Saint Louis University ITS supports a variety of administrative systems, including the mySLU portal, Banner Self-Service and Internet Native Banner. The division also provides administrative services including Microsoft security updates, antivirus protection, and guest account access.
Banner Self-Service (or Banner) is your window into the data kept in the central campus information system. The system is available for faculty, staff and students to log in and securely view and update data and information that pertains to them.
Banner Self-Service can be accessed through the mySLU portal by using the Tools tab and selecting Banner Self-Service or by visiting banner.slu.edu and logging in with your SLU Net ID and password.
For support using Banner, visit help.slu.edu.
Banner Features
For Faculty
- Teaching schedules
- Course lists
- Grading
- E-mailing classes/advisees
For Staff
- Benefits and deductions
- Leave balances and leave reports
- Parking and Card Services vehicle registration
- Pay information and tax forms
- Timesheets
Bi-weekly employees are encouraged to log in to Banner Self-Service daily and enter their time details. Monthly/salaried employees must log in to record any exception time (vacation, sick, FMLA, etc.) and submit their time through the Leave Report link by each month.
For Students
- Billing information
- Course registration (add/drop)
- Financial aid information
- Online course evaluations
- Parking and Card Services vehicle registration
- Student records and transcript requests
Personal Information Updates in Banner
To update or view your personal information through Banner, click the" Personal Information" tab located on the top menu bar.
- Verify your address(es) and phone number(s), by selecting the View Addresses and Phone Numbers link. If updates are needed, go back to the Personal Information page and select Update Addresses and Phone Numbers.
- Make changes to your emergency contacts, marital status, name and Social Security Number (from the Update Emergency Contacts, Update Marital Status, Name Change Information, and Social Security Number Change Information links, respectively).
Emergency Notification System
The University requires periodic verifications for its Emergency Notification System.
SLU's Department of Public Safety asks that you supply at least one and up to three US-based cell numbers for this system. Then, check the box next to 'I have verified/updated my contact information for emergency notification. Any Emergency Notification Compliance Student Hold will be removed.'
If you do not have a US cell number, please check the box next to 'No cell numbers to provide.' Clicking the button completes the requirement.
Special Announcements
Occasionally, the University uses the menu page of Banner Self-Service to promote special activities or to make special announcements, such as the United Way Campaign. If you have questions about any special programs or activities that are announced on the main page of Banner, please ask your supervisor if you are a faculty or staff member or your advisor if you are a student.
Database Services
ITS provides a complete end-to-end service for the administration of Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL and Oracle, including maintenance, monitoring, backup and restoration. The services offered on all platforms are:
- Backup and recovery measures to safeguard data
- Monitoring and maintaining space usage within the database
- Monitoring and maintaining availability and performance of the database
- Creating user accounts for database access as needed for applications
- Provisioning and monitoring security measures within the database environment
- Assistance with encryption in high-security or sensitive data environments
- Create Extract, Transform & Load (ETL) processes to move data between systems and technologies
- Lifecycle of Production, Test & Development for MySQL, Oracle, and SQL Server
Every effort is made to provide 99.9 percent uptime for the production environment during the normal business hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. The team has the following maintenance windows for each production environment:
- Oracle: Maintenance occurs on certain Saturdays when school is not in session. Exact dates and times of maintenance will always be announced in Newslink. Here is a link to the schedule for patches on the Oracle ODA server.
- SQL Server: Windows updates are the Sunday morning after the third Tuesday from 1 a.m. to approximately noon. SQL updates are as needed but would occur on the second Saturday of the month for approximately four hours beginning at 6 a.m.
- MySQL: Maintenance occurs on certain Saturdays when school is not in session. Exact dates and times of maintenance will always be announced in Newslink. View the schedule for patches on the Linux servers hosting MySQL.
For all DBA requests, please submit a service request.
Business Intelligence Services
The University uses Ellucian's Operational Data Store to provide the data model for reporting purposes in the Banner ERP system; these reports should use our enterprise reporting tool, Cognos. Reports for databases from other applications are also done with Cognos.
The reporting tools are accessed through the Tools tab of the mySLU portal. Logical access controls and processes are followed when creating reports to determine the data access for a user.
Cognos has a maintenance window on Saturdays from 6 a.m. to noon.
For all reporting requests, please submit a service request.
Guest accounts can be given to Saint Louis University collaborators, contractors, business partners, consultants, etc., who will be working with SLU faculty and staff for a limited time.
Faculty and staff can request guest account access for SLU guests who are affiliated with departments or projects and have legitimate business or academic needs to access restricted resources at SLU.
The process may require up to 5-7 business days to complete. Guests and their sponsors are notified via email when the accounts are set up and can be accessed.
Internet Native Banner (INB) is used by office staff on campus to administer applicant and student records, package and award financial aid, enter, approve and track financial transactions, control the hiring process, run payrolls, track donor giving and potential donors, and other duties.
Access INB securely through the "Tools" tab on the mySLU portal. The following modules are available:
Financial Aid
The SLU Banner Financial Aid module is used by advanced users performing various functions for the University. Student financial aid processes and procedures are performed within the Financial Aid module. This means a very close association with the Office of Admissions.
Once students are accepted, the information within Financial Aid is intertwined with other information in the Student system. To further maximize its data availability, the Financial Aid system is also fully integrated with the Finance, Human Resources, and Alumni/Development modules.
Finance
The SLU Banner Finance module is an online product that uses the Oracle Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) to maintain and share data. The Finance module can function as a stand-alone system or be integrated with the other Banner modules to provide access to information that already exists in the database.
The Banner Finance module is a complete financial information and management system that delivers strategic financial data that University executives and business officers need to make the right fiscal decisions. It meets GAAP requirements and addresses the latest FASB and GASB positions on depreciation accounting and financial reporting. The system distributes purchasing functions to the Purchasing Department and accounts payable and check processing functions to the Accounts Payable Department. Each module is designed for the department it serves.
Overall, the SCT Banner Finance system provides a comprehensive, integrated financial management system that enables you to track, maintain, and process all of your relevant financial data.
Human Resources
The SLU Banner Human Resources module is an online product that uses the Oracle Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) to maintain and share data. The Human Resources module can function as a stand-alone system or be integrated with the other Banner modules allowing you to access information that already exists in the database.
The Human Resources system supports personnel recordkeeping, payroll functions, compensation, and other essential University needs. Additionally, information in the Human Resources system supports other systems, including e-mail and SLU People Finder.
Student
SCT Banner Student supports the full range of functions necessary for student administration, including registration; data collection for scheduling of classes, admissions, assignment of housing, faculty workload analysis, and creation of catalogs; all accounts receivable; and academic history and degree audit reporting.
The Student module benefits many administrative offices. To further maximize its data availability, the Student system is fully integrated with the Finance, Human Resources, Alumni/Development, and Financial Aid modules.
Advancement/Alumni
The SLU Banner Advancement/Alumni module supports the diverse activities critical to a successful University advancement program. Day-to-day operations of the alumni and development offices, such as maintaining comprehensive information about individuals and organizations, tracking pledges, and recording gifts, are handled through Banner and its forms. Banner also provides the necessary information for program planning and evaluation. Online processing keeps biographical and giving records continually updated.
The SCT Banner Advancement System receives valuable information on new graduates as well as past and present students from the SCT Banner Student system through an interface.
Similarly, financial data from the SCT Banner Advancement system is transferred through an interface to the SCT Banner Finance system. Payroll deductions from the SCT Banner Human Resources system can be interfaced to create gifts in the SCT Banner Advancement system
In an effort to streamline technology support and offer an enhanced product to the University, ITS has moved to the Microsoft 365 as the default for all university-owned computers for staff, faculty, classrooms and computer lab spaces.
Microsoft Patches & Security Updates
From time to time, Information Technology Services make security patches, also known as updates, available for installation on all Saint Louis University Windows-based desktop and laptop computers. These patches help protect your PC from vulnerabilities within the Microsoft Windows Operating System.
Step-by-Step Instruction for Installing Updates (PDF)
Installation of the patches should be done the before Friday at 4 a.m. the week the patches are released. After that time, ITS will begin to automatically install these security patches on all desktops and laptops that have not made the updates.
Please Note: Updates do not apply until your computer is rebooted, or restarted. To ensure that the security updates have been installed, all desktops and laptops need to be rebooted.
For more information or assistance, contact the ITS Service Desk at 314-977-4000.