We have begun our annual campus visits with our first visit to the Crookston campus two weeks ago, and the Duluth campus visit is scheduled for the end of next week. These visits are whirlwinds. The face-to-face conversations are always full of interesting information and never fail to energize me. Just like I hope the information in this newsletter energizes you for the new academic year ahead.
Thursday, September 21, 2017
Eleanor's update (September 2017)
Another fall term has started, and all our various groups are steaming full speed ahead. There are a multitude of projects in the works, not the least of which is the CS PS 9.2 Upgrade with the phase 1 technical upgrade going live this weekend. You can read more about this below.
We have begun our annual campus visits with our first visit to the Crookston campus two weeks ago, and the Duluth campus visit is scheduled for the end of next week. These visits are whirlwinds. The face-to-face conversations are always full of interesting information and never fail to energize me. Just like I hope the information in this newsletter energizes you for the new academic year ahead.
We have begun our annual campus visits with our first visit to the Crookston campus two weeks ago, and the Duluth campus visit is scheduled for the end of next week. These visits are whirlwinds. The face-to-face conversations are always full of interesting information and never fail to energize me. Just like I hope the information in this newsletter energizes you for the new academic year ahead.
Sue's update (September 2017)
Fall term is off and running again. I love seeing the students on campus. It is always my favorite time of year with all the fall activities. The Board of Regents had their September session under their new format and I heard it went well. Lori Carrell, Interim Chancellor, UMR; Sandra Olson-Loy, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, UMM; and Robert McMaster, Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education, UMTC presented on the system-wide enrollment planning retreat.
The purpose of this item is to discuss the work of the System Enrollment Management Workgroup and seek strategic direction from the Board as the work moves forward. The discussion will address matching aspirations with resources, state and national enrollment environment, the University’s enrollment environment and challenges, alignment with the System-wide Strategic Plan Framework, and recommendations from the workgroup. Detailed information begins on page 39 of the MIS docket materials.
I am excited to be visiting the campuses with a few others. We went to Crookston first and we had an outstanding meeting. There was a lot of great discussion, terrific feedback, and I learned so much from everyone. I look forward to visiting the rest of you as well.
The purpose of this item is to discuss the work of the System Enrollment Management Workgroup and seek strategic direction from the Board as the work moves forward. The discussion will address matching aspirations with resources, state and national enrollment environment, the University’s enrollment environment and challenges, alignment with the System-wide Strategic Plan Framework, and recommendations from the workgroup. Detailed information begins on page 39 of the MIS docket materials.
I am excited to be visiting the campuses with a few others. We went to Crookston first and we had an outstanding meeting. There was a lot of great discussion, terrific feedback, and I learned so much from everyone. I look forward to visiting the rest of you as well.
OIT annual data center maintenance outage/WBOB outage
OIT has announce it’s annual outage dates for the first weekend of January 2018. This service outage currently includes PeopleSoft and other applications. View affected services.
System-wide strategic plan update
The completion of a system-wide strategic plan incorporating an academic program investment strategy and a long-term financial framework is one of the Board’s priorities for the year ahead. President Kaler provided an update on the system-wide strategic planning at the September Board of Regents meeting. He plans to appoint a Strategic Planning Oversight Committee, which will coordinate planning efforts around five strategic focus areas:
- Research and discovery
- Outreach and public engagement
- Teaching and learning
- Medicine and health
- Supporting the mission
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) proposed rule struck down
On August 31 the Obama-era-proposed rule making millions of more Americans eligible for overtime pay was struck down on the basis the Labor Department set an excessively high salary threshold to determine which employees are exempt from overtime. US District Judge Amos Mazzant’s ruling affects an estimated 4.2 million workers who would have been eligible for time-and-a-half wages for each hour they put in beyond 40 a week.
The decision was widely anticipated after Mazzant granted a preliminary injunction in late November, blocking the Obama administration’s effort to extend overtime pay to millions more workers, after 21 states and dozens of business groups asserted that the rule was unlawful and would cause them irreparable harm. The new rule would have taken effect on December 1, 2016.
The decision was widely anticipated after Mazzant granted a preliminary injunction in late November, blocking the Obama administration’s effort to extend overtime pay to millions more workers, after 21 states and dozens of business groups asserted that the rule was unlawful and would cause them irreparable harm. The new rule would have taken effect on December 1, 2016.
Multi-institutional enrollment process review underway
A system-wide group has been convened and is meeting monthly to review the multi-Institutional enrollment process. Some of the areas of concern being tackled relate to the timing of the tuition adjustments, the need to update participation information and the application, and a thorough review of the program and processes to provide transparency and access to information for both staff and students. Already implemented this fall, tuition adjustments were done earlier, and several public queries were created to assist staff in identifying program participants. Look for updates in the future as work continues.
New OCM website to launch in October
The Office of Classroom Management (OCM) will launch their newly designed website on Tuesday, October 3. The site's domain will remain the same (www.classroom.umn.edu), however specific page URLs will change. When the site launches there will be redirects (instances that redirect your browser from one URL to another) in place for commonly accessed pages so you can continue to find what you need. Additionally, a feedback form for the new site will be available.
The site has a new menu structure for better navigation and pages with streamlined content. Content includes classroom technology instructions, scheduling applications, and information about Classroom Technical Services (CTS) including audio/visual equipment design and installation information.
OCM's new site has been built on the Drupal 8 content management system and provides a better mobile experience for users. It is the first ASR website to use Drupal 8, the latest version of the University's preferred content management platform.
The site has a new menu structure for better navigation and pages with streamlined content. Content includes classroom technology instructions, scheduling applications, and information about Classroom Technical Services (CTS) including audio/visual equipment design and installation information.
OCM's new site has been built on the Drupal 8 content management system and provides a better mobile experience for users. It is the first ASR website to use Drupal 8, the latest version of the University's preferred content management platform.
9.2 Technical Upgrade go-live information
A period of system downtime is necessary to complete the first phase of the PeopleSoft Campus Solutions 9.2 Upgrade. PeopleSoft Campus Solutions and related systems will be unavailable starting 9:00 a.m. Saturday, September 23. Work is anticipated to be complete and systems available again at noon Sunday, September 24. Please review the full details on system availability and make sure your colleagues are aware of how the planned outage may impact their work.
When systems are restored Sunday afternoon, users will notice minimal changes (restricted to look and feel). Preview these changes.
Those who use PeopleSoft frequently may need to clear their browser cache and cookies when logging in for the first time after the upgrade is complete.
When systems are restored Sunday afternoon, users will notice minimal changes (restricted to look and feel). Preview these changes.
Those who use PeopleSoft frequently may need to clear their browser cache and cookies when logging in for the first time after the upgrade is complete.
System Registrar Council updates (September 2017)
Improving the diploma service
Before the end of spring 2017 we sent out a message to students who were earmarked to graduate at the end of the term. The communication was sent to confirm the address to which their diploma would be mailed, as well as instructions on how to change it. The communication resulted in nearly 20% fewer inquiries about diplomas in the two months that followed. For fall 2017, we plan to add each student’s diploma name to the communication with a goal of improving timely, accurate diploma delivery.
Selecting a transcript vendor
As required by the Board of Regents, an RFP was issued since our contract with Parchment was set to expire February 18. Members of Academic Support Resources (ASR) and the System Registrar Council (SRC) carefully reviewed the vendor proposals and decided that Parchment would continue to best serve students. Later this fall, the University will transition to Parchment’s “in-network workflow” that will streamline ordering, especially for students sending records to AMCAS and other CAS sites.
Academic policy updates
The System Registrar Council (SRC) is currently reviewing several policies including the Grading & Transcripts policy and a draft policy related to preferred name and gender identity at the University. Several policies are due for comprehensive review this year, including Using Email as Official Student Communication and Withholding Diplomas and Official Transcripts.
Before the end of spring 2017 we sent out a message to students who were earmarked to graduate at the end of the term. The communication was sent to confirm the address to which their diploma would be mailed, as well as instructions on how to change it. The communication resulted in nearly 20% fewer inquiries about diplomas in the two months that followed. For fall 2017, we plan to add each student’s diploma name to the communication with a goal of improving timely, accurate diploma delivery.
Selecting a transcript vendor
As required by the Board of Regents, an RFP was issued since our contract with Parchment was set to expire February 18. Members of Academic Support Resources (ASR) and the System Registrar Council (SRC) carefully reviewed the vendor proposals and decided that Parchment would continue to best serve students. Later this fall, the University will transition to Parchment’s “in-network workflow” that will streamline ordering, especially for students sending records to AMCAS and other CAS sites.
Academic policy updates
The System Registrar Council (SRC) is currently reviewing several policies including the Grading & Transcripts policy and a draft policy related to preferred name and gender identity at the University. Several policies are due for comprehensive review this year, including Using Email as Official Student Communication and Withholding Diplomas and Official Transcripts.
System Student Finance Council updates (September 2017)
Recent Nelnet payment issues
Two issues with payments were presented over the weekend of September 16-17, 2017 that relate to the University’s payment gateway, Nelnet. The first issue was response time of the system. The 16th was the first billing due date for the Twin Cities and the 18th was the first billing due date for Duluth, so unfortunately there was a great deal of activity in the payment gateway. When encountering the problem with slow response time, some payers tried multiple times to make a payment in order to meet the due date which resulted in actual multiple payments. The fiscal unit in OSF is busy cleaning up multiple duplicate payments. Nelnet and the University are working together to investigate the cause of this performance issue.
The second issue was related to bank routing numbers, and was more short-lived. On Monday morning, September 18, some users encountered error messages when they tried to update a bank routing number. The issue was resolved by 9:15 a.m. and users in Duluth were able to make their payments successfully.
Students impacted by hurricanes Harvey and Irma
As a result of hurricanes Harvey and Irma, all campuses have been given a list of University students from Louisiana, Texas, and Florida to consider proactively taking action to help those impacted. The Twin Cities campus has decided to place a ‘suppress late fee’ service indicator on these students for fall semester. If students from the affected areas continue to experience financial difficulty in spring, the Twin Cities Office of Student Finance will re-examine this issue.
Two issues with payments were presented over the weekend of September 16-17, 2017 that relate to the University’s payment gateway, Nelnet. The first issue was response time of the system. The 16th was the first billing due date for the Twin Cities and the 18th was the first billing due date for Duluth, so unfortunately there was a great deal of activity in the payment gateway. When encountering the problem with slow response time, some payers tried multiple times to make a payment in order to meet the due date which resulted in actual multiple payments. The fiscal unit in OSF is busy cleaning up multiple duplicate payments. Nelnet and the University are working together to investigate the cause of this performance issue.
The second issue was related to bank routing numbers, and was more short-lived. On Monday morning, September 18, some users encountered error messages when they tried to update a bank routing number. The issue was resolved by 9:15 a.m. and users in Duluth were able to make their payments successfully.
Students impacted by hurricanes Harvey and Irma
As a result of hurricanes Harvey and Irma, all campuses have been given a list of University students from Louisiana, Texas, and Florida to consider proactively taking action to help those impacted. The Twin Cities campus has decided to place a ‘suppress late fee’ service indicator on these students for fall semester. If students from the affected areas continue to experience financial difficulty in spring, the Twin Cities Office of Student Finance will re-examine this issue.
System Financial Aid Council updates (September 2017)
Fall financial aid disbursement
The Office of Student Financial Aid disbursed nearly $220,000,000 during the first disbursements for fall term. These numbers represent the whole university system.
Perkins expiration getting closer
On September 14, a bipartisan Federal Perkins Loan Program Extension Act of 2017 was introduced in the Senate. The bill, identical to the extension bill introduced in the House in May, would extend the Perkins Loan Program for an additional two years. (Graduate and professional students would have Perkins eligibility restored for only the first of those two years.)
Without congressional action, the program will expire on September 30, but momentum for an extension is growing in Congress. The House extension bill has accrued 160 bipartisan co-sponsors. OSF will stay tuned for updates. An extension by September 30 is not likely, however, there is talk about attaching the extension to bills slated for passage in December. The loss of the Perkins loan program will have a direct and significant impact on our students as we deliver approximately $6.3 million to students each year.
Students who have been awarded Perkins loans this year must be enrolled full-time and complete all their required paperwork by mid-September so that the loan can be processed and disbursed by the September 29, 2017, ahead of the expiration deadline.
IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) is coming back
Come this October students and parents will again be able to fill out their FAFSAs with the help of the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT). The DRT is not required, but it helps to avoid errors that ultimately cause additional verification steps.
The DRT will be modified for the 2018-19 year to address privacy and security concerns by encrypting the taxpayer’s information, making it unviewable by the applicant. Schools and state agencies will continue to receive all of the tax return information transferred into the FAFSA via the DRT. The encryption solution is intended to strike a balance between ensuring the continued availability of the DRT and its many benefits, and protecting the privacy of personal information and maintaining the integrity of our tax collection system.
The Office of Student Financial Aid disbursed nearly $220,000,000 during the first disbursements for fall term. These numbers represent the whole university system.
Perkins expiration getting closer
On September 14, a bipartisan Federal Perkins Loan Program Extension Act of 2017 was introduced in the Senate. The bill, identical to the extension bill introduced in the House in May, would extend the Perkins Loan Program for an additional two years. (Graduate and professional students would have Perkins eligibility restored for only the first of those two years.)
Without congressional action, the program will expire on September 30, but momentum for an extension is growing in Congress. The House extension bill has accrued 160 bipartisan co-sponsors. OSF will stay tuned for updates. An extension by September 30 is not likely, however, there is talk about attaching the extension to bills slated for passage in December. The loss of the Perkins loan program will have a direct and significant impact on our students as we deliver approximately $6.3 million to students each year.
Students who have been awarded Perkins loans this year must be enrolled full-time and complete all their required paperwork by mid-September so that the loan can be processed and disbursed by the September 29, 2017, ahead of the expiration deadline.
IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) is coming back
Come this October students and parents will again be able to fill out their FAFSAs with the help of the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT). The DRT is not required, but it helps to avoid errors that ultimately cause additional verification steps.
The DRT will be modified for the 2018-19 year to address privacy and security concerns by encrypting the taxpayer’s information, making it unviewable by the applicant. Schools and state agencies will continue to receive all of the tax return information transferred into the FAFSA via the DRT. The encryption solution is intended to strike a balance between ensuring the continued availability of the DRT and its many benefits, and protecting the privacy of personal information and maintaining the integrity of our tax collection system.
Information Technology (IT) updates (September 2017)
Supplemental Class Search tool is retiring
The Supplemental Class Search will no longer be available as of September 23, 2017. The supplemental class search was built as a temporary solution for advisors and staff following the PeopleSoft upgrade in 2015.
Since then, new class search functionality has been added to Schedule Builder to replace the temporary solution. You may also continue to use the MyU/PeopleSoft delivered Class Search or other tools developed by colleges.
Feel free to provide feedback on the Schedule Builder Class Search via the comment form.
Student course enrollment data in UM Analytics—New!
Course enrollment data is available in the Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW) and is accessible via UM Analytics. Enterprise reports are now available to review enrollment trends and statistics.
In addition, users can write ad-hoc course enrollment analyses. More than 30 users have been identified and have access to the course enrollment data for a “soft launch” period, which will occur during fall 2017. During this time these lead users will use the delivered reports and data then provide feedback on whether they think it is ready for their campus, college, or administrative unit to use. These leader users will also help identify the other people who should have access in their area and what type of access they should have (report consumer or report author).
Custom Solutions
The Custom Solutions team is working with the Destiny One and SalesForce teams to build a data pipeline that will immediately display Destiny One activity in SalesForce. Destiny One clients such as Academic Health, Continuing Education, and others will use this for better interactions with their students. The team has just completed a proof-of-concept for project prioritization.
Destiny One
The Destiny One team has kicked off the integration effort with the Canvas team. The present deliverable includes a fit gap analysis of the web services available through Destiny and Canvas to deliver the capability to provision/add a student in canvas, enroll into a class, drop (as applicable), and return grades.
The Supplemental Class Search will no longer be available as of September 23, 2017. The supplemental class search was built as a temporary solution for advisors and staff following the PeopleSoft upgrade in 2015.
Since then, new class search functionality has been added to Schedule Builder to replace the temporary solution. You may also continue to use the MyU/PeopleSoft delivered Class Search or other tools developed by colleges.
Feel free to provide feedback on the Schedule Builder Class Search via the comment form.
Student course enrollment data in UM Analytics—New!
Course enrollment data is available in the Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW) and is accessible via UM Analytics. Enterprise reports are now available to review enrollment trends and statistics.
In addition, users can write ad-hoc course enrollment analyses. More than 30 users have been identified and have access to the course enrollment data for a “soft launch” period, which will occur during fall 2017. During this time these lead users will use the delivered reports and data then provide feedback on whether they think it is ready for their campus, college, or administrative unit to use. These leader users will also help identify the other people who should have access in their area and what type of access they should have (report consumer or report author).
Custom Solutions
The Custom Solutions team is working with the Destiny One and SalesForce teams to build a data pipeline that will immediately display Destiny One activity in SalesForce. Destiny One clients such as Academic Health, Continuing Education, and others will use this for better interactions with their students. The team has just completed a proof-of-concept for project prioritization.
Destiny One
The Destiny One team has kicked off the integration effort with the Canvas team. The present deliverable includes a fit gap analysis of the web services available through Destiny and Canvas to deliver the capability to provision/add a student in canvas, enroll into a class, drop (as applicable), and return grades.
Crookston updates (September 2017)
Inauguration of new chancellor
Looking ahead, April 6 has been selected for the inauguration of the sixth chancellor of the University of Minnesota Crookston, Mary Holz-Clause. Mark your calendars.
Interim director of student financial aid named
Renee Mulcahy has been named interim Director of Office of Student Financial Aid.
Interim director of student financial aid named
Renee Mulcahy has been named interim Director of Office of Student Financial Aid.
Duluth updates (September 2017)
Student Financial Services (SFS) welcomes Ann Ozan as the third party billing and refunding specialist. Ann comes to SFS from the Athletic Ticketing Office at UMD.
Morris updates (September 2017)
September 29 is the inauguration of Chancellor Behr
The University community is invited to attend the inauguration of Michelle Behr as the sixth chancellor of the University of Minnesota Morris. Prior to the ceremony, you can share your best wishes for Chancellor Behr online or on social media using #celeBEHRtion. Messages will be shared during the celebration. RSVP by September 5 to attend.
Kudos
The University community is invited to attend the inauguration of Michelle Behr as the sixth chancellor of the University of Minnesota Morris. Prior to the ceremony, you can share your best wishes for Chancellor Behr online or on social media using #celeBEHRtion. Messages will be shared during the celebration. RSVP by September 5 to attend.
Kudos
- The University of Minnesota, Morris has been recognized as one of Sierra magazine's top 40 "Cool Schools" for 2017.
- Morris also earned a 2017 Minnesota Climate Adaptation Award by the Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership (MCAP). Way to go, Morris!
- And this just in: US News & World Report has again named the University of Minnesota Morris one of the nation's Top 10 Public Liberal Arts Colleges.
Rochester updates (September 2017)
UMR welcomes new Raptors
With UMR welcoming its largest incoming class of more than 225 students, campus has been buzzing with excitement. New Raptors participated in many Welcome Week activities to get them acclimated to the UMR community.
Staffing updates
With UMR welcoming its largest incoming class of more than 225 students, campus has been buzzing with excitement. New Raptors participated in many Welcome Week activities to get them acclimated to the UMR community.
Staffing updates
- With Chancellor Stephen Lehmkuhle’s retirement in August Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Lori Carrell has been named interim Chancellor. The Chancellor search committee kicks off this week.
- With Laura Walker’s departure interim coverage has been put in place, while Rochester takes this opportunity to reevaluate staffing structures.
- One Stop counselor Andrea Berger will be overseeing One Stop for UMR and will manage student financial aid.
- Center for Learning Innovation (CLI) Administrative Director Jenny Casper will be overseeing student records and will manage registration and enrollment.
Twin Cities updates (September 2017)
Helping U: Students helping students navigate the U
One Stop Student Services and the Office for Student Affairs have partnered together to enhance the Helping U desk in Bruininks Hall.
At the Helping U desk, student-staff have been trained to connect fellow students to University-based resources such as academic support, career help, and health services. The desk is open M-F 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Find Twin Cities Campus Study Spaces
Study Space Finder is a new service for students that includes images, building features, and study locations on the Twin Cities campus. The project is a collaboration among the Office of Classroom Management, University Libraries, Student Unions, the Office of Information Technology, AHC Classroom Services, and University Services. Email studyspacefeedback@umn.edu with questions about the website.
One Stop Student Services and MyU Portal start-of-term statistics
This year proved to be just as busy as previous years in One Stop Student Services. For the two of the busiest weeks of the year (the week before classes and the first week of classes), the volumes of calls answered, emails sent, and in-person counseling contacts were similar to last year’s volumes. In total (phone, email, and in-person), One Stop staff handled approximately 8350 contacts during the 5-day week before classes, and about 8900 contacts during the 4 days of the first week of classes.
While there are always ups and downs with the wait times throughout any given day, the average wait times for our phone queues reflected significant decreases compared to last year. For the week before classes, the phone wait times averaged 2 minutes on Queue 1 (general questions answered by student employees) and averaged 4 minutes on Queue 2 (more complex questions answered by full-time staff). This is up to a 5 minute decrease in wait times compared to last year. However, walk-in counseling wait time averages increased somewhat this year. Start of the term system performance and availability issues impacted our volumes and wait times.
The MyU Portal had increases in the number of sessions, page views, and users for the first day of the fall semester compared to last year at this same time. On the first day of fall term, there were 110,764 unique users in MyU.
Staffing Updates
One Stop Student Services and the Office for Student Affairs have partnered together to enhance the Helping U desk in Bruininks Hall.
At the Helping U desk, student-staff have been trained to connect fellow students to University-based resources such as academic support, career help, and health services. The desk is open M-F 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Find Twin Cities Campus Study Spaces
Study Space Finder is a new service for students that includes images, building features, and study locations on the Twin Cities campus. The project is a collaboration among the Office of Classroom Management, University Libraries, Student Unions, the Office of Information Technology, AHC Classroom Services, and University Services. Email studyspacefeedback@umn.edu with questions about the website.
One Stop Student Services and MyU Portal start-of-term statistics
This year proved to be just as busy as previous years in One Stop Student Services. For the two of the busiest weeks of the year (the week before classes and the first week of classes), the volumes of calls answered, emails sent, and in-person counseling contacts were similar to last year’s volumes. In total (phone, email, and in-person), One Stop staff handled approximately 8350 contacts during the 5-day week before classes, and about 8900 contacts during the 4 days of the first week of classes.
While there are always ups and downs with the wait times throughout any given day, the average wait times for our phone queues reflected significant decreases compared to last year. For the week before classes, the phone wait times averaged 2 minutes on Queue 1 (general questions answered by student employees) and averaged 4 minutes on Queue 2 (more complex questions answered by full-time staff). This is up to a 5 minute decrease in wait times compared to last year. However, walk-in counseling wait time averages increased somewhat this year. Start of the term system performance and availability issues impacted our volumes and wait times.
The MyU Portal had increases in the number of sessions, page views, and users for the first day of the fall semester compared to last year at this same time. On the first day of fall term, there were 110,764 unique users in MyU.
Staffing Updates
- OTR welcomed two new employees on September 11
- Kate Hemmer is our new Assistant Registrar who joins us from Marquette University.
- Theresa Nelson joins as a Graduate Education Records Specialist from Student Counseling Services here at the U.
- ASR IT
- Nathan Carlson joined the Destiny One support team on September 18. He comes to us from Metro State.
- After 36 years of service to the University, Linda Miza retired on September 1. In her business analyst role Linda was a valuable member of the student records team, extremely knowledgeable, and always willing to assist others. We wish her well in her future endeavors.
- Sherief Elabbady from the Student Data and Analytics team left the University to take a role with Land O’Lakes. His last day was August 25.
- Debbie Gillespie from the Custom Solutions team left ASR to take a role with Particle. Her last day was September 20.
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