As a service to the Mason community, we have designed this page to answer many of the questions that have arisen during the implementation of the Banner system.

If you have a question and cannot find the answer here, please contact the Patriot Project Team.

This page will be updated often, so please check back to make sure your question has been addressed.

Question:
What is the current status of the Patriot Project?
Answer:
The Finance module went live on July 1, 2002. THe Human Resources module went live January 1, 2003. The Student module should be fully operational Fall 2004.

Question:
How do I install the Banner software?
Answer:
Most users do not need to install the Banner software. They may simply access "Patriot Web Self Service" or "Standard Reports" using Internet Explorer.

Question:
Do technicians visit every desktop or will Banner be set up directly from the server?
Answer:
Technicians will not visit every desktop. Banner can be accessed using a web browser.

Question:
What level of access do university users have? What about levels of security?
Answer:
Users have access to their accounts, similar to the access they previously had.

Question:
When is Banner available (hours of operation)?
Answer:
Banner is available beyond normal business hours. The Banner system is not available every Sunday between 7:00 AM and 11:00 AM (U.S. Eastern Time Zone) due to maintenance.

Question:
What kind of on-line help is available?
Answer:
There are users guides on-line.

Finance Guide:
http://www.gmu.edu/PatriotProject/train.html

Human Resources Guides:
http://hr.gmu.edu/approvals/train_manuals.html
http://hr.gmu.edu/time/reference.html

Question:
With the requirement for new employee identification numbers, will social security numbers still be used in the system?
Answer:
Social security numbers are still required for tax reporting purposes. They will only be accessible to employees who need to use them for employment purposes (e.g., hiring, terminating assignments, etc.).

Question:
What is a General Person Record?
Answer:
This is personal information such as name and address. It is kept in a table that is shared with finance, human resources, and eventually the student system. Thus, employees, vendors, sponsors, applicants and students all will be listed on a general person record.

Question:
Where can I find more information on SCT Banner and the Patriot Project?
Answer:
Go to the Patriot Project web site for news and background. Use the site to review the lists for the Steering and Coordinating Committees and the Project Team. Anyone on those lists can provide more information. Also watch for announcements of upcoming Town Hall meetings.

Question:
What kind of security/encryption is used to ensure limited access to financial information?
Answer:
Since financial data is subject to FOIA, encryption is not applied to information available through Self Service at this time. However, update transactions are encrypted to prevent unauthorized access. Encryption is scheduled for implementation in Self Service before HR goes live this fall.

Question:
Will I have off-campus accessibility to the system?
Answer:
Yes. You will just need to use a standard web browser.

Question:
Will the new Self Service system work on a Macintosh? Apparently, there have been problems with the current administrative system.
Answer:
You may use a MAC to access Self Service and E~Print. MACs may also be used for electronic approvals when using a MAC on campus. Electronic approvals do not work for MACs off campus.

Question:
Does saving a query in Self Service save a snapshot of the results or just the parameters selected for the search?
Answer:
Saving a query saves the parameters that were pulled up in the saved query.

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