Appointment Entry Job Aids Revised

Four newly revised job aids for Appointment Entry have been posted on the Upgrade Training and Education page. Click on the Human Resource Systems tab, then Core HR > Appointment Entry.

Here are direct links to the revised job aids, along with brief descriptions of what has changed:

1. In the Academic Temp/Casual Appointments job aid, UNS information has been removed.
2. The Person of Interest - Other Payee job aid is now called “ Entering UNS Appointments ," and it includes a revised process.
3. The Summer Appointments in HRMS job aid has been heavily revised.
4. The Hire a Graduate Student/Assistant/TA/RA into a Non-Posted Job aid was updated to include information on teaching assistants and research assistants.

Look for more revised job aids in the next week.

‘Navigating Payroll in 9.2: Part 2’ event scheduled for Friday

The successful completion of the first University payroll using electronic time and absence reporting was a significant milestone. Understandably, it also raised many questions throughout the system. “Navigating Payroll in 9.2: Part 2,” an in-person conversation and online meeting, is designed to clarify points of confusion and provide answers to some common questions. The event will be held on this Friday, May 15, from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. in the 3M Auditorium at Carlson School of Management on the West Bank. You can also attend the meeting online. The event number is 748949912.

The presentation will center on topics related to time and absence reporting and the payroll process. It will also include a helpful graphic that shows the pay cycle from start to finish. Refreshments will be provided.

Update on the U’s Employment Website

A refinement is planned to improve the user experience with the University’s new employment website’s search capabilities. Within the next several weeks, applicants will be able to search by college and job family. Also, the U of M business summary at the top of each job description will be moved to the footer so applicants can read the posting without interruption.

The downtime during the cutover period to the 9.2 system also produced a backlog of new job postings. These are a high priority for the Job Center, and new positions are being posted as fast as possible.

Updates on requisitions, PCard processes, justifications

Expense Preparers
If you are an Expense Preparer, please start in the Expense Report (skip My Wallet). My Wallet is designed for people who are cardholders only—those who are not Expense Preparers.

Expense Preparers can print a step-by-step guide on how to reconcile PCard transactions using the Expense Report. This Job Aid can be found here.

Description Field

PCard transaction justifications should be added in the Description field either in My Wallet (by the cardholder) or in the Expense Report (by the Expense Preparer). The Description field allows 254 characters and the justification should focus on the Why. Special characters should not be used in the Description field because it will cause the printing of the PDF Expense Report to fail.

Attaching Backup Documentation or Additional Justification

Both My Wallet (for cardholders) and the Expense Report (for Expense Preparers) will accept multiple attachments. If 254 characters of description are not enough for a “why” justification and any ChartField strings, attach a document containing the additional information along with the receipt.

Processing Credit Transactions

Credit transactions require that a description be entered into the Credit Reference field so the activity will process. Please enter information about the original transaction in this field and click <Ok>. The credit transaction will already be added to a new Expense Report and will no longer show in the list of My Wallet transactions. Once you return to the list of My Wallet transactions you can select additional transactions and click <Done>. You will now have the credit and any other selected transactions on an Expense Report for you complete and submit for approval. A Job Aid on credit transactions can be found here.

Finding Lost Transactions

Anytime a PCard transaction is brought into an Expense Report (ER) the ER is saved and a number is added. If you decide to process the transaction at another time, that transaction is still assigned to an ER.

• If you are a cardholder and think you are missing transactions, you can search for all transactions in My Wallet by clicking on <Transaction Status> changing it to <All Transaction Status> and click <Search>. If the transaction has been assigned to an ER there will be an ER number in the ID field on the right side.
• If you are an EX Preprarer and need to search for missing transactions for a specific cardholder you should go to Employee Self-Service > Travel and Expense Center > Expense Reports > Create/Modify and search for an Existing Value and search by Empl ID. Most likely the missing transaction will be on a blank ER.

Using the new final grade entry process

As the semester continues after the launch of the Upgrade, many upgraded systems will be used for the first time. For example, in the next few weeks faculty, instructors, and their proxies will use the new final grading process. As part of the Upgrade, the University’s custom developed grade entry applications were retired and are no longer available. Faculty, instructors, and their proxies will now enter grades by utilizing the MyU: Teaching tab. Here are some highlights of the change and some helpful tips for grade entry.

Verify access to grade rosters

Faculty, instructors, and their proxies should verify that they have access to all of their assigned grade rosters before the last day of instruction. To do this, access your Faculty Center in the MyU: Teaching tab and view the Grade Rosters for the classes you teach. When grade rosters are created (generally about twelve days before the last day of the term), those with access will see an icon that looks like a person inside a square next to the class in Faculty Center. Click that icon to view the roster. If you do not see the grade rosters you expect, please contact your department scheduler.

Class rosters and grade entry for courses owned by the School of Public Health are available only through the School of Public Health grading system. Faculty within the Medical School and the Law School typically do not access their grade rosters electronically and should contact their administrative support if they have questions.

Uploading grades directly from Moodle

Final grades entered in Moodle can be transferred directly into the grade roster within the Faculty Center. This guide to uploading gradebooks from Moodle to the final grade roster in PeopleSoft outlines the process. Those using this option should make sure that the final grade roster has been created prior to uploading from Moodle. It is important to note that once the grades have been transferred, they still must be reviewed and approved in Faculty Center.

New “NR” grade replacing grades that are left blank

Once the grading deadline has passed, a new grading mark, NR (Not Reported), will be given to students who are not assigned a grade by their instructor. The NR will be treated like a blank grade was in the previous system (e.g., zero grade points, zero credits).

Additional resources available on One Stop Faculty website

How-to guides on entering grades, making changes to grades, and more are available in the Grades section of the One Stop Faculty website. Grading due dates, frequently asked questions, and grading and transcript policies are also available.

Tech tips

• A good first step for those encountering difficulties is to clear their browser’s cache.
• Browser type and version can affect grade entry. Those having trouble should try updating their browser or using another one. 
• Grade entry will work on mobile browsers (e.g., phones, tablets). Some pages have been designed to respond to multiple screen sizes, and some have not. Non-responsive pages should still function, but may be less aesthetically pleasing and could present anomalies. 

New University Employment Site Launched

The University of Minnesota new employment site is up and running and already it has 1,000 registrants and 198 created job openings. With the new system, applicants now have the ability to conduct a Basic or an Advanced Search. A Basic Search can be by keyword(s) or job opening ID (formerly known as the requisition number). An Advanced Search provides the ability to refine search options. This includes keyword(s), department name, job opening ID, regular or temporary, full-time or part-time, shift worked, and/or pay. Below are some tips for searching the new job site:

• Search by job opening ID, if possible. Using the job opening ID returns the specific job opening only.
• Use the Advanced Search – enter department name, if you know the name of the hiring department.
• Keep in mind that using multiple parameters may limit search results; consider searching by using one search parameter at a time (i.e. all full-time openings, all openings at a given location).
• Use generic key words to cast a broad net for job openings (i.e. cook, business, finance, teaching, research, service).

New system functionality allows applicants to save searches and receive notifications of new job postings that match their search results. Applicants must have entered an email address in the site’s personal application data to receive notifications via email. For more information about the new employment website, please contact the Job Center at 612-624-UOHR (612-624-8647 or 800-756-2363) or email employ@umn.edu.

Class search and course catalog information

University students, faculty and staff—as well as the public—can view the course catalog and class search information post-Upgrade.

Members of the public, and University students, faculty and staff can view the course catalog and class search at z.umn.edu/publiccoursecatalog and z.umn.edu/publicclasssearch. If you would like these links as favorites in MyU, select “Favorites” from the MyU header, then select “Add external link.” A window will open where you can add the desired URL.

Each campus has links for the course catalog and class search posted publicly:

• http://www.catalogs.umn.edu/  (information for all campuses)
• Crookston: http://www3.crk.umn.edu/onestop/registration/index.html
• Duluth: http://www.d.umn.edu/onestop/index.html (see the “Tools” section under “Quick Links”)
• Morris: http://onestop.morris.umn.edu/ (see the “Tools” section under “Quick Links”)
• Rochester: http://www.catalogs.umn.edu/rochester/index.html and http://r.umn.edu/one-stop/students
• Twin Cities: http://onestop.umn.edu/  (see the “Tools” section under “Quick Links”)

Another option faculty and staff have for similar information is the Course Enrollment Report (PDF) within the Reporting Center. That report can be used to:

• view schedule and enrollment information for classes offered within a subject area at an institution for a term
• monitor enrollments by class section 
• view reserve seat capacity
• view total number of enrolled students
• view percent full per section. (Combined section information is also listed below each class section).

Students 

Current students have the links for class search and course catalogs in MyU in the Academics tab. Students with questions can use the class search how to guide.

Faculty and instructors 

The links for class search and course catalogs will be available in your Teaching tab of MyU as soon as a technical issue is resolved. Additionally, if you navigate in MyU > Teaching tab > Faculty Center, you will find class search there. For more information, see the Faculty Center guide.

Advisers and other staff 

If you have the My Advisees tab, you will soon see links for the class search and course catalogs in this tab; those will be added once a technical issue is resolved. You can also favorite the public class search and course catalogs in MyU as described above.

Did you receive an error message? 

[The error described below has been fixed. If you are still experiencing problems, contact help@umn.edu.]
There was a technical issue for some faculty and staff that prevented the public class search and course catalog links from working when already logged into MyU. If you experience this issue, open the links in a browser where you are not logged into any University system (e.g. email, MyU, APLUS). This issue has been resolved.

Tips for using the new Class Search

• The default setting is to show only open courses. To see all courses, remove the check box for “Show open classes only.” We also recommend filling in the campus field if you do this. 
• To see online courses, use the “Mode of instruction” field near the bottom of the page.
• To see classes that are lectures, labs, or other formats, use the “Course Component” field near the bottom of the page.

If you have questions, please contact the ASR Training & Support Team at srhelp@umn.edu or 612.625.2803.

Supply & U Market Ordering

We are resolving problems with the requisition process regarding U Market orders and requisitions for non-U Market suppliers. Caused by a system defect, these issues are made worse by the high transaction volume. The two main issues are:

• "Page data inconsistent" errors when attempting to save/submit a requisition
• Invalid row number on requisition lines

Representatives from Oracle (the PeopleSoft software supplier), SciQuest (the U Market software supplier), and University staff are working around the clock to resolve these problems.

We have a large number of help tickets open for these issues and cannot respond to each individual inquiry. Once the issues are resolved, we will send an email to everyone.

Other known issues

Printing orders

Right now, no one other than a procurement specialist may print a PO. The email confirmation to Requisition Preparers has a broken link to print the PO. We are researching how to best address the issue.

The "missing" Modify Line Shipping Accounting button

We decided to remove this button from the system because Oracle replaced this feature with a new "mass change" button. Unfortunately, this does not work for any Oracle customers so they are working on fixing this as soon as possible. Once Oracle provides the update, we will roll it out to all requisition preparers so you can again modify more than one line at a time. We apologize for this inconvenience, affecting approximately 5% of University orders (even though it’s a small percentage, it is a large number of orders).

Catalog information not passing to supplier on PO

Please be aware that for a small number of orders, the catalog item number from the supplier is not being included on the PO. We are actively working on this issue. If additional steps are needed related to any of these orders, you will be contacted directly.

Lost U Market Carts

Helpful Tip: If you have lost a cart in U Market, log in to U Market, and then look for the shopping cart icon in the left-hand maroon bar. Select the cart, then select My Carts and Orders, then select View My Orders (Last 5 Orders). A list will appear of your last five orders.

Thank you for your patience while we resolve these issues related to our Upgrade.

Status messages for these and any other Upgrade-related issues are posted on upgrade.umn.edu.

Learning Labs for HR, Finance Staff Continue Through June

Open Learning Labs for Human Resources and Finance staff will continue through June in WBOB Room 531. The labs are drop-in sessions and offer a terrific opportunity to ask questions and work in the new system. No RSVP is required but would be appreciated from Finance staff to ensure enough trainers are available (email: orgeff@umn.edu).

Here is the current lab schedule. Please bring your own work examples and DUO token or smartphone to the labs to log-in to the production environment. Otherwise, there is a training environment with training ID log-ins and exercises that will be available.

The labs are being staffed by members of the Training Services team, and Business Process Owners often stop in to help answer more detailed questions. Please drop by one or more of the labs soon; plenty of space is available.    

Amanda Wolford (standing) of Training Services works
with Shannon Murphy during a recent HRMS Learning
Lab at the West Bank Office Building.

Q&A: My Wallet for EX Preparers and cardholders

Update: On April 26 a fix was put in place to address part of the problem of people being able to see unreconciled activity in My Wallet but not being able to see it on the Expense Report. There are two steps needed to address this, one is finished but there is one more step that is scheduled to take place on April 27 to complete the fix. If you are able to see unreconciled activity in My Wallet but not on the Expense Report, this should be resolved fully by April 28. Thank you for your patience.

Q: I know there are six transactions in My Wallet for a cardholder but the I (EX Preparer) can only see one transaction, why?

EX Preparers will not be able to see My Wallet transactions if the cardholder has checked any of the boxes (on the left side of each transaction) in My Wallet.  If this happens EX Preparers should contact the cardholder and ask them to uncheck all of the boxes.  

Q:  I am a cardholder and am wondering what is the checkbox for in My Wallet?

Cardholders should not check any of the boxes in My Wallet.  If any of the boxes are checked the EX Preparer will not be able to see the transaction to bring into an expense report to reconcile and submit for approval.

Once the boxes have been unchecked, the cardholder may need to click on the Expense Type icon and type in the description field in order to update and save the transaction.  The cardholder should click Return to Search and go back to My Wallet to ensure the check box is still unchecked.

Download a pdf detailing the fix. 

Upgrade your browser

Use the most recently released version of your browser to have the best experience with upgraded PeopleSoft applications. Every browser has some limitations -- see the Oracle Browser Compatibility Guide for details. 

Click here to learn how to upgrade your browsers.

Here are some of the known browser issues:

• Firefox and Chrome use rapid release update schedules and may experience anomalies until PeopleSoft adjusts for new versions. 
• PeopleSoft Applications may perform differently or exhibit different behavior between Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari browsers. 
• PeopleSoft will work on Mobile browsers, but not all pages have been designed to respond to multiple screen sizes. 

Learn how to use the Reporting Center

In the new Reporting Center in MyU, you will be able to access enterprise reports from UM Reports, UM Analytics, and PeopleSoft. Report categories include Finance, Research, Physical Asset Management, HR Management, and Student Services.

Find the following tips and more in this easy-to-use Anatomy of the Reporting Center:

• You can filter reports by title. 
• Put your commonly used reports in My Favorites by clicking the blue start next to the report title.
• Hovering over report titles will display descriptions and business rules.
• Clicking the "i" icon will open a Help document specific to that report.

Confirming Your PS Access in the Updated Systems

If you are able to view, but not to add or update content starting Monday, your access rights may have been modified during The Upgrade. First, ensure the following: 

• You have access to PeopleSoft. 
• You should see 'PeopleSoft' listed under 'Key Links', see image below.
• Did you take all training required before Go Live? 
• If not, access may be limited or revoked.
• Confirm your level of access with your supervisor.

If you have PeopleSoft access, took the required trainings, and confirmed with your supervisor that you should have add/update access, you will need to complete a new Access Request Form. For Student System (ASR) access concerns, contact srhelp@umn.edu.

How the class waitlist process will work after the Upgrade

The class waitlist process is undergoing some major process changes as a result of the Upgrade. We would like to provide some additional information and resources to guide you and your students through this transition.

Background

Currently, students usually find an alternate class, add themselves on the desired class waitlist if one exists, and wait for a spot to open up. If a seat becomes available, they would be invited to enroll in the class from the department offering the class. The invitation includes a permission number that allows them to register. With that in hand, they then have the opportunity to adjust their enrollment to avoid time conflicts before registering for the desired class.

What’s changing?

The new class waitlist process eliminates the invitation step and automatically enrolls students when seats open. Students will receive an email if they are successfully enrolled from the waitlist. However, this auto-enroll process will not complete if the student was added to the waitlist and is enrolled in another class that has a time overlap. Instead, they will receive a notification alerting them that there was a conflict. The student can then resolve the conflict by dropping the other class before the auto enroll process starts again.

Along with the auto-enroll class waitlist process, the University will begin using delivered functionality that allows students to have the system automatically drop them from a conflicting class if a seat becomes available for them. Rather than placing themselves to the waitlist from the “Add” function, they will use the “Swap” functionality in the enroll tab. This will place them on the waitlist (that can be prioritized by faculty or departments), but in a way that tells the system to drop them from the conflicting class if a seat becomes available for them in the desired class.

What’s the timeline?

• During the systems interruption (approximately April 10-20): Students will be unable to add or remove themselves from waitlists. An email will be sent the week of April 13 to Twin Cities students who are currently on a waitlist informing them that they will be unable to add or remove themselves from a waitlist during the system down time and what the process will be after the Upgrade. They will be directed to the how to guides on the One Stop website and to contact One Stop (or the Office of the Registrar in Crookston) with any questions. 
• After go-live (April 20): The new auto-enroll process will start on Friday, May 1 for the Twin Cities campus. Students on a waitlist approximately two days prior to this will receive an email stating that the process is about to start, and if they do not wish to be auto-enrolled, they need to remove themselves from the waitlist immediately.

Resources

For students

How to swap classes
How to future swap classes
How to enter a permission number
How to add yourself to a class waitlist

For staff and faculty

Waitlist and Auto-Enroll UPK

MyU Preview: Teaching Tab

MyU Preview is a series giving a peek into pages within the new MyU. Keep in mind that MyU content is still in development and some things will be updated between now and Go Live.

If you teach, after the Upgrade goes live, class permissions, grade rosters, class lists, and Moodle will be available in real time. The Faculty Center combines separate systems -- Final Grade System, Supplemental Grade System, and Midterm Alert System - for ease of operation, as well as the ability to import from Moodle. Click image to enlarge.

Previously:

• MyU Homepage (revised)
• Research Tab
• Faculty Career Tab
• Academics Tab 
• My Finances Tab
• HR Tabs
• Purchasing Tab
• U Finance Tab
• Reporting Center

Clearing Cache and Cookies

Sometimes your colleagues will not be able to access the new system pages. The most common cause for this problem will be un-cleared cache. This means that the computer is storing outdated snapshots of former web pages, and they need to be cleared out so the new pages can load.

Many times the fix is as simple as hitting the “Refresh” button. But if that doesn’t work, you can clear cache for a specific browser, and clear cookies too, by following the steps outlined in the online resources below.

How to Clear Cache and Cookies in Firefox

http://it.umn.edu/how-clear-cache-cookies-firefox

How to Clear Cache and Cookies in Safari

http://it.umn.edu/how-clear-cache-cookies-in-safari

How to Clear Cache and Cookies in Internet Explorer

http://it.umn.edu/how-clear-cache-cookies-internet

How to Clear Cache and Cookies in Chrome

http://it.umn.edu/how-clear-cache-cookies-chrome

Prepare for Cutover

Since The Upgrade involves updating several complex systems in sequence, the systems cutover period will be longer than previous upgrades. Scheduled for April 10 - 20, PeopleSoft and related systems will be unavailable or in view-only mode. Here is how to prepare:

Human Resource Systems

• Review HRMS cutover guide, timeline, and blog on HR systems impact.
• Take HR systems training as appropriate.

Finance Systems

• See cutover details for Finance Systems, such as purchasing and budget deadlines, urgent PCard purchases, and department procedure changes.
• Take Finance Systems training as appropriate.

Student Systems

• See Student Systems Cutover FAQs, which include information on registration, admissions, and transcripts.
• See student-related Key Dates & Deadlines and systems interruption details.
• Take Student Systems training as appropriate.

Portal (myU and MyU)

• The current myU will be available during cutover, but some linked systems may be down.
• View MyU training materials.

Reporting

• Read what to know about reports before, during, and after The Upgrade.
• View Reporting training materials.

Important Notice

The systems may be temporarily slow during the early days after launch because they are pulling in upgraded access profile information. Plus, the backlog of work will likely cause high traffic. So, expect things to take longer, and be patient as you learn new navigation and processes.

Improved recruiting and job search for candidates and managers

The Upgrade will usher in a better job search and hiring experience for applicants, employees, and hiring managers with new PeopleSoft functionality called Recruiting Solutions. Here are some of the benefits:

• Creating a position, posting a job, recruiting, hiring, and onboarding will be captured in a seamless process.
• More user-friendly search capabilities will improve the job seeker’s search and application process.
• Job seekers will also receive more frequent and personalized communications, and they can save their searches to use for future openings.
• Recruiters and hiring managers will have a dashboard that provides analytics about their job openings and easy navigation to review applicants and manage openings.
• After a hire takes place, the HR system will pre-populate data to streamline the process of creating a permanent position record that starts employment and helps trigger important onboarding activities, such as enrollment in the time and absence management system, assigning internet identification, obtaining parking, and other important tasks that support a successful start at work.
• University employees searching for jobs will use the new MyU portal, while external applicants will access Recruiting Solutions from the OHR website.
• Applicants who have previously used the University’s employment site don’t need to reapply after the upgraded systems launch, but everyone will need to re-register to apply for new jobs. To make it easier to re-register, print or digitally save past applications, résumés, references, or other application materials before April 10.

The New MyU for Employees

Take a look at new features and changes for employees in the new MyU.

Part 1 covers the basic features for employees: Announcements, My Time, My Pay, My Benefits, Purchasing, My Info, and Reporting Center.

Part 2 looks at features for those who have special roles at the U: managers, supervisors, advisers, instructors, researchers, and finance staff.

All of these features will be available at myu.umn.edu when the Upgrade goes live April 20th.

Brown Bags for FSUN members during cutover

The Financial Systems User Network (FSUN) will be hosting three brown bags during the Upgrade cutover. All three of these brown bags will be available to see in person or online. FSUN members can register online at z.umn.edu/fsun.

April 13, 2015 Uniform Guidance

Nicole Pilman, Uniform Guidance Implementation Coordinator, will be speaking from 1-2 pm on Monday, 4/13/15. This brown bag will be held at Anderson Hall RM 270. Some topics to be discussed include:

• Background on purpose of Uniform Guidance
• Overall implementation plan of Uniform Guidance
• Status of federal rollout of Uniform Guidance
• Uniform Guidance terms with greatest impact to University
• Review of proposal and sub award PI Quick Guides

April 14, 2015 Effort Certification 101

Don Hammer, a Grants and Contract Professional in SPA, will be speaking from 10-11am on 4/14/15 about Effort Certification. It will be held at Anderson Hall RM 270. Some topics to be discussed include:

• Basic Introduction: Effort 101
• Updated salary cap information
• Three email warning policy around effort certification
• Q&A

April 14, 2015 Accounts Receivable

David Laden, Director of Nonsponsored Accounts Receivable, will be speaking from 1:30-2:30pm on 4/14/15. It will be held at Molecular and Cellular Biology RM 2-122. Some topics to be discussed include:

• Accounts Receivable tips and reminders
• Best practices
• Accounts Receivable monitoring
• Collection process
• How up-front EFS entries affect the entire Accounts Receivable process.
• Upgrade changes

After the Upgrade: Getting to Mail and Moodle through MyU

A new MyU is launching as part of the PeopleSoft Upgrade on April 20. It will be available at the same address as the current myU: myu.umn.edu. The new MyU is role-based, with a personalized interface based on what you do at the University. MyU brings together links and information to help faculty, students, and staff get business done at the U.

Will I still be able to access my University email account in MyU?

Yes! Just use the link in the upper right of the new MyU. Alternatively, you can always access your University email account at mail.umn.edu. You’ll need to log in with your Internet ID and password.

Can I still get to my Moodle course sites?

Yes! Look under “Key Links” in the new MyU. Alternatively, visit moodle.umn.edu. Then you'll see all the Moodle course sites you have access to in the Moodle Kiosk on the main page.

Questions? Email upgrade@umn.edu.

Reports before, during, and after The Upgrade

Here are details on how report users can prepare for the systems interruption, April 10-20, and what to do after upgraded systems launch on April 20.

Before and during the cutover:

• See changes to UM Reports, UM Analytics, and PeopleSoft reports.
• Document favorite/bookmarked UM Report links now since they will not work after The Upgrade.
• View Reporting training materials.
• During cutover, UM Reports will be available with data as of April 9.
• Encumbrances related to payroll and fringe activity will be zeroed out before cutover and will remain at zero until after the next payroll runs on April 29. If you need April encumbrance amounts for payroll and fringe, run reports on April 7, before 4:00 p.m.

On and after April 20:

• The new Reporting Center will consolidate UM Reports, UM Analytics and PeopleSoft reports. 
• The UM Reports homepage will redirect to: MyU > Key Links > Reporting Center.
• Check the "as of" date on each report to see when data was updated.
• Follow these instructions if you have trouble with pop-up blockers.
• Printing experiences may vary by browser. If your browser window does not show a printer icon, use Ctl-P to initiate printing.
• View the UM Reports list to determine if a report was updated, replaced, or retired. Retired reports will not appear.
• Everyone can see all report links, even if they don't have access. Trying to run a report without access will generate an “access error” message.
• Important updates will be posted on the Reporting Center homepage.

Finance Advance Team Spotlight: Madonna Monette

This spotlight is on Finance Advance Team member Madonna Monette, Chief Financial Manager for U of M Extension. Advance Team members are unit-specific people who have volunteered to receive advance materials and information to help their colleagues during The Upgrade transition.

Is The Extension ready for The Upgrade?

With regard to Finance, I would say we are “near-ready.” MN Extension has more than 500 employees, many of whom wear a lot of different hats, so getting our organization prepared for The Upgrade is a daunting task. There’s a lot of information to absorb, and people just want what is specific for them. This is why The Upgrade website has been so helpful – it’s organized so you can find useful information relevant to you. I believe many folks are informed on what The Upgrade is and entails but they still need time to take their training.

How are you helping the Extension prepare?

I feel privileged to be part of the Advance Team, a role I take very seriously. There’s a real benefit to being on the front line of discovery and preparation. I can give voice to ideas and concerns on behalf of my community.

We have focused on keeping things as easy as possible. We aim for clear, streamlined organizational processes with local implementation and individual accountability.

It’s important for us to be knowledgeable about how The Upgrade will impact the people we serve. I’ve been a human sponge (in addition to my regular job), soaking up information, figuring out how it applies to our area, and then making sure we know how to help people when the time comes.

How has the process been going?

The partnerships with the Extension Human Resources and The Upgrade have been great. We couldn’t be successful without people like Carrie Meyer in EFS. We process about 800 travel reimbursements every month and manage PCard activities. We’ve worked specifically with Purchasing and HR to deliver a great webinar with targeted, applicable information, on PCard, My Wallet and MyU. Extension Finance, HR and Communications are teaming together to continue to provide targeted communication to our community.

Any advice?

We think we know how it will all work but going live can bring new challenges. People are going to have different needs. We need to be prepared to be flexible and patient as we will likely experience difficulties. For myself, I try to have a calm demeanor, convey a sense of urgency without panic, and share a lot in translating what is applicable to our Extension community.

Easily Download All Job Aids for Financial and HR Training & Education

Downloading all the job aids for a course, or a dropdown category:

Handy “all-in-one” PDFs have been added for each course with multiple job aids. Look for this link toward the bottom of each course description or drop-down category. Simply click on the link to begin downloading these materials.

Sample location of a link to download all the job aids for a course

Sample location of a link to download all the job aids for a dropdown category

You can also easily download all of the job aids for Financial and H.R. education and training sections. Look for the link at the top of the tab. Clicking on the link will initiate the download of a .zip file.

Sample location of a link to download all the job aids for the Human Resource Systems tab

A Guide to Planning for the Cutover of the Upgraded Human Resources System

As we move closer to our April 20 Go Live date, when the Human Resources Management System (HRMS) transitions from PeopleSoft 8.9 to 9.2, several crucial events and deadlines may cause some disruption in normal business activities. Most importantly, the transition means that PeopleSoft and related systems will be unavailable or view-only from April 9 through April 19.

To help you plan for the cutover period, here are the most important dates and events for your human resources work. More detail is on the HRMS Tools and Resources web page under “HRMS Cutover Resources.”      

BEFORE THE CUTOVER (Now through April 5)

Send in all benefits forms as early as possible. From March 27 to April 7, send benefits forms (such as enrollment, ORP/457, severance agreements, phased retirement agreements, releases, etc.) as soon as you get them.

Make sure your staff with security roles are trained by Friday, April 3. Anyone who needs security access in PeopleSoft 9.2 must take required training by this date to ensure access for Go Live.

Post job openings by Friday, April 3. The last day to post new job openings is Friday, April 3. Job requisitions can’t be submitted again until April 20.

All units should be ready to finish payroll by Tuesday, April 7. Pay Entry will close at 4:00 p.m. on that day. Payroll Services will close payroll on April 8. Any paysheet updates must be received by 3:00 p.m. on April 8.

DURING THE CUTOVER (April 6-19)

Most PeopleSoft and related systems will be unavailable or view-only from April 9 through April 19. Deadlines may vary by business process. For human resource business processes, submit information in plenty of time to meet these deadlines:

• The last day to enter Position Management requests is Monday, April 6.
• The last day to enter job data is Tuesday, April 7, including new hires, additional pay, position requests, and HRMS corrections.
• The last day to enter benefits enrollments is Tuesday, April 7. Employees can still enroll or register family status changes by paper during the cutover; these will be entered into the new 9.2 system beginning Monday, April 20.
• The last day to enter paper time off requests is Sunday, April 5.
• Pay Entry will be open April 17-21. All job data entry and pay entry for the period ending April 19 is 5:00 p.m. on the 21st. Payroll Services will close payroll on April 24. All paysheet updates must be received by 10:00 a.m. on Friday, April 24.

GO LIVE (April 20)

On Monday, April 20, the upgraded PeopleSoft 9.2 system will be up and running! On the first day of Go Live, data entry resumes for all business processes suspended during the cutover, including:  

• New hires, additional pay, position management, and other job data
• Requisitions for new job openings
• Time and labor
• Time-off requests (including absences requested during the cutover, April 6-19)
• Benefits enrollments and family status changes (including those requested during the cutover)

Employees begin reporting hours and requesting time off electronically on Monday, April 20. Make sure your staff understands the new procedures and has taken the online training. (Go to The Upgrade Training and Education web page, click on Human Resource Systems, then click on “Time Reporting” and “Absence Reporting.” In the left-hand column, under “Training for:” look for the courses that apply to your role as employee, manager, supervisor, etc.)

POST-GO LIVE (After April 20)

COBRA notices will be issued by central Employee Benefits, instead of by units, starting Friday, May 1.

The first pay period using electronic time and absence is April 20–May 3.

The last day to fill or close job openings in the old PeopleAdmin system is Tuesday, June 30. Hiring managers will not be able to see or access old job requisition information after that date. Hiring and job requisitions will be done exclusively in the new Recruiting Solutions system.

The New MyU for Faculty

Take a look at new features and changes for faculty in the new MyU. These include streamlined access to teaching and advising information, consolidated grade entry, the Reporting Center, and MyU tabs for research and faculty career information, all available when the Upgrade goes live April 20th.

Learn more at http://upgrade.umn.edu/faculty/index.html

Video coming soon: "New MyU for Employees."

Changes to Parent/Guest Access to student accounts

The Upgrade will include a new Parent/Guest Access system. This new system will be easier to access, transactions will be easier for parents to complete, and One Stop counselors will have the same view as the user, making questions and issues easier to resolve.

The current system will be taken offline at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8. When the Upgrade is complete (scheduled for April 20), the new Parent/Guest Access system will be available.

What’s changing?

There are two important changes for Parent/Guest Access:

• Students will share grade information by granting access to their unofficial transcript.
• Parent/Guest Access will be system-wide. That means if a student has attended more than one University of Minnesota campus, the access to the student record will include information from all campuses attended.

What do I need to do now?

• Students should review the access they currently have set up. This is the access that will be converted to the new Parent/Guest Access system during the Upgrade - with one exception:
• If you are a student who has provided access to grades but not holds, be aware that your parent/guest will not have access to grades after go-live. If you grant access to holds now, they will have access to your unofficial transcript after the Upgrade is complete. 
• If you are a student (or the parent of a student) who has initiated the Parent/Guest Access process, be sure it is completed before April 8 at 4:30 p.m. (if not, the student will need to start over in the new system).

What do I need to do when the Upgrade is complete?

• Students are encouraged to review their shared information settings. To do this, go to myu.umn.edu > My Info > Parent/Guest Access > Share My Information. 
• Parents should review and confirm their access. To do this, go to myu.umn.edu > Key Links > Parent/Guest Access.

Background

Parent/Guest Access must be granted by the student in order for a parent or guest to access the details or to view and make payments for the student’s account. Students can grant access (allowing parents/guests full access to view the student account and complete online billing and payment) or view-only access to things such as class schedule, financial aid, holds, and unofficial transcripts. No level of access allows the parent or guest to request an official transcript, register for classes, respond to the eFAAN, or update student personal information.

Resources

For students 

How to authorize access

For parents and guests 

How to complete Parent/Guest Access
How to view/pay your student’s bill (coming soon)
How to access your student’s record coming soon)

MyU Preview: U Finance Tab

MyU Preview is a series giving a peek into pages within the new MyU. Keep in mind that MyU content is in development and some things will be updated between now and Go Live.

Staff with access to EFS will see the U Finance tab. This tab provides direct access and information to many finance functions. It’s here where one can also find quick links to access the EFS workcenters. Click image to enlarge.

Previously:

• MyU Homepage (revised)
• Research Tab
• Faculty Career Tab
• Academics Tab 
• My Finances Tab
• HR Tabs
• Purchasing Tab
• Reporting Center

Partnership Strengthens Upgrade Accessibility for People with Disabilities

When The Upgrade launches on April 20, a new MyU will provide additional self-service functions for students, staff, and faculty. The Disability Resource Center (DRC) and The Upgrade staff have established an innovative partnership and brought on additional resources to make these systems as accessible as possible for people with disabilities who use adaptive technologies (AT).

While MyU will be accessible to people who use AT, some of the new and expanded self-service processes will not yet be ready for AT at launch time (see the list of processes ready for AT). The University is committed to bridging this gap to move toward full accessibility.

If you have not yet requested that we turn on the accessible format for you, and would like to have it when the upgraded systems launch, contact Scott Marshall now. After launch, email or call 1HELP to turn the accessible format on or off.

All students, staff, and faculty can receive support during The Upgrade from their regular contact centers:

1. Students with questions about registration, financial aid, billing, payment, student records, and veterans benefits, should contact their campus One Stop office:
• Twin Cities: 612-624-1111 or onestop@umn.edu
• Crookston: Registrar’s Office at 218-281-8548 or umcreg@umn.edu; Business Office (billing/payment) at
  218-281-8330 or umcbo@umn.edu; Financial Aid Office at 218-281-6510 or umc-fa@umn.edu
• Morris: 320-589-6046 or ummonestop@morris.umn.edu
• Duluth: 218-726-8000 or umdhelp@d.umn.edu
• Rochester: 507-258-8069 or umr1stop@r.umn.edu
2. University staff and faculty with HR process questions should contact ohr@umn.edu or 1-800-756-2363

Stay up-to-date on accessibility at the Disability Resource Center's Upgrade accessibility page, the Upgrade blog, or email Scott Marshall to receive accessibility-related emails.

Changes to key student records reports

After the Upgrade a new, centralized MyU Reporting Center will be the hub for your student systems report needs. It will contain links to reports that are being carried forward from UM Reports, UM Analytics and PeopleSoft.  Read the Transitioning to UM Reports blog post to help you prepare for the new MyU Reporting Center.

What’s changing with key student record reports?

The Upgrade will change the appearance, functionality, and location of the tools and reports that you’ve become accustomed to accessing through UM Reports, UM Analytics or PeopleSoft 8.9. Some are being retired and others are being replaced by real-time data in PeopleSoft pages. Review the information below to prepare for changes to key student record reports.

Academic Record

• The UM Report - Academic Record will be replaced by PeopleSoft pages with real-time data that covers the same information. After the Upgrade, this information will be found through the new MyU → Click “Key Links” → select Reporting Center → Student Services → Student Records.
• To get to an assigned advisee’s Student Center page, where you can view and print “unofficial transcripts,” start in the new MyU → click Key Links tab → select Advisor Center → click on “View Student Details” next to an advisee’s name and ID → select “Transcript: View Unofficial” from the “Other Academics” drop-down menu.
• Any current staff member who has view access to PeopleSoft Student Records can access the PeopleSoft Student Services Center page, which contains the information replacing the UM Report - Academic Record.

Graduate Education Student Profile

• The Graduate Education Student Profile will be replaced by PeopleSoft pages with real-time data that covers the same information. 
• After the Upgrade, this information will be found through the new MyU → Click “Key Links” → select Reporting Center → Student Services → Student Records. This will include:
• General info
• Service indicators
• Addresses
• Transfer credit information
• Academics 

How to print an unofficial transcript

• Only advisors will be able to print an unofficial transcript through the advisee’s Student Center page in the Advisor Center. All other staff will need to navigate to the Request Transcript Report page in PeopleSoft.
• To view and print an “unofficial transcript” (i.e. the PDF version of an Academic Record report), inside an advisee’s Student Center page, under the Academics tab, click the drop-down menu and select “Transcript: View Unofficial” and click the double arrows to proceed. A prompt window will open, select “Request Unofficial Transcript” then view report. It will open as a printable PDF.

Course List and Class Rosters

• After the Upgrade, the Class List report will be replaced by a PeopleSoft page with real-time data. Staff members will access this information through the new MyU → Click “Key Links” → select Reporting Center → Student Services → Enrollment.
• For faculty, instructors, and their assigned proxies, the class list and roster information should be accessed through the Teaching tab of the new MyU. This opens a list of courses, which you can click through to get to the Faculty Center and access class rosters (through the class roster icon, looks like a group of people, or tab). This will be the only way to access class roster photos (if available).
• This information can be downloaded to Excel by clicking on the table icon with the red arrow, or printed by clicking the “Printer Friendly Version” link at the bottom of the page. 
• To learn more about the Faculty Center’s my schedule, class roster and grade roster pages, view the PeopleSoft Faculty Center guide.

Probation/Suspension

• The Probation/Suspension and Probation Holds reports will be replaced by a PeopleSoft page with real-time data.
• After the Upgrade, this information will be found through the new MyU → Click “Key Links” → select Reporting Center → Student Services → Student Records. 
• Additionally, students will have the ability to see if they are in good academic standing, values will include:
• Good - Good Standing
• PRB1 - Probation Level 1
• PRB2 - Probation Level 2 (Can have multiple terms Prob Level 2) 
• DISM - Dismissal/Suspension
• PRAD - Probation after dismissal/suspension
• PRBH - History of Probation

Leave of Absence

The Leave of Absence report is being retired. This information can be provided to you upon request. Please contact Ingrid Nuttall with questions or concerns.

The New MyU for Students

Take a peek at how you’ll register, view financial aid, pay bills and more in the new MyU, available when the Upgrade goes live at the end of April 2015.

 

Learn more at upgrade.umn.edu/student.

Videos coming soon: "New MyU for Faculty" and "New MyU for Employees."

Faculty Go-To Spotlight: Lisa Hubinger

This spotlight is on Faculty Go-To Advance Team member Lisa Hubinger, Graduate Program Coordinator for the College of Veterinary Medicine. Advance Team members are unit-specific people who have volunteered to receive advance materials and information to help their colleagues during The Upgrade transition.

Why did you volunteer to be an advance team member?
I realized early on that I better pay a lot of attention to The Upgrade. In the College of Veterinary Medicine, all graduate students are handled out of our office, so I became very aware of how much the systems changes will impact our staff, students and faculty.

How are you preparing?
I read everything. I participate in meetings. I have taken all the training and watched all the sneak peek videos, which are great. They are short and informative. I really like that the information is all online so I can go back to it whenever I need.

What are some of the biggest challenges?
There are several. Faculty are always busy, so many of them don’t have time to fully prepare in advance. This is why it’s good that educational information is available just-in-time and online. That’s also why it’s good to have Advance Team members ready to provide live help.

Another challenge is that we don’t really know exactly what the upgraded systems will be like until they go live. There’s only so much planning we can do, so let’s just get The Upgrade implemented!

Finally, most people don’t really like change, so we will probably hear about that. For me, I just want to be knowledgeable, helpful and provide a sense of calm to people who have trouble adjusting to change. We will get through this by working together!

Purchasing during cutover

Plan ahead - make April purchases now

People will not be able to record purchasing transactions in the financial system during the cutover period of The Upgrade. For the upgrade to Finance, EFS transaction processing must cease on April 8. Specific deadlines for transaction processing are here: http://controller.umn.edu/upgradecutover. 

All faculty and staff with purchasing responsibilities must work together to review their area’s business needs and calendar for the entire month of April to ensure you have ordered the any equipment, adequate supplies, and needed services ahead of time. Order before the April 8 deadline, and have enough on hand to last through April 22 to be safe (April 22 is a few days after the planned April 20 Go Live for The Upgrade).

The good news: the University's Purchasing Card (PCard) can be used to buy things during the cutover period. 

If emergency purchasing needs arise during cutover and the supplier does not accept PCards, contact Purchasing Services at 612-624-2828.

Since approvers need time to review and complete the purchase process, make your orders in advance (orders must be fully processed in EFS on April 8; your unit may have more specific directions for you so please check with your local finance staff). 

How to prepare

During cutover for The Upgrade the financial system will be unavailable for ordering. Here are questions every department should ask:

• U Market: Do we have enough office or lab supplies to last through the period? Shoppers will be able to shop within U Market during the cutover period but no carts can be pulled into EFS until after Go Live. Requisition preparers in EFS cannot pull carts into EFS until Go Live on April 20.
• Equipment: Is there a need for new equipment in April? Can we get it ordered before April 9 or can it wait until after April 20?
• Professional Services: Will all approvals be obtained before the contract’s start date, if it falls between April 9 and 20?
• POs: Should a PO or blanket order be created for suppliers that will not accept a PCard OR for purchases that do not comply with the PCard policy? 
• Purchases $50,000+: Has Purchasing Services been contacted for orders requiring a bid? Do any existing POs that total $50,000 or greater need additional dollars added to them?
• PCard: Does someone in the department have an active PCard to use in case of an emergency?
• Payments: Does the department need to pay any PO suppliers during the cutover period? (In which case, get payment transactions entered into EFS by the deadline. The University will ensure all scheduled payments that have been fully processed in EFS are made to vendors in a timely manner.)
• Speakers and entertainers: If you have a speaker or entertainer scheduled to appear between April 9 and April 20, work with your unit finance staff to ensure payment terms are known and payment transactions entered into the system by the deadline. If the speaker or performer agreement states that the University must provide payment on the date of the appearance, you will need to take steps to produce the check prior to any payment processing deadline.
• Patients, research, or lab animals: Take action to ensure critical supplies like patient care items, oxygen, dry ice, or food and bedding for lab animals are on hand.

Transitioning From UM Reports

The Upgrade will usher in a new Reporting Center that consolidates UM Reports, UM Analytics, and PeopleSoft reports. Features include improved search function, real-time data, ability to "like" favorite reports, and links to reporting tools.

The Readiness Assessment recently revealed that people still have questions about the new Reporting Center related to previously saved Favorites and Bookmarks. Review these training resources, the detailed information about changes to reports, and the following FAQs.

Will the UM Reports Homepage be available after The Upgrade?

No, the Reporting Center will replace the UM Reports homepage as part of The Upgrade.

Will my UM Reports favorites transfer to the Reporting Center?

No, the UM Reports links you saved and used prior to The Upgrade will not carry forward into the new system. To prepare, follow these steps:

1. Login to UM Reports (www.umreports.umn.edu)
2. Scroll to the bottom of the home page
3. Under "Reports" click on each triangle to expand the categories
4. Print the page or copy all report titles listed
5. After Go-Live, use this list to create your new list of favorites in the Reporting Center

Will I have the same security access as I did in UM Reports?

Yes, your security will be the same. A feature of the Reporting Center is that you can now see the links to all reports even if you don’t have access so that you know what other reports are available.

The Upgrade: Designed by You, for You

According to the University’s Training and Usability Services team, The PeopleSoft Upgrade program went to great lengths to engage staff, faculty, and students in the design of the upgraded systems.

“Most projects have one or two usability evaluations with less than 10 users per session,” explained Nick Rosencrans, User Experience Analyst. “In contrast, The Upgrade held 11 usability evaluations with more than 150 people during a two-year period.”

Colleagues participate in
Design Thinking Workshops

That’s in addition to early focus groups, design workshops, and hundreds of user acceptance testing sessions. Why such a focus on engaging users? The Upgrade team applied lessons learned from previous efforts, and, as a result, determined that engaging users was critical to launching user-friendly systems that would be successfully adopted.

It started in summer 2012 with focus groups that led to design-thinking workshops. Each time users got together, they explored the possibilities: what would it be like for the U to have a single unified system? Using early prototypes, staff, faculty, and students delivered great insight into how they would like to use the MyU portal, the messaging, reporting tools, and more.

Samples of brainstorm exercises from Design Thinking Workshops