This is the first edition of a new PeopleSoft/BroncoDirect Newsletter that will arrive in your mailbox each quarter.  We, the PeopleSoft team, want to communicate regularly with our users to ensure that you have the support you need to use BroncoDirect and PeopleSoft effectively.  Each addition will contain news about changes in PeopleSoft or BroncoDirect functionality, tips and tricks that are not new but may have been forgotten, and an Ask the Experts feature.  This inaugural issue features the following:

• Upgrades to PeopleSoft and BroncoDirect
• Help is available
• Ask the Experts? Coming soon.

Upgrades!

PeopleSoft and BroncoDirect are being upgraded.  The PeopleSoft support team has been working since spring of 2006 to prepare for a go-live on March 1.  The look and feel will be different and new features will be available.  On Friday, February 23 at noon, our current PeopleSoft and BroncoDirect systems will become unavailable.  There will be no access to PeopleSoft or BroncoDirect from Friday noon until Monday, February 26 at 8:00 am.  On Monday at 8:00 we will make available a read-only version of PeopleSoft and BroncoDirect, primarily for advising purposes.  This read-only version will be available through Wednesday, February 28 at 6:00 pm.  During the read-only period, data can be viewed but not changed.  So advisors will be able to access students’ unofficial transcripts, but not apply or remove service indicators.  Students will be able to access their own unofficial transcripts, but not change their personal information, pay fees, or request parking permits.  The read-only system will not be available in the residence halls, through guest wireless, or through guest ports (that is, not available by plugging a laptop into open ports in a classroom or the library). 

BroncoData will also be affected by the upgrade.  BroncoData will be down on Wednesday, February 28.  Since no new data will be entered in PeopleSoft from February 23 through February 28, BroncoData will report February 22 data until it is refreshed overnight on March 1.

We will go live on a new version of BroncoDirect and PeopleSoft at 8:00 am on Thursday, March 1.  The key features of the upgraded systems include:

• A new log-in screen;
• Students will have an easier time navigation between the schedule of classes, registration, add, and drop; and
• Class and grade rosters will have a “Notify” button that permits the primary instructor to send email messages to all of the students in the class, or to selected students.
• Permission numbers will be more robust – they will remain valid until successfully used.

Tutorials on the new features are being created and informational sessions are being planned; information on these will be emailed to you before March 1.  Staff in many administrative offices have been testing the new system.  Performance has been slow in testing and we are not sure what to expect on March 1.  If performance issues persist after our go-live, be assured that we will actively pursue improvements with CMS at the Chancellor’s Office.

Help!

Our reminder tip for this quarter is that help is available.  One of the most important things we can tell you is that when you have a problem or even think you have a problem, there are resources for you to turn to.  We want to remind you that Help is Available and give you contact information for resources we recommend.  Of course, you may also have a PS/BD expert in your own department, too.   

• During registration
• For help with class rosters, permission numbers, administrative drops or other issues related to registration, contact Nancy Hendricks (ext. 2866 or nhendricks) or Stella Quirk (ext. 2685 or smquirk).
• .For help with requisite issues (both prerequisites and corequisites), contact Lucy Carreras (ext. 3330 or lcarreras) or Ashley Thai (ext. 2718 or athai).
• For help with Open University enrollment-related questions, call the College of the Extended University at ext. 2274 or Nancy Hendricks at ext. 2866.  For questions regarding the Open University schedule of classes, contact Ashley Thai at ext. 2718.
• For help with passwords and other technical issues, call the Help Desk at ext. 6776.
• For questions regarding degree audit (academic advising report), contact Alma Pasos (ext. 6976 or arpasos@csupomona.edu).
• For help with Financial Aid, call ext. 3700.
• During grading,
• For help with passwords and other technical issues, call the Help Desk at ext. 6776.
• For help with extra or missing grade rosters, call Nancy Hendricks at ext. 2866 or Stella Quirk at ext. 2685.
• For help with the grading procedure, contact Cynthia Chatfield at ext. 2101 or Cynthia Brown at ext. 3121.
• For help with BroncoDirect related issues, send an email to broncodirect@csupomona.edu.

Ask the Experts? Coming soon.

Our new ASK THE EXPERTS feature will debut in the spring quarter issue.  You’ll be able to submit a question and receive a prompt email response.  Your question and answer will become part of the Ask the Experts FAQ.  Here’s an example of how you might use Ask the Experts:

• Question: I give a student a permission number and he comes back saying it didn’t work and he needs another one.  Sometimes this happens several times before he registers successfully.  This is aggravating!
• Expert answer: What’s happening here is that the student enters the permission number and later in the registration process finds out that he has a registration hold.  The permission number has been “spent” and is no longer valid.  Yes, it’s aggravating for the student and the instructor.  Good news!  This is one of the flaws that the upgrade will address.  Beginning with spring registration permission numbers will remain valid until successfully used.

 

The newsletter will meet its goals only if it helps you.  Please let us know what you think of the first edition, what you would like us to include in the spring newsletter, and any other suggestions you have (email your comments to me at dabrum).  If the newsletter is successful we plan to publish it each quarter.  Old issues will be available on the web, as will the Ask the Experts FAQ.

This page was last updated on February 21, 2007.