Personal pronouns and gender identity in MyU

Students and staff on all campuses are now able to share personal pronouns and/or a gender identity through the My Info tab of MyU. Sharing personal pronouns and/or a gender identity is optional. Here are some resources for additional information to share with students when needed:

• How-to guide on One Stop website - z.umn.edu/genderidpronoun_howto (navigate onestop.umn.edu > How-to guides > My info > Set personal pronouns and/or gender identity)
• Additional information on One Stop website (navigate onestop.umn.edu > Personal information > Pronouns and gender identity) 
• Additional information in MyU - z.umn.edu/genderpronounmyu

Emails to students, sent from PeopleSoft

Starting July 1, emails sent to students, faculty, and staff directly from PeopleSoft related to financial aid, student finances, and student records will have a new look and feel. This is the result of an effort to have these important communications follow University email requirements. The new features include the use of a University of Minnesota header, a footer describing the sender and recipients of the email, and a more consistent format.

Sometimes students receive emails that ask them to complete a task related to their business at the University and they question if it is legitimate. This may happen as a result of this change as the emails will look significantly different from what they are used to. There are a few things students can do if they would like to verify the legitimacy of the email:

• The majority of emails regarding registration, financial aid, and billing are sent directly from PeopleSoft. Copies of such emails are kept in the “Communication Center” within their “Student Center.” Students can access their student center by using the “Key Links” menu in MyU.
• The majority of business students conduct related to registration, financial aid, and billing is done within MyU. If they are suspicious of an email’s contents and do not want to use a link within the email, they can type “myu.umn.edu” directly into their web browser.
• The One Stop website is a good resource for common tasks and my validate the information they receive in an email.

Students currently have a story in MyU alerting them to the upcoming changes. If you hear concerns from students as a result of this change, we appreciate your help in reassuring them and providing suggestions from the list above to verify the legitimacy of an email.

Changes to cost of attendance website content

The cost of attendance page on the One Stop website has some changes to note:

• A new estimated cost of attendance chart for 2018-19
• A simplified cost of attendance chart for undergraduates (with actual COA figures)
• A new page dedicated to COA for graduate students

These changes are the result of feedback from students and staff, with an effort to make cost of attendance information easier to find and use.

Resident tuition increase for FY 2019

In June, the U of M Board of Regents approved the FY 2019 operating budget which includes a 2% tuition increase for resident undergraduate on the Twin Cities campus. Tuition will be held flat for resident undergraduates on the Crookston, Duluth, and Rochester campuses. For more details read the original news story.

Academic calendar changes

The Faculty Senate has approved moving spring break forward one week starting March 2020. This was the best solution to get the majority of A term before spring break and to equalize meeting patterns for classes scheduled once per week. Syllabi may need to be reviewed due to this adjustment, so please communicate these changes to those within your departments.

As a reminder, spring 2019 will change from 74 instructional days to 70. Fall and spring semesters will have the same length going forward, and there is room for an additional study day for students in the spring term. The full calendars for 2018-22 can be viewed on the University Senate page.

FERPA Q&A

Q: How can I recruit more potentially qualified students for a competitive scholarship if it has a GPA and need-based component?

A: Since GPA and financial need are not directory information at the University of Minnesota, you can't just request and receive a list of students who meet the criteria for the scholarship. Academic Support Resources (ASR) can write a query to identify students who might qualify and send the information to the students on your behalf. When doing so, ASR will inform the students that their non-directory information has not been shared with a third party and if they are interested in learning more about the scholarship to contact the office sponsoring it.

Personal pronouns and gender identity in MyU

This summer, the University will begin offering students and staff the option to share their personal pronouns and gender identity through the My Info tab of MyU. Sharing personal pronouns and/or a gender identity will be optional. Students’ pronouns will be available in PeopleSoft Campus Solutions (dependent on access) and in APLUS.

Gender identity information will not be shared at this time, though authorized University staff with access to private information may view it when performing their job duties. A fact sheet with more information is available.

Directory suppression communication to students

Starting in June, students with first-time enrollment for fall 2018 will receive a communication to let them know about the University’s policy surrounding how their student information appears in public directories such as search.umn.edu. The communication states that their information will be listed in the directory within 30 days of the start of term (or first registration, whichever comes last) and directions on how they can suppress their information through MyU. If you have questions about the message or information, contact asrcomm@umn.edu.

Implementing uAchieve

The University of Minnesota is starting a project this July to implement uAchieve, the most recent version of DARS (the system that delivers our students and advisors the APAS report). DARS has become outdated and this project is an opportunity to improve the student-facing degree audit as well as business processes for DARS users.

What does the system do?

• Holds transfer credit rules.
• Shows students how their transfer credits map to our degree programs.
• Holds undergraduate degree requirements and sub-requirements.
• Shows students and advisors how completed credits meet degree requirements.
• Allows staff to make exceptions to degree requirements.

What’s the big picture timeline?

• July 2018-July 2019: Technical implementation with the vendor
• July 2019-July 2020: Update configurations and integrations to reap business benefits

Staff have worked on preliminary items such as the project charter, planning, governance, discovery, and staffing, but the project does not begin until July. You can learn more about the project at asr.umn.edu/uachieve.

No RAC in June or July

There will be no Registrar’s Advisory Committee (RAC) meetings in June or July; they will resume in August. You can access previous meeting minutes at asr.umn.edu/rac.

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.