Information Systems Connection

Jenzabar released EX 3.8.4 on May 20.  It contains minor fixes and enhancements to the version currently in use.  Information Systems is not planning to install this release unless there is significant input from SIS users requesting it.  Please contact the Help Desk by July 1 regarding this release.

The Getting Started Guide for this release is located at:

Z:\SIS\EX\Jenzabar Updates and Tips\Version News releases\3.8.4\Getting_Started_Guide_for_Jenzabar_EX_3_8_4.pdf

Features

Accounts Receivable

Two new tables added for backing up data when Student Charges are generated allowing for actual CG group deletion.

Payroll

Separate Timecard” processing in EX Payroll allows the Payroll system to separately calculate taxes, deductions, and pay run related fringes related to a specific time entry for an employee.

Enhancements

Accounts Receivable

• Preliminary Charges incorrectly updated Process flag and Charges Process was changed to update the Process Flag on Dropped Courses

Resolved Issues for EX

Common

• Opening the Maintain Location Master Window produced an Error if no Location Master Rows existed
• Missed or Skipped Processes did not trigger a Notification

Database

• Modified Insert Trigger on SUBSID_MASTER

Notepad

• Using Computed Fields with an “AS” clause for E-Mail Merges caused Daily Procedure to fail

Registration

• Registration Logic not honoring the Allow Waitlisting check box on the Courses window if Waitlisting is allowed
• Create/Work with Snapshots: Collect Student Data process sometimes resulted in System Error

This issue is related to the way the code generates internally on some servers.

Student Life

• Meeting Notes for Meeting History Rows associated with Session Activity Meetings did not display saved Data

Resolved Issues for JICS (myEMU)

CRM Faculty

• Search by ISBN 10 or ISBN 13 not working in the Faculty Course Control portlet

CRM Student

• Add/Drop Courses: Swap not honoring the Repeat Flag and Swap for Waitlisted Course results in an Overload
• Add/Drop Courses: No Add check boxes for Coreq Courses if Course Limits for Groups exist on the Courses CRM/Web tab
• Add/Drop Courses portlet: Swap Registration allowed a Course without a Drop check box to be dropped

During the March 24, 2011 test of the EMU Emergency Notification System (ENS) we asked you to confirm that you’d received the test message and tell us how you received it. Over 120 of you responded. Many of you confirmed that you’d received the test message multiple ways–through the Via Radio HEARO devices, through a browser pop-up alert on your computer, through a text message on your cell phone, etc.–and we appreciate that too. Each confirmation from you gave us a better picture of how our ENS system works.

And the system does work! Messages are delivered quickly and widely. More than eighty percent of those who responded received an emergency notification within three minutes of the test beginning.  Keep in mind these are response rates: many of those who received the messages didn’t respond.

The Crisis Management Preparedness Team (CMPT) will be reviewing these results and making plans to further improve communication speed and coverage. We welcome your ideas and suggestions. You can contact Jack Rutt at ruttj@emu.edu or by calling 540 432 4478 (x4478 on campus).

Also, if you haven’t signed up for EMU Alerts–the cell-phone text message portion of the ENS–please do so by visiting my.emu.edu/ics/alerts .

Read the rest of this entry »

With several hundred computers at EMU, we have an opportunity to conserve a significant amount of power by making sure that computers are off when they are not in use. The best way to do this is for each of us to turn off our computers when we leave, since there is no accurate way for the computer to determine on its own when you will leave for an extended period of time. Starting this week, computers that are left on and idle for 90 minutes will automatically go into standby. Our goal is to reduce electricity usage without significantly impacting your work, and a 90 minute timeout should allow for lunch breaks and chapel without breaking ODBC connections, or causing problems with documents opened from the network.

Always remember to save your work when leaving your desk, and if you plan to be gone for more than a few hours, turn your computer off. Thank you for helping us be more responsible with our use of technology.

On behalf of the Crisis Management Preparedness Team (CMPT) this coming Thursday Information Systems and Physical Plant personnel will conduct a test of the EMU Alerts systems. Here are the details describing the test:

DAY/DATE/TIME OF TEST:

Thursday, March 24, 2011, 9:10am

SYSTEMS TO BE TESTED:

• Email message to everyone-urgent@emu.edu
• Email message to everyone subscribed to the EMU Alerts service with e2Campus
• TXT message to everyone subscribed to the EMU Alerts service with e2Campus
• Splash Screen on all computers that are turned on and connected to the EMU network
• myEMU “Alerts Banner” and ALERTS tab notification
• HEARO in-room audio and scrolling text devices

TEST PURPOSE: The purpose of this test is to ensure that our procedures for using these emergency notification systems are functioning properly.

The test message sent to each notification system listed above will clearly state that it is only a test and that no immediate action on your part is necessary.

WHAT IS A HEARO DEVICE? This is the first time we will be testing the HEARO in-room notification devices which were deployed over the past several months to about 140 building spaces, including classrooms, across the campus. Posted near each device is a set of instructions. We urge you to review these instructions prior to Thursday’s test so that you will understand how the device operates.

TEST FEEDBACK: In order to assess the effectiveness of our notification systems and this test everyone will be invited to complete a web survey with four quick questions. The survey will be available for about 24 hours following the test from a link that will be included in each test message.

EMU ALERTS SIGN UP: The EMU Alerts service for TXT messages and email addresses (other than @emu.edu addresses) is a subscription service we encourage all current students and employees to sign up for on my.emu.edu. To sign up, login to my.emu.edu and then click on the ALERTS tab where you can then click on the EMU ALERTS SIGN UP link in the left column. From there, follow the instructions.

More information about the EMU Alerts e2Campus subscription services can be found on the Information Systems website.

Jenzabar released EX 3.8.3 on Feb. 28.  It contains a few enhancements and several bug fixes.  Information Systems is seeking input from module managers as to whether this release contains features or fixes that are relevant to EMU.  Responses to the Help Desk by Mar. 31 would be appreciated.

The Getting Started Guide for this release is located at:

Z:\SIS\EX\Jenzabar Updates and Tips\Version News releases\3.8.3\Getting_Started_Guide_for_Jenzabar_EX_3_8_3.pdf

Enhancements

Payroll

• Federal Tax Changes for 2011
• User Defined Forms window is now available from the Positions window and the Employee Master window, Header and Positions tabs
• Oregon Tax Calculations Updates
• Arizona Tax Calculations Updates

Personnel

• EEOC and CUPA reports can now be generated using the Regulatory Reporting window
• User Defined Forms window is now available from the Organization Positions window, Positions window, and the Employee Master window, Positions tab

Registration

• IPEDS GRS, GR200, and Graduation Rate Supplemental can now be accessed in the Institutional Research process including many enhancements to the previous process

Resolved Issues

Accounts Payable

• Performance Issue and Database Errors with Create AR Credit Invoices Process

Common

• Attachments not included with E-mail Messages sent through Notification Service

Financial Aid Manager

• Disbursement Date in Disbursement Transaction History table may be incorrect
• Collect Direct Loan Monthly Reconciliation Data Issues

General Ledger

• Multiple Issues were addressed in the Financial Aid Transaction Entry Window

Payroll

• Modified the Biograph tab of Employee Master window to use the correct Tasklist security when accessing Biograph User Defined data
• State Unemployment Media file for Kansas not correctly populating the Midmonth Employment flags
• Federal Earnings Report not displaying Gross Pay when no Federal wages were being tracked
• Tax Calculation for Yonkers City (New York) for Non-Residents corrected

Personnel

• CUPA Administrative Report Layout incorrect
• Wording incorrect in an error message on Employee Snapshot Position Regulatory Data Report
• IPEDS Incorrect Employee Count for Given Fringe Category in Part F Salaries and Fringe Report
• The Create process for Employee Snapshot was not properly annualizing benefit flat amounts when calculating Snapshot fringe data amounts

Registration

• The Snapshot Wizard in Institutional Reporting not clearing Previous Snapshot check box if there are no existing snapshots

Resolved Issues for JICS

CRM Staff

• Item Approval portlet failed when accessing Requisition Detail if EX was configured to do no budget checking
• CRM Staff Timecard EX plugins no longer reference Salary History-specific data until timecards are submitted to EX
• Requisition Entry failed when it attempted to return multiple budget messages for a submitted requisition with multiple lines for separate accounts

Information Systems has selected 15 May 2011 as the last date of general Blackboard availability. We chose this date in collaboration with program directors and the Information Systems Planning Council (ISPC). It coincides with the end of faculty contracts for the 2010-11 Spring semester and precedes the beginning of many 2010-11 Summer classes.

Faculty should archive their courses and/or migrate those courses to Moodle before the 15 May 2011 deadline. Faculty teaching Summer 2010-11 courses should plan to use Moodle.

Documentation about archiving and migrating courses may be found in the Moodle FAQs. Please contact the EMU Helpdesk at helpdesk@emu.edu or 540 432 4357 (x4357 on campus) with any questions.

Jenzabar has scheduled a year-end update, EX 3.8.2, for release on Dec. 17.  This release ensures that our SIS is up-to-date with regard to tax forms and so on.  There are no new features or bug fixes.

Information Systems is planning to install EX 3.8.2 on Jan 1.  This will be confirmed after the update has been released, with additional details.  Please contact the Help Desk with concerns or questions.

Jenzabar released EX 3.8 on Oct. 4, for which there is detailed information below.  Information Systems plans to install this release on Nov. 20.  We are, however, still interested in input from module managers — by Oct. 29 — if there are concerns about this release.  Please direct responses to helpdesk@emu.edu.

The Getting Started Guide for this release is located at:

New Features in EX 3.8 include:

2010 IPEDS Support

• More Robust Data Capture for Race and Ethnicity
• New processes for IPEDS reporting in EX Personnel and Registration

CRM Staff 1.8.2

• Displaying the ability to enter Overtime hours in CRM Staff Timecards for EX is configurable

Jenzabar EX 3.7.4 was released in mid-August.  Info Systems is looking for input from module managers, in particular, about whether to schedule this version for an upcoming upgrade.  A response to the Help Desk by Sep. 10 would be appreciated if this release impacts your dept.

If a decision to upgrade to this release is made, it would likely occur on Sep. 18.  Additional detail about EX 3.7.4 follows.

The Getting Started Guide for this release is located at:

Z:\SIS\EX\Jenzabar Updates and Tips\Version News releases\3.7.4\Getting_Started_Guide_for_Jenzabar_EX_3_7_4.pdf

EX 3.7.4 Overview

Resolved Issues

Accounts Payable

• 4027: Performance issue with Create AR Credit Invoices process

Accounts Receivable

• 13474: Refund amount calculated incorrectly for Student Type Charges when using %DAYS refunds
• 13509: Refund amount was off by a penny for Student Type Charges when Refund Method is %DAYS and an odd number of courses are processed
• 13511: New columns added for Charges

Common (Framework)

• 13249: The current Save As/SSN security piece doesn’t take nested reports into account
• 13250: File/Save Rows As PDF now includes nested reports

Payroll

• 13311: Fringe Distribution process was incorrectly updating the wrong Quarter and Month columns in the Individual YTD Benefit table

Registration

• 4968: Issues with the Degree tab in the Student Information window

The following issues were resolved:

1.       If the Leave of Absence subtab was active and had a blank record when saving information on the Graduation Stage subtab, the user was prompted to provide the Absence Reason.

2.       If a blank row existed on the Graduation Stage subtab when the user saved Graduation Stage changes, an error message that NULL values are not allowed was displayed. Blank rows must be deleted before saving.

3.       When the school had Major/Aims cross-referencing turned on and the user changed Major and Advising Year on a Degree row at the same time, the previous Major was not removed.

4.       *LOCAL was not defaulting into the Place Earned column when the user selected the Add Row option.

• 13313: Advising Requirement Code drop-down in Transfer Entry and Student Registration Transfer Entry windows was displaying only Advising Requirement Codes from the Catalog Master table.

Information Systems wants all EMU email account owners to know the following “phishing phacts”.

1. CRIMINALS WANT YOUR EMU USERNAME AND PASSWORD: Email messages are being sent to @emu.edu email addresses nearly every day with very clever messages that attempt to trick employees and students into thinking they need to reply and provide their username and password. Read the rest of this entry »