Overview of UMS Institutional Data Access

Where To Request Data Access
Data Use
Reporting & Analysis Tools & Training

Access to institutional data is only granted in order for employees to perform job-related responsibilities. Because of the large and distributed nature of the University of Maine System, there is no single place where employees can go to request access to all institutional data needed. As a system, we are continuously improving our data access request processes; please start with the access request website, and work with the individuals for your functional area—and for your institution—listed on the page. They will help you determine which data you need access to, and help you acquire that access.

Where To Request Data Access

The University of Maine System houses institutional data—the data the University of Maine System maintains concerning its students, employees, and finances—in three PeopleSoft® databases: Campus Solutions, Financials, and Human Resources. These PeopleSoft databases, within the University of Maine System, are referred to as MaineStreet. For more information about these databases, see our Mainestreet definition in Data Cookbook, our data dictionary tool. Access is granted to a specific database according to your work duties.

Campus Solutions (Student Data)

Individuals from all campuses can request access by following the directions on the MaineStreet Access to Student Data (Campus Solutions) webpage.

Finance/GL

If you are a campus employee, your supervisor should email the GL security liaison for your campus. If you are unsure who this is, please contact your campus finance office for more information. For UMaine, contact Beth Morin (morin@maine.edu).
If you are a system employee, please contact Darla (darlab@maine.edu) or Janis (janis.elsemore@maine.edu) for access.

Human Resources

Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) manages HR security access. Your supervisor will need to fill out their security authorization form (also found on HR's website under Forms), and send it to hris@maine.edu.

Introduction to Institutional Data

Watch this instructional video to learn about UMS institutional data and best practices. The video and accompanying quiz are required for access to Power BI.

Information Security Resources

You can find Employee Protection of Data Administrative Practice Letters (UMS data security guidelines), in addition to many other security resources, at our Information Security Office website.

Reporting & Analysis Tools & Training

Across the UMS, several data reporting tools are available both within the data systems, as well as external tools used to extract, process, analyze, and present data. Access to data is required to use any of the tools mentioned below. For many users, data access will be different depending on the tool you are using. When requesting data access, it is important to be clear about which tool or tools you will be using. Below is an overview of the tools most commonly used across the functional areas of the UMS.

PeopleSoft Query

Inside of MaineStreet, the primary data extraction tool is PeopleSoft Query (PS Query). This tool is used to extract data from the Campus Solutions student database, Human Resources database, or Financials database. Frequently, users extract data with PS Query and analyze the data in Excel, or other data tools.

Find training and resources specific to PS Query on our DARTS Data Website.

Power BI (Business Intelligence)

The newest tool in our data arsenal is Microsoft Power BI, a user-friendly data visualization, analysis, and presentation tool. This tool was implemented for the UMS in 2020. Microsoft Power BI is a replacement for Discoverer and provides exciting opportunities for both working with data and presenting findings in various formats. Microsoft Power BI should not be confused with BI Publisher, which is a reporting tool replacing Crystal.

Find training and resources specific to Power BI on our DARTS Data Website.

Structured Query Reporter (SQRs)

Also inside of MaineStreet are standardized reports written by UMS programmers. These are often in a report format called SQR, where an end user fills out a few key criteria for what they are looking for (such as term and campus), and a PDF report is generated for the requested data.

Find training and resources specific to running an SQR on our DARTS Data Website.

DARTS : Data Access Requests