and peerTransfer will then transfer the money to the University on behalf of the student. Foreign exchange rates offered through peerTransfer are typically better than those offered by banks.

Changes to Office of the Registrar records contacts

As of July 1, some Twin Cities colleges have a new Academic Records contact. These changes came as a result of recent reorganization efforts within Academic Records to ensure staff, students, and alumni are receiving fast, efficient, and quality service.

For your reference, an updated PDF listing full contact information has been added to the Academic Support Resources OTR webpage.

Leave of absences and discontinuation

This is a reminder that a student may not exceed two academic years on an approved leave of absence (LOA). Students whose LOA has expired and who have not yet registered for the following term (excluding summer) by the end of the second week of classes will be discontinued.

Those who wish to resume graduate work must request readmission to reactive their status. It is up to the program or college to determine the best readmission path for a student.

Full information and related forms can be found on the Leave of Absence and Reinstatement from a Leave: Graduate Students policy online.