FERPA Q&A

What is the proper protocol when a military recruiter requests student contact information?

Per the Solomon Amendment, military recruiters are permitted to request student directory information. The Office of Institutional Research is the designated campus department that fulfills these requests.

CollegiateLink

Beginning fall term 2016, the Twin Cities campus will be using CollegiateLink for Student Group registration. CollegiateLink is an online organization management system offered through Campus Labs. It is used to help students connect with events and involvement opportunities at the University of Minnesota. The database records student group profiles, membership rosters, events, and provides students with the opportunity to compile records of all of the events in which they are involved.

Erik Dussault (project manager) and Janet Crittenden (business analyst) are currently demonstrating what CollegiateLink is and how it can benefit departments and college offices. They are scheduled to present at the Registrar's Advisory Committee, Council on Undergraduate Education, and the Advising Steering Committee. Erik and Janet will be reaching out to other departments and college offices over the next nine months to present what CollegiateLink can do for their students. The plan is to roll out an experience record to students at the fall 2017 student orientation.

Class time conflict workflow

The project to migrate the Class Time Conflict form from a paper process to an online process (i.e., WorkflowGen) recently concluded informal usability. Students and instructors provided feedback, and the process will be tested during the beginning of August. We anticipate the workflow will have a soft launch in August. More details about the process and the launch date will be communicated in the coming weeks.

Undergraduates see borrowing history before accepting loans

When degree-seeking undergraduate students with a loan history respond to their financial aid award, they will be presented with an estimate of their total borrowing (if their financial aid package includes loans). They will be able to review the estimate of their total loans, an estimated monthly payment, and how that compares to other University of Minnesota graduates. While the estimate does not reflect loans taken out at other institutions, certain other loans, or any repayments made, it should help students understand where they stand and inform their future borrowing decisions. Students can review this information later by going to the communication center within their Student Center (via MyU). Similar initiatives at other universities have yielded positive results.

Financial aid award notices sent

The week of July 18, Financial Aid Award Notices were sent to currently active undergraduate students; graduate and professional students received their notifications earlier in the month. The notice directs students to MyU so they can view and respond to their award offers. Students must have completed the FAFSA and turned in any additional documents that were requested prior to receiving an award. Students who have not yet completed the FAFSA should be encouraged to do so using the IRS data retrieval tool that is part of the application.