Updates to Student Data Update Add-on courses

Work is underway to update and refresh the Student Data Update Add-on training courses. Updated versions of two courses were released in November:

• Class Permissions
• Waitlists

Only new users who need to manage class permissions and/or waitlists, but who are not also CCS schedulers, are required to take these courses.

FERPA Q&A

Q: Can I email a student their final exam or paper grade?

A: Yes, provided you are sending to the individual student’s UMN email account and no other students are copied on the message. If you are using Canvas, encourage students to look up grade information security in those systems. Students can obtain their overall course grade information in MyU. For additional information on the safe handling of grade information, visit the ASR website.

Spring 2023 appointment times

Spring 2023 class registration begins Tuesday, November 8. Registration appointment times were posted for students in MyU on Monday, October 24. Students can find their appointment time by logging into MyU and selecting the "Academics" tab, then selecting the "Registration" sub-tab. Registration times and information on how to register for classes are available on One Stop.

If a student needs their appointment time adjusted because of a system error, contact One Stop Student Services (onestop@umn.edu). Include the student's internet ID, student ID, and name.

Spring 2023 commencement

The University is hosting a multi-college commencement ceremony for spring 2023 due to the extensive renovations to the 3M Arena at Mariucci. The commencement will be a large, outdoor ceremony held at Huntington Bank Stadium on Saturday, May 13, 2023 starting at 11:00 a.m. See 2023 Commencement for more information on what colleges are participating in the ceremony.

Updates to Student Data Update add-on courses

Work is underway to update and refresh the Student Data Update Add-on training courses. First is the Class Permissions course, which will be released in the coming week or two. Only new users who need to manage Class Permissions, but who are not also CCS schedulers, will be required to take the course.

Multi-Institutional Application form

The Twin Cities campus is in the process of transitioning to an electronic version of the Multi-Institutional Application form. The current form is a PDF that must be completed by students and uploaded or scanned to the appropriate office. This creates service delays and is cumbersome for students and staff. The new application will be a Google Form found on the One Stop website that will route directly to the Twin Cities Office of the Registrar. It will be available to students in November.

With the new Google form, students will no longer be required to obtain physical signatures from their academic advisor or the financial aid office. However, students will be required to provide their electronic signature and acknowledge that they have consulted the appropriate office regarding degree requirements, tuition impacts, financial aid, etc. Duluth implemented this process a few years ago and has seen an improvement in the student and staff experience. Questions regarding Multi-Institutional registration can be directed to Colleen Harms (harms231@umn.edu).

FERPA Q&A

Q: My office is purchasing a new system that will need to use student data. What do I need to be aware of as it relates to FERPA?

A: Never fear! There is a contractual review process for technology purchases that will help you cover the right bases. University Information Security (UIS), the Office of General Counsel, and ASR work together on reviewing contracts to ensure the right guardrails are in place. UIS also can work with you on a vendor risk assessment early on to highlight key areas related to privacy and security that might introduce risk with your system; it’s important to remember that privacy and security go hand-in-hand when evaluating new technologies.

As always, if you have any questions, send them to ferpa@umn.edu.

Upcoming PeopleSoft Maintenance

PeopleSoft applications will be unavailable from 6 p.m. Saturday, October 22 and noon Sunday, October 23 while University IT upgrades the PeopleSoft EFS/Finance application. While the upgrade work is underway, MyU, Campus Solutions, EFS/Finance, and Human Resources applications will be unavailable.

This upgrade helps our PeopleSoft EFS/Finance application catch up on vendor provided updates, bug fixes, and (potentially) adopt new features. In addition, the upgrade ensures we retain vendor support.

Proof of Vaccination Holds reminder

As a reminder, registration holds will be placed on students’ records on October 20 for all campuses if the student has not completed the Proof of Vaccination process. Students in completely online programs are exempt from this requirement. However, students enrolled in all online courses who are not in an approved program are still required to complete the process. College in the Schools (CIS) students and Non-Credit students are also currently exempt.

Residency Access Role

To improve data security, updates were recently made to the Residency Update role with the Student Data Update security group. Faculty and staff with Student Data Update access will be able to view data on the residency pages, but will no longer be able to update it unless they also have access to higher level security groups, including theCC Bio Demo Update, CC Bio Demo Correct, or Fast Activation (Quick admit) security groups. We expect that most staff who update Residency will still have the access they need. However, if you need to update Residency and find you’re no longer able to do so, please contact cctraining@umn.edu.

FERPA Q&A

Q: I can’t remember what information I can share. How do I know what is public information under FERPA?

A: The Board of Regents Policy: Student Education Records governs our directory information and access to student records. The policy was updated in June 2021 to reflect Directory Information and Limited Directory Information and of note is the addition of email addresses as limited directory information:

3. Limited Directory Information. Limited directory information shall mean the student’s physical addresses, University email address, telephone numbers, and University ID photos.

When directory information is limited, it is still available to be used for University business provided there is a business reason. However, this does not apply to third party, external University entities.

You can find specific information on the ASR website. If you have questions about FERPA and what information can be shared, please contact ferpa@umn.edu.

Parchment admin platform upgrade

From October 3 to 4, our Parchment admin platform will be upgraded to combine the platforms for transcript and digital diploma services. The student ordering experience will remain the same, but there will be changes to student accounts, particularly for those who have previously created an account. Students who log in through MyU will not need additional account support. Students who previously created accounts will need to create a new one, which will be updated by OTR/One Stop with a student ID for an order to be completed.

Upgraded functionality will include:

• Improved tracking and support for digital diplomas
• Third-party ordering for external requesters/institutions

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 updated Makeup Work for Legitimate Absences policy and the Makeup Work FAQ. Reasonable accommodations must be made for students who have legitimate absences, including:

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

The Student Conduct Code was also updated, which went into effect on July 1, 2022. Significant revisions include an updated definition of scholastic dishonesty to include unauthorized use of learning support platforms. This information should be included in a course’s syllabus so students are able to understand the standards, expectations, and reference techniques appropriate to the subject area and class requirements, including internet use and group work.

FERPA Q&A

Q: Our department is planning to hire student employees for the upcoming semester. We need to verify enrollment information. Can I look this up using the access I have?

A: No, you should not use your access for hiring related needs. The student should provide the information, and the same details should be asked of all applicants. If you have questions, please ask your human resources representative for assistance in obtaining the information.

Launch of One Stop websites

The redesigned One Stop websites launched on Monday, Jul 18, 2022. As we close out the project and move the One Stop websites into a product management process we hope to uphold the content strategy standards that have been used throughout the redesign project. Putting user research and testing at the forefront of any decisions about what to change on the site will be crucial in maintaining the site's objectives.

If you notice any issues on your campus One Stop website, have feedback or suggestions, please reach out to the appropriate contact for your campus.

CollegeSource Users Conference award

At the end of June, 11 University of Minnesota staff attended the 2022 CollegeSource Users Conference in San Diego, CA. CollegeSource is the company that maintains the uAchieve platform that runs APAS. While at the conference, the University of Minnesota System was selected for “Innovation in Advancing System-Wide Positive Student Outcomes” and presented with an award!

This best practice award recognizes the staff who work with uAchieve and the system-wide effort it took to make the Transfer Articulation and Degree Audit (TADA) project (completed in 2020) so successful. It highlights the work they put into the degree audit and transfer articulation best practices implementation during the TADA project, the continued work they do to maintain those best practices, and all the work they have done to make the transfer evaluation processes better for everyone. This was a large, system-wide effort from staff at all of our campuses, and it was a huge success due to everyone’s hard work and dedication to getting it done.

PeopleSoft Proof of Vaccination process expanded for fall 2022

On June 19, the University launched a PeopleSoft proof of vaccination process for students entering fall 2022 and those who had not complied with prior vaccination requirements.

Total compliance to date across the system is 89.7% with 10.3% not yet responding. Students who are vaccinated account for 95.6%, religious exemptions for 4.1%, and medical exemptions for 0.3%. Campus-level details are available to leadership on each campus.

• Beginning in August, students will receive weekly reminders until a hold is placed on their account restricting registration for spring 2023. Holds will be placed in October.
• If a hold is placed, students will need to submit vaccination details or have an approved exemption for the hold to be removed. This process will be run daily.

Information about boosters is not currently required. The Minnesota Department of Health offers tips for securing your vaccine records in the event of a lost vaccine card.

FERPA Q&A

Q: Can I email a student at an alternative address if they aren't responding to their University email?

A:  If a student is not responding to their University email, you may email an alternative address to request they check their University email account. However, you should not exchange private student data in the communication to an alternative email address. Without the University’s authentication, we cannot be assured that the email is accessed by the intended recipient.

One Stop soft-launch for staff

From July 1 to 18, links to the unpublished One Stop websites will be available on the One Stop website upgrade project page. These soft-launch links will allow university staff and faculty access to explore the unpublished redesigned One Stop websites for each campus. The soft-launch links will be available until the redesigned sites are “live” and published in place of the existing One Stop website on July 18, 2022.

As a reminder, the primary purpose of the soft-launch is to allow for staff exploration and self-directed learning before the sites are made public to students. Self-directed exploration of the site allows for:

• Self-paced learning
• Individual depth of knowledge needs
• Varied use cases

All project and soft-launch details can be found on the One Stop website upgrade project page.

Tuition data transitioning to UM Analytics

In early fall 2022, the Tuition Attribution Upgrade (TAU) project team will retire 11 tuition attribution UM Reports from the Reporting Center and transition tuition data into new UM Analytics dashboards. All historical tuition attribution data in the legacy data warehouse will remain available.

UM Reports being retired:

• Tuition Allocation Summary
• Tuition Campus/Organizational Summary
• Tuition Collegiate Summary
• Tuition Course Subject and Level Summary
• Tuition Course Summary
• Tuition Cross College Summary
• Tuition Cross College Detail
• Tuition Provostal Summary
• Tuition Registration Type Summary
• Tuition Section Summary
• Tuition Surcharge

This work is a continuation of the TAU project that launched new Tuition Attribution Summary and Tuition Surcharge Summary dashboards in January 2022. Both of those dashboards are currently available in the MyU Reporting Center > Student Services > Tuition drop-down menu. Contact Jaime Wascalus with any questions.

FERPA Q&A

Q: I accidentally emailed a student’s information to a coworker. I notified the recipient and asked them to disregard and delete the email. Do I need to do anything else?

A:  You took the right action by notifying the incorrect recipient of the error and asking them to delete it, but there’s still another step you need to take. If your coworker does not have a need for the specific information (even if they had access to it), you should email Information Security (security@umn.edu), and they will help determine any next steps, including if the student needs to be notified. Reporting potential FERPA violations is a key part of keeping students’ data safe and Information Security are great partners in helping us protect students’ rights. 

Join us for the One Stop website redesign demo

All university staff and faculty are invited to join a virtual event about the upcoming launch of the redesigned One Stop website. Join us for a demo of the site and learn how a user experience focus influenced the site’s redesign.

We will also provide details on how staff can participate in the upcoming soft-launch to familiarize themselves with the new website before it’s made public to students.

Register now

This event will be recorded and posted on the One Stop website upgrade project page so that anyone unable to attend will still have an opportunity to review all of the information.

FAFSA verification for 2022-2023 waived

Per the guidance issued on May 18, 2022 by the Department of Education, the current FAFSA verification process has been suspended for the 2022-2023 school year. Students who were selected for verification have been notified through a communication sent to their UMN email address. If your students have any questions about their financial aid, please direct them to contact One Stop Student Services.

Move to Williamson Hall

Academic Support Resources (ASR) recently moved offices out of Fraser Hall. ASR staff are now all located in 130, 140, and 160 Williamson. Our websites and forms have all been updated to reflect the new address change.

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.

Grade submission process and reminder

All grades are due by 11:59 p.m. on their due date. The grading due date for undergraduate and graduate regular session classes is Monday, May 16, 2022.

• For undergraduate grades, please remember to change any incomplete (I) grades you assigned in fall 2021 to final grades. Any undergraduate I grades from these terms will automatically change to an F if a final grade is not entered by the due date.
• I, K, and X grading symbols are special placeholders to be used in limited circumstances when a final grade can’t be entered at the time grades are due. These grading symbols can have negative consequences for students.

It is important to enter grades accurately and on time since it can affect the academic success of students. If any grade is left blank, it will be posted as NR (not reported) once the due date passes. After that, the process of grade entry becomes more complex as instructors will not be able to upload or import grades to change the NRs. They must individually change NR grades in Faculty Center.

One-time only late withdrawal

As a reminder, the one-time only late withdrawal can be used up to and including the last day of instruction for a course. However, students cannot withdraw after completing the final examination or its equivalent.

Gap year resources

For students considering a gap year, a new website with resources is now available. Compiled by career services staff across the University of Minnesota, Gap Year Resources covers the different benefits, considerations, and options of taking a gap year between college and graduation education or career.

This site is meant to be a resource that will be updated consistently, so it can stay current with new opportunities and ensure that guidance provided is in line with best practices.

FERPA Q&A

Q: What should you do if you receive a request to confirm a degree for a student in your program?

A: You have a couple of options. First, you can always direct these inquiries to the Office of the Registrar at otr@umn.edu. Second, if you want to verify this information you must first check if the student has a suppression on his or her record. If the student has a full suppression you cannot share any information about the student, including confirming whether they attended the university. If the student does not have a full suppression, you may release the information.

Fall 2022 appointment times

On Monday, March 28, registration appointment times will be posted for students in MyU, with fall 2022 registration beginning on Thursday, April 14. Students can find their appointment time by logging into MyU and selecting the "Academics" tab, then selecting the "Registration" sub-tab (how-to instructions are available). The registration times are available on One Stop.

If a student’s appointment time is incorrect, please contact One Stop Student Services (onestop@umn.edu) with the student's internet ID, student ID, and name. One Stop will verify if the appointment time is incorrect. If it is, the appointment can be manually adjusted for a particular student.

One Stop website upgrade update

The One Stop website upgrade is scheduled to go live in July, 2022. This upgrade from the Drupal 7 to Drupal 9 content management system will include a few key updates, including a transition to the central University Relations created Folwell design theme as well as some select feature updates based on student-centered usability testing findings. Early this summer, student services staff will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the new site before it goes live for students.

Vax 2.0 update

As a reminder, all students enrolled online or in-person must complete the Student COVID-19 Immunization Vaccination form. Students who have not completed the vaccination form have a registration hold preventing them from registering for fall 2022 classes and future terms. An automated process runs each night to remove holds for students who have completed their form or who have an approved exemption. For more information, see the Get the Vax 2.0 website.

FERPA Q&A

Q: A student reached out to me and is requesting all of their academic records. How should I respond?

A: Students are entitled by law to review portions of their records at the University and to request amendments of such records if the student believes they are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the privacy or other rights of the student. You can provide the records you maintain on the specific student, but if the student requests records from areas of the University, the recommended method is to refer students to the Data Request Center.

eBusiness Agreement

Starting March 6, all students will receive a pop-up message in MyU prompting them to to accept the Student Financial Obligations and Responsibility eAgreement. More information about the eAgreement is available on the One Stop website.

Exit counseling

Undergraduate students who will be graduating this spring and received student loans will be sent an email in early April with instructions to complete their exit counseling. A hold will be placed on their account if they do not complete it in a timely manner, so it is best for them to do it when they receive the email and to not wait.

New online Student Program Plan training course

Academic Support Resources (ASR) recently created a new online training course for the Student Program Plan. Previously, the training was done in-person and then shifted to self-guided training materials. The new course is now offered in Canvas in order to make it more efficient for learners and easier to keep up to date and track in Training Hub. Learners can self-enroll and complete it at their own pace.

The course takes 20-30 minutes to complete. Only new users who need to make updates to the Student Program Plan are required to take the course. Note that FERPA, Student Data Inquiry, and Student Data Update courses are prerequisites for this course.

FERPA Q&A

Q: A student has requested copies of emails between instructors and/or staff that includes their information. Do we have to provide that?

A: FERPA applies to all student education records as long as they are (1) identifiable to a particular student and (2) maintained by the university. University emails that discuss student(s) in an identifiable way meet this criteria. If a student made a request for ALL student records, emails about that student in umn.edu emails would be part of that request. It could also come up in the event of litigation.

Class permission numbers

January 31, 2022 is the last day to use class permission numbers for full semester and first 7-week session classes. Then, all class permission numbers are deleted from PeopleSoft for full semester and first 7-week session classes.

Class permissions become student specific beginning the third week and through the end of the term for full semester and first 7-week session classes. Please consult our User guide for Assigning student Specific Permissions.

Native American Tuition Promise Program update

Starting in fall 2022, the Native American Tuition Promise Program, which will provide financial support to first-year undergraduate students and transfer students from Tribal colleges who are enrolled citizens in one of Minnesota’s 11 federally recognized Tribal Nations, will be available to students. Work on the program is underway. A Jadu form for collecting students' tribal affiliation documentation is now live. Submissions will be reviewed by our financial aid staff. Information about the Native American Promise Tuition Program will also be added to the One Stop website for all system campuses.

The project team has shared the latest business process details and program updates with One Stop and financial aid staff, so campuses can help address any student or parent questions regarding the program. Communications about the program and eligibility criteria will be sent out to incoming and admitted students in the coming weeks. More information about the program is available on the Native American Promise Tuition Program website.

Caucus night February 1

Tuesday, February 1, 2022 is caucus night. Per Board of Regents resolution, the University may schedule classes or events on caucus night with the Board’s authorization. However, students and/or instructors are permitted to attend their party’s caucus night if they wish. Students must notify their instructor in advance, and instructors are expected to accommodate their requests. If enough students indicate that they will be attending their caucus so that holding class becomes impractical, instructors may cancel the class or make alternative arrangements.

Extended pause on student loan payments

The U.S. Department of Education recently extended the pause on student loan payments through May 1, 2022, which is a 3 month extension of what has been in place since the middle of 2020. This pause is really aimed at alumni and not currently enrolled students. Enrolled students who have unsubsidized Direct loans can see a benefit of no interest being assessed, as would normally happen. Interest will then resume as of May 1, 2022.

Students graduating in May need to understand that they need to do their Exit Counseling as usual since loans will be entered into repayment status as they normally do. Students with unsubsidized loans will only have interest that accrued prior to about June 2020 and interest accrued after May 1, 2022. They will need to consider this when determining what loan amounts they will have and how to best handle them after they graduate. Students and alumni can learn more at COVID-19 Emergency Relief and Federal Student Aid.

CARES update

The last round of CARES (HEERF III or ARP) funding for spring 2022 is scheduled for early-February. The primary focus will be block grants for low-income students, but a portion of the funds will be allocated to emergency grants for undergraduate students, which students can apply for by emailing onestop@umn.edu. More information is available on the One Stop website. Many students have already requested these funds since applications have opened. Graduate students are not eligible for emergency grants. However, institutional grant funds are still available for graduate students.

DegreeCat update

After a thorough RFP process that involved representation from all campuses and extensive testing for usability, Coursedog was selected as the vendor to replace ECAS, PCAS, and the University catalog.

Some highlights of Coursedog:

• Intuitive design with course and program workflow approval systems in the same interface with data deeply connected Ability to upload PDFs (e.g., syllabi) or other documentation
• System allows for publishing of accurate curricular data beyond the official catalog (e.g., department and collegiate websites, Admissions, major exploration tools, reporting tools)
• The product design approach makes it easier to implement configurations and handle University complexities
• University staff can easily configure workflows and forms without vendor support
• Robust reporting interface with features that allow for better reporting and data analysis

Updated project timeline

The implementation of Stellic—the new tool for graduation planning and schedule building—has been delayed. The initial timeline was created without a full understanding of the work required to have our system integrations working well. The project is prioritizing “getting it right” over “getting it done soon” because there is a need to establish trust in the system; we are taking the time to get accurate, actionable data into Stellic.

As before, a small group of University colleges and campuses—called Wave 1—will launch first. The new timeline for Wave 1 would have their students using Stellic as soon as May 2022. On the Twin Cities campus, CBS is in Wave 1. The rollout to remaining undergraduate students is targeted to be complete around the start of the fall 2022 semester. Regardless of when a college begins using Stellic, advisors will have access to the system prior to students in order to become familiar and comfortable with it.

Information about the project is available at DegreeCat Project and questions can be sent to degreecat@umn.edu.

Grade submission updates

Our grade submission statistics for fall 2021 were slightly improved from this time last year. The key areas we focus on are Not Reported or NR grades as these can have consequences for students' degree progress and financial aid. Thanks to everyone for their work and efforts this last fall. The grade submission counts for fall 2021 are available below:

• I: 1583
• K: 1186
• X: 1185
• NR: 1026

If you have questions or feedback for how we can improve the grade submission process, please contact Ingrid Nuttall at ingridn@umn.edu.

Juneteenth

Juneteenth has officially been approved as a systemwide No Classes Day effective this summer, which will be celebrated on Monday, June 20, 2022. There will be no classes on this day, but it is not currently designated as a University Holiday for faculty and staff. HR continues to work on these plans and more communications will be forthcoming.

February RAC meeting

Academic Support Resources will distribute written updates for February’s Registrar’s Advisory Committee (RAC) meeting and host drop-in, virtual office hours on Thursday, February 17, from 1:30 to 2:00 p.m. via Zoom. Please note that you do not need to schedule time to attend the virtual office hours. This will be a community session for those who attend and no preparation is needed other than your questions.

In addition, content will not be prepared by ASR representatives. It is intended as a place for you to come and ask any questions regarding the content provided in the written update. An email with the meeting information, updates, and Zoom link will be sent to all members of the RAC Google Group. This will also be added to the RAC’s Google calendar for further reference. Past RAC meeting minutes are available.

FERPA Q&A

Q: Should I add a confidentiality notice to my signature line in emails? I have noticed others at the University have done this.

A: Academic Support Resources advises against putting these statements in your emails. Notices like this do not carry legal weight outside of certain areas like attorney-client privilege, and we still need to follow our policy of reporting security incidents and notifying individuals involved in the event private data is misdirected. The University of Minnesota email accounts are secure and have authentication requirements to ensure security.