Banner Data Standards

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Last updated: Jan 04, 2024
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The purpose of these guidelines is to ensure database integrity and provide easy, professional and cost-effective communications for Bethel University.

Some of the primary goals for creating these guidelines are to:

  • Document a single institutional data entry standard that facilitates searches and provides accurate and consistent reports.
  • Avoid creation of duplicate records for any single entity.
  • Provide complete and accurate name/address information that meets Postal Services’ recommended mailing address procedures.
  • Maintain the highest quality of Bethel University data.

These guidelines establish measures for the protection, access, and use of data in Banner, Bethel University’s administrative software.  All references to information systems or electronic data refer to the Banner product and the databases that store information entered through and retrieved by these systems. This document also defines the responsibilities of those that access the data. Offices may have individual guidelines that supplement, but do not contradict, this statement.

Banner is a collection of forms with imbedded instructions used to enter, modify, delete, and query data. Banner simply provides the forms and programs necessary to manipulate data. The data itself is stored in tables residing in an Oracle database. It is a relational database, meaning that tables are linked together by means of some internal identification number and, therefore, data redundancy is limited. For example, one table might have a student’s ID number and the course numbers in which he/she is enrolled. A separate table has the course numbers and the course descriptions. The course numbers would link the two tables together providing a course description for the courses in which a student is enrolled. There are over 3,800 tables in the Banner system.

Banner is modular, meaning that there are modules for different functional areas. There is a Financial Aid module, a Finance module, a Human Resources module, an Alumni/Development/Advancement module and a Student module.  There also is a General Person module that ties all of the other modules together by tracking common information such as a person’s ID number, name, address, email, gender, and date of birth.  The General Person module is shared by all Banner users.

This manual prescribes guidelines for creating and maintaining General Person information in the Oracle database using Banner. This manual is constructed to ensure that General Person information is maintained as accurately and completely as is possible, and that no duplications of data occur within the database.  Individual offices are responsible for specific training within their respective modules, in cooperation with ITS