Go to the U of M home page

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Managing & viewing rows

When opening a page in PeopleSoft with multiple rows, the most current or future row is always displayed. To see other rows, use the small arrows in the upper right hand corner of the page to display one at a time or all of the rows at once. If you add a row in the "view all mode", it will always put the row you are adding below the row you have clicked the "add row" button on. This can be especially confusing to new users and new student employees as it may place the row out of their sight. We suggest working in the "view one" mode so that any new row is always placed in front and is more easily seen.


Access Request Form Process

The Office of Information Technology (OIT) Data Security Office has updated the Access Request Form (ARF) process. Now, requestors must first complete a PDF document for the system or data to which access is needed. That document is then attached to an electronic ARF which is submitted through ServiceNow. Instructions are on the OIT Data Security web page. For assistance with the new process, contact 1-HELP, or 612 301-4357.

Online Student Data Update training

The Academic Support Resources (ASR) Training Team recently launched a Student Data Update (SDU) Online training course that may be used in lieu of in-person SDU training. SDU training is necessary to be granted update access in PeopleSoft. Registration for online training began Monday, December 16.

Registration and training will take place in ULearn, the University's Learning Management System (LMS) that allows for administration, tracking, and reporting of training content. The online training course will take approximately 60-90 minutes to complete. Following confirmation of having completed the training course, as well as submitting the Access Request Form, access to update data in PeopleSoft will be granted.

Online training provides users with a self-paced environment, and it can be re-launched for future use. In-person SDU training will still be available, but it is no longer the required format. Registration for both in-person and online training will be in ULearn.


Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Upcoming Trainings & Opportunities (January 2014)

Student Data Inquiry
Available any time via online training through ULearn

Student Data Update
Available any time via online training through ULearn, also
Wednesday, February 5, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Program/Plan Process
Thursday, January 23, 10 a.m.-12 noon
Thursday, February 20, 10 a.m.-12 noon

Registration
Wednesday, February 19, 10 a.m.-12 noon

Electronic Course Scheduling (ECS)
Thursday, February 13, 9 a.m.-12 noon

For a complete list of upcoming SR trainings and opportunities, and to register for upcoming sessions, please visit ULearn off the UMN Employee Self-Service page.

Have you set your User Defaults?

From the main menu go to: Set Up SACR > User Defaults. We recommend that you at least set the institution (e.g. UMNTC) as a default. Once set-up, the user default will automatically populate its field on all pages which contain the field, saving you time while still allowing you to overwrite the default on the page if needed. Many defaults are available and could save you some time and keystrokes. (Think ECS, where institution, term, and subject are required search fields; these can be set as user defaults. Just remember that you'll need to keep your defaults up-to-date when the term or something else changes.)

A glimpse of the future

Heather Micek and Amanda Miklik presented to the Academic Advising Network (AAN) earlier this month. They did a short demonstration of two new self-service "centers" in PeopleSoft 9.0-- Advisor Center and Faculty Center--and fielded questions about some of the upcoming changes (and what is staying the same) with ESUP. If you have a regular meeting in your college or department and would like a similar demonstration, email esup@umn.edu.

End of IDP

The Student work stream has completed the meetings involved with IDP and is wrapping up work associated with the governance process. The next phase is the technical development and testing. Because decisions have been made and approved through governance, more information will be steadily available on the "What's Changing" page of the ESUP website. Some recent updates include FERPA and Final Grading. Check back regularly for more updates!


Phasing Out In-Person Student Data Inquiry Training

In September, the Student Data Inquiry (SDI) course began being offered online. Following this change, attendance at our in-person classes has dropped to the point where we will no longer be scheduling the in-person version of SDI class beginning in January. Please remember that we are always more than happy to accommodate the needs that you or your staff may have with this or any other training. Please feel free to contact us to discuss your training needs.

Student Data Update to go online!

The online version of Student Data Update (SDU) training is very close to going live. We anticipate its launch by mid-December, and may be completed in lieu of in-person SDU. Just like the in-person version, online SDU training will focus on adding, removing, and updating data on the following PeopleSoft pages:


  • Service Indicators

  • Term Activation

  • Student Groups

  • Student Advisor

  • Class Permissions

  • Addresses



Benefits of the online version include the ability for staff to complete training for only those business processes/PeopleSoft pages that are relevant to his or her job. Another benefit is the ability of staff to revisit all or part of these tutorials following the completion of training. In-person SDU training will continue to be offered, although fewer sessions will be scheduled. Staff who have already completed SDU training will not need to complete it again. Expect more communication about the launch of online SDU training in the near future, as details become available.


Thursday, October 17, 2013

The dreaded red field!

Have you ever been on a page in PeopleSoft with fields turning red and you cannot save, go forward, backward, or correct your miss-entry? No problem! Click the "Return to Search" button at the bottom of the page. You will get a message telling you the changes must be saved, which you can respond to by clicking the "Cancel" to continue button. This clears everything out allowing you to start anew.


Training and UPK presented at Town Hall meeting

The ASR training team presented its plans for ESUP training at the student records Town Hall meeting. Topics included our training approach, the estimated training timeline, and training tools--including a demo of the User Productivity Kit (UPK). We also gathered input from those who attended on what they'd like training to look like for ESUP.


Upcoming Trainings & Opportunities (November 2013)

ESUP SR Town Hall
The next ESUP Student Records Town Hall will be November 8 and will be a wrap up of the IDP phase.

Student Data Inquiry
  • Available any time via online training through ULearn
  • - or-
  • Thursday, October 29, 9-11:30 a.m. (in-person classroom option)
  • Tuesday, November 5, 9-11:30 a.m. (in-person classroom option)
  • Tuesday, November 19, 9-11:30 a.m. (in-person classroom option)

  • Student Data Update
  • Wednesday, November 6, 10 a.m.-12 noon
  • Tuesday, November 19, 1-3 p.m.

  • Program Plan Process
  • Thursday, November 21, 10 a.m.-12 noon

  • Registration
  • Tuesday, October 22, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
  • Wednesday, November 20, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

  • ECS - (Electronic Course Scheduling)
  • Thursday, November 14, 9 a.m. - 12 noon


  • For a complete list of upcoming SR trainings and opportunities, and to register for upcoming sessions, please visit ULearn off the UMN Employee Self-Service page.

    Scheduling U in November

    As part of the Office for Classroom Management's (OCM) Scheduling U series, the ASR training team will be leading a session for ECS users entitled How to make Astra work for you. You may already know how to use Astra Schedule to request an event or to view a calendar, but there is a lot more that it can do for you. Learn how to navigate the new system-wide scheduling tool to find information faster by using filters, saving searches, and running ad hoc reports to make class scheduling easier.

    We're not experts on Astra, but in collaborating with OCM staff we found a few neat Astra tricks that we'd like to share with you, such as how to quickly search for sections that don't have an instructor assigned (may make grading go easier in December!) and when/where your final exams are scheduled.

    More information on Scheduling U, including session dates and times are available here.


    Wednesday, September 18, 2013

    Avoid Errors by Using the Tab Key

    After entering data in a PeopleSoft field, tab out of the field by hitting the Tab key. This keystroke refreshes the page, confirms you've entered a valid value for that field, and displays the description of the value you've entered. All of this helps you catch errors before you save your changes!

    New Member on the Training Team

    Amanda Miklik joined the training team on Friday, August 30. She is a new employee at the University of Minnesota, coming to us after working in student services at Saint Paul College for nine years. Amanda received her M.Ed. in Learning Technologies with an emphasis on Multimedia Design and Development from the University and has over five years of training experience. She will be working with the training team to develop excellent online trainings as well as coordinating online training and engagement for ESUP in the future.

    Online Student Data Inquiry training

    The Training Team is in the final stages of developing a Student Data Inquiry (SDI) tutorial that may be used in lieu of in-person SDI training. Staff and faculty will be able to begin registering for online training on Monday, September 30.

    Registration and training will take place in ULearn, a Learning Management System (LMS) that allows for administration, tracking, and reporting of training content. The online training video and related activities will take approximately 40-60 minutes to complete and will include information regarding FERPA and a short interactive quiz. Following confirmation of having completed these steps, as well as submitting the Access Request Form, PeopleSoft access will be granted.

    Online training provides users with a self-paced environment, and it can be re-launched for future use. In-person training will still be available, but it is no longer required. Registration for both in-person and online training will be in ULearn.

    Upcoming Training's & Opportunities (October 2013)

    SR Town Hall
    Friday, September 27, 8:30-10 a.m. - Portal demonstration
    Friday, October 11, 8:30-10 a.m. - Training & UPK


    Student Data Inquiry (SR110C)
    Tuesday, September 24, 9-11:30 a.m
    Tuesday, October 1, 9-11:30 a.m.
    Wednesday, October 16, 9-11:30 a.m.
    Thursday, October 29, 9-11:30 a.m.


    Student Data Update (SR210C)
    Tuesday, September 24, 1-3 p.m.
    Wednesday, October 2, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
    Wednesday, October 16, 1-3 p.m.


    Program/Plan Process (SR220C)
    Tuesday, October 8, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.


    Registration (SR310C)
    Tuesday, October 22, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.


    ECS (Electronic Course Scheduling)
    Wednesday, September 25, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
    Thursday, October 17, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.


    For a complete list of upcoming SR trainings and opportunities, and to register for upcoming sessions, please visit ULearn off the UM Employee Self-Service page.



    Tuesday, August 27, 2013

    SRHelp workshops on hold

    There will be no SRHelp workshops this fall. The team will use that time to focus on the development of new training opportunities and online training options. We will resume these workshops spring semester with a new PeopleSoft 9.0 focus. In the meantime, if you need specialized training for yourself or your workgroup, please do not hesitate to contact us at srhelp@umn.edu or 612-625-2803.

    Friday, August 23, 2013

    Upcoming Trainings & Opportunities (September 2013)


    • The ESUP Academic Advisement Student Data Inquiry (SR110C)

    • Tuesday, September 10, 9-11:30 a.m.

      Tuesday, September 24, 9-11:30 a.m.


    • Student Data Update (SR210C)

    • Wednesday, September 11, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

      Tuesday, September 24, 1-3 p.m.


    • Program/Plan Process (SR220C)

    • Tuesday, September 17, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.


    • Registration (SR310C)

    • Thursday, September 19, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.



    • ECS (Electronic Course Scheduling)

    • Wednesday, September 25, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.




    For a complete list of upcoming SR trainings and opportunities, and to register for upcoming sessions, please visit ULearn off the UMN Employee Self-Service page.


    Have you ever....opened a new window in PeopleSoft?

    To open a new window in PeopleSoft, click on the "New Window" link in the upper right-hand corner. You may open two or more and toggle between them using the tabs at the top of the page.

    Contact Us

    SR Training & Support
    612-625-2803 or srhelp@umn.edu

    To be added or removed from this listserv, please email Kess Knight at knigh161@umn.edu.

    APLUS tutorials & job aid

    Does APLUS leave you feeling overwhelmed? This page has three tutorials and one job aid to assist you. APLUS is a system that helps those who work with students advise them more effectively by capturing a lot of relevant information in one place.

    When working in APLUS, you'll find:

    • A list of your advisees

    • Students' academic information (major, courses, credits, GPA, and more)

    • Alert & Warning indicators

    • A record of contacts with students and a place for notes

    • Interactive connection with Google calendar

    • Web scheduling capabilities



    So what is the ASR Training Update, anyway?

    The ASR Training Update is a monthly newsletter of assorted Student Records Training & Support Team initiatives, general updates, tips & tricks, and other matters that may interest you.

    You can expect to receive this newsletter the third week of each month. News and events will be posted to the blog on a rolling basis, so make sure to check back occasionally for the most up-to-date information. All previous newsletter information will remain on the blog page; it's easy to go back and find what you're looking for.

    Student Administration Key Contacts, please forward this newsletter to staff members in your unit. If you know of someone who wants to be added to this listserv, please email Kess Knight at knigh161@umn.edu.


    Connect with ESUP

    The University of Minnesota system is upgrading PeopleSoft--its essential human resources (HRMS), student service, and financial systems--and re-examining related business processes to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness. The name of this effort is the Enterprise Systems Upgrade Program (ESUP). While the changes to PeopleSoft and associated processes won't take effect until late 2014, there are several ways you can be information and stay engaged with the work of ESUP now:


    • upgrade.umn.edu: a news blog maintained by ESUP containing news, updates, videos, and indepth stories on all of ESUP.

    • z.umn.edu/esupstudent: the Student work stream website. You can also join the ESUP Student update group to receive weekly emails with updates and news on progress.

    • z.umn.edu/portal: the Portal website, kept up-to-date with news and information related to the new enterprise portal--the new front door to PeopleSoft tools and resources

    • Student Records Town Hall meetings: the Student Records work group has regular in-person meetings to discuss progress and seek feedback on their work.