Registrar's Notes

August 27, 2007

Fall Welcome Week activities begin today!  Approximately 2,700 new freshmen will be arriving on campus to begin their freshman year at WMU.  For more information on Fall Welcome Week, see: .../fye/fallwelcome/index.html.

Fall 2007

• Please review all course offerings to ensure that all sections have an instructor of record, and that the instructor is the correct one!  Again, note that only instructors of record can view/print a class list from Self-Serve Banner.
• Also, please review any sections still on hold and open or cancel as appropriate.

Enrollment verification

Students can print their own enrollment verification through GoWMU.  Verifications of enrollment for fall are available after census, so students can access them for fall beginning on September 12th.  Students often need to verify full-time enrollment for insurance purposes.

Emailing class lists

Instructors, as well as Chairs and Administrative Assistants, can email a class using the Enterprise Directory Distribution Lists.  For information and directions, please see: .../oit/helpdesk/email/class-ldap.html.  This is a way for Chairs or Department staff to notify a class of cancellation of a class meeting for example.

Training for class schedulers - Mark your Calendars

There will be schedule building workshops held in September for all personnel who are responsible for entering the schedule of classes into Banner. This is not a “how to” workshop so much as a “let’s take it to the next step” workshop. Users will receive their working reports for Summer I and Summer II at the workshop.

There will be three opportunities, dates and times are listed below:

Monday, September 17, 2007               8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007              1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007         8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

More detailed information will be sent later.

FERPA question of the week

An institution must give its students the opportunity to withhold the release of any or all designated items of directory information. True or False?

Other items

• The Spring 2008 priority registration schedule is now available on the Registrar’s web site, see: .../registrar/timeticket.html.

• Banner online help is now available. From the main Banner screen, click on ‘Help Center’ on the top right for information on Banner modules.  Note that we use Banner General and Banner Student primarily.  From any form in Banner, click on the ‘Help’ menu, then on the first item under help ‘Online help’ for information on the form that you are currently on.

• Fall 2007 schedule – by number of days – a count of the number of class days by day of the week is found on:  .../registrar/200704scheduledays.html

• For Faculty writing letters of recommendation – a form letter for students to give authorization for disclosure of information is found on: .../registrar/pdf/AuthorizationforRecommendationsandReferences.pdf or go to the Registrar’s web site, look under the links for faculty and staff.  Note that FERPA prohibits inclusion of specific information in letters of reference on grades, gpa, or other non-directory information without written consent from the student.

Upcoming Dates:

• Aug. 27-31 – Fall Welcome Week
• Sept. 3 – Labor Day, University closed
• Sept. 4 – Fall 2007classes begin at 8:00 am
• Sept. 10 – Last day of drop/adds
• Sept. 11 – Last day departments have access to change student schedules
• Sept. 11 – Census Day
• Sept. 14 – Last day for students to apply for Dec. 2007 graduation

Answer to FERPA question:

True.  Students can request that we do not release directory information by completing paperwork in the Office of the Registrar.  This notice is then in effect until the time when the student may choose to revoke this request.  You will note this on student records in Banner by the confidentiality notice on the top of the screens.

These notes go to Chairs, Administrative Assistants, Advisors, Deans, and others.  If there are others you know of who could benefit, please forward them on!  We’re happy to add anyone to the list, just let us know.