By Anthony Czelusniak
Motlow Buzz Staff Writer
Last issue, Motlow
Buzz readers received insights on the inner workings of D2L from Dean of
First Learning Terry Durham. Now it’s Cindy Logan’s turn to explain some of the
details of MyMotlow Banner.
MyMotlow Banner is similar to D2L in that it is provided
by a separate company called Ellucian. However, unlike D2L, Motlow’s IT
department is able to build custom modules for MyMotlow Banner to increase
functionality whenever the need arises.
“Examples
of [custom modules] include orientation, testing and proctoring sign-ups or
specific program applications, like nursing or medical lab tech programs,” said
Logan, who serves Motlow as chief information officer.
MyMotlow Banner is used by students year-round, but
during class sign-ups and when the final grades are being posted, the usage
will increase significantly.
Logan explained that these usage spikes are not a problem
at all “unless we happen to be monitoring system statistics and the spikes go
unnoticed.”
Managing MyMotlow Banner is not an easy task. Maintenance
is needed continuously to provide service. The size of MyMotlow Banner goes
beyond what the user can see.
“Banner is a vast system that brings together hundreds of
functional processes, supported by several thousand database tables,” she said.
“In addition, there are several other software
systems that interface with Banner to provide additional functionality needed
by the college but not provided by banner.”
One of the biggest challenges for the maintenance of MyMotlow
Banner is scheduling. MyMotlow Banner is in use throughout the year, meaning
there will always be some disruption of service.
Logan added, “We usually try to schedule those windows
late in the evening and on weekends when fewer users are on the system. We also
do our best to avoid times when we know usage will be high or when a major
event is occurring.”
When asked if there is anything students or faculty can
do to make managing MyMotlow Banner easier, Logan asserted that it is not the
responsibility of students or staff to worry about managing MyMotlow Banner.
“The primary responsibility of faculty is to teach, and
the primary responsibility of students is to learn. Faculty and students should never be burdened by the Banner
system but should always be prepared to report to IT or Motlow leadership when
they feel the system is a burden or is not performing as it should.”
Logan reiterated how important it is to keep account
login information safe.
“Students see only their own student or financial aid
data, employees see their own employment information, faculty/advisors see only
their own students, and faculty see only their own courses,” Logan said. “Protecting one’s user-ID and PIN is critical
to maintaining security of one’s own data.
Never share your user-ID and PIN number and periodically change the PIN
to ensure security.”
Students and faculty who need assistance can contact the
Help Desk at Extension 1510 (on-campus) or (931) 393-1510 Option 1 (off-campus)
or helpdesk@mscc.edu.
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