UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN
S I S S P E A K

- Issue 1 June 2001 -
 


FIRST ISSUE OF SISSPEAK
The primary purpose of this information sheet is to act as a means of communication with staff.

Staff will be kept up to date with developments and projects relating to the Banner Student Information System.

Information No Limits

Each issue will include a section, called ‘HOW TO’, which will tell users how to perform a particular task.

Feedback is very important to the success of this information sheet. It is only by receiving your views and ideas that we will be able to use this method of communication effectively.

We would welcome your views on any aspect of the implementation of Banner in UCD and will try as far as we can to take on board your comments as we further develop Banner within the College.

CONTACT SIS@UCD.IE

 


WHAT IS BANNER?

Banner is an oracle database system. Information is entered into the database using various forms and is stored in a series of tables. There are three types of forms (screens) in Banner – Application Forms (where data is entered), Rules Forms (where you define how you want certain processes to work) and Validation Forms (where you define your codes).
Forms are generally divided into blocks, containing different fields where data is entered. The first block in Application Forms is called the Key Information Area.
Banner is made up of different modules, briefly described in the table to the right


BANNER STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM

MODULE
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
Catalogue
Holds information relating to courses (subjects)
Schedule
Where courses are scheduled each term (Academic Year) creating a Course Reference Number (CRN) which is used in registration
Curriculum Advising and Programme Planning (CAPP)
Holds information on the structure of programmes
General Person
Holds biographical data on students
Recruitment
Not currently in use in UCD
Admissions Where students are given an admissions record (in use minimally in UCD)
General Student
Where students are given a General Student Record, necessary for registration
Registration
Where registration information is held
Accounts Receivable Holds information regarding fees and grants
Academic History
Holds information relating to grades obtained by students at examination time
Faculty Load
Not currently in use in UCD
Location Management and Housing
Not currently in use in UCD





PROGRAM CODES

In Banner a programme represents a pathway to a qualification.
The table to the right explains the coding structure for programmes in Banner.
A list of all Programme Codes is available to users. Should you require a list of Programmes associated with your faculty or department , please contact Geraldine O Connor by e-mail geraldine.oconnor@ucd.ie
Programmes also have Majors associated with them and in some instance Concentrations. There is a one to one relationship between Major and Programme in all instances except for Graduate Research Programmes, where there is one Programme per qualification and multiple Majors.
Concentrations are used to further define some undergraduate Science programs.
Majors and Concentrations are associated with Programmes via a rules process in Banner known as Curriculum Rules. Departments are also associated with Programs in Curriculum rules.
EXPLANATION OF PROGRAM CODES

First  two digits        representing the Faculty

Faculty

Second two digits          representing the type of Programme

Type of        Programme

The fifth digit     represents whether  full-time or part-time

Full-time  or          Part-time

AG

Agriculture

BD

Bachelors        Degree

F

Full-time

AR

Arts   Philosophy     &   Sociology  and Celtic  Studies

CT

Certificate

P

Part-time

CO

Commerce

DP

Diploma

Digits 6-8 are sequential numeric codes allocated  by the Registrar’s Office

It is important that each faculty and department become  aware of the Programme Codes  associated with their faculty or department.

Faculty  Booklets, Marks and Standards and the Fees Information Book should  contain these codes. 

Any reference to programmes in communications between faculties or departments and offices in central administration must include the code, for example Faculty Recommendations and Student Record Input Forms (SRIF).

EN

Engineering  &              Architecture

DR

Doctoral

IF

Interfaculty

HD

Higher   Diploma

LW

Law

MR

Masters by    Research

MD

Medicine

MX

Masters  by Exam

SC

Science

OC

Occasional

VM

Veterinary     Medicine

 

 

 





LEVELS

Level in Banner is associated with a student, a course and a programme.
Five different level codes have been defined in Banner for UCD.
The table to the right shows these codes and their descriptions

STUDENT LEVELS, COURSE LEVELS AND
PROGRAMME LEVELS IN BANNER

Level Code
Description
UG
Undergraduate
GT
 Postgraduate Taught
GR
 Postgraduate Research
CD
 Undergraduate Diplomas and Certificates
OC
 Occasional

 



BANNER TERMS

To facilitate the different starting dates for postgraduate research students and the non standard start dates of, and dual intakes to, some postgraduate taught and occasional programmes, each academic year has been divided into three different terms in Banner. Each term represents a different starting date.
The table to the left details the terms in operation for the 1999/2000 and 2000/2001 academic years.
Recommendations regarding start dates for postgraduate research students should fall into the available terms (September/January/April)

BANNER TERMS FOR UCD ACADEMIC YEARS

Academic Years 1999/2000 and 2000/2001

Term Code
Term Year
Term Description
199900
1999
1999/2000 September
199901
1999
1999/2000 January
199904
1999
1999/2000 April
200000
2000
2000/2001 September
200001
2000
2000/2001 January
200004
2000
2000/2001 April

 


CHANGING A PASSWORD

Each new user to Banner is assigned a login ID and a password.
You may change your password by calling up the Password Change Form in Banner and following the instructions to the right..

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD

Type GUAPSWD in the Direct Access Box at the top right of the main Banner form. This will bring you to the Password change form.

Type your existing password in the Oracle Password field.

In the New Oracle Password field type whatever you want your password to be from now on.

Repeat this new password in the Verify Password field.

Save

Oracle Password Change Form (GUAPSWD)





BANNER WEB

Banner Web software will initially provide information on students to academic staff.
The ultimate aim is to allow students to access examination results, to register for courses, to request and get transcripts and to pay fees.
A pilot is currently underway to roll out Banner Web for Faculty to the academic community.



BANNER 2000 - WEB FOR FACULTY

Banner Web is the application by which Academic Staff will be given access to student data in Banner via the WEB.

A project is underway to roll out Banner Web for Faculty to the academic community, and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine has been chosen to pilot this project.

Academic staff will be set up in Banner as faculty members, with their personnel number as their login ID.


Banner Web for Faculty

Each staff member will be assigned a PIN number.

Each term staff will be associated with the courses they lecture.

This will allow academic staff to view class lists, general student information and student academic history.

 




BUSINESS OBJECTS

This software package is used to extract data from all the administrative systems in UCD.
Class lists and address labels are examples of some of the standard reports that have been developed.


REPORTING FROM BANNER

Business Objects is the tool for reporting from all of the administrative systems in UCD.

This package is under development and is currently being rolled out to faculties and departments.

It is envisaged that departmental staff will be able to run standard reports from their desktops

The range of reports will increase as demand requires.

Class Lists

 


 

Please send any comments or suggestions for items to cover in future issues to:

Margaret Kidney
Systems Administrator
Registrar's Office
MT Building
Belfield
Dublin 4

Tel
716-2167
Email
margaret.kidney@ucd.ie

 

 

ACCESS TO THE BANNER STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM IN UCD

The Banner Student System was first used in UCD in the academic year 1999/2000. Access was given to faculty offices and users in central administration in the first year. Gradually access has been widened,, and continues to be extended, to include departments and other service areas.

Access in Banner comes in two forms: -
Access via College Networks and
WEB access.

Initially the system came with PC network access only. PC network access is the normal means of working on Banner and permits enquiry and data maintenance. Coupled with a report generator called Business Objects it can give an extensive range of options including individual student enquiry as well as class lists and other reports. This form of access is intended primarily for administrative staff, faculties and departments.

This year UCD has installed a WEB access facility designed to give academic staff access to student and course information. A pilot with the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is currently underway and the facility will be extended to other academic staff later this year. It differs from PC network access in that it is designed to give information on relevant students to academic staff without the training or network restrictions required for PC Access

A later extension of WEB access will permit students to access their own records over the WEB. This facility will be introduced commencing early 2002.