Reporting Resources
(Please note that not all of these resources are accessible outside of the VCU network.)
Banner Reporting Center (reporting on Banner Operational Data Store data)
e~Print Reports (Reporting on Banner production data through E*print system)
SAS Web Report Studio (WRS) (Reporting on Banner Operational Data Store data)
Reports Currently in The Banner Reporting Center and Web Report Studio
ODS Business Concept Diagrams (Visual guides to sources of ODS data)
Banner Bookshelf (PDF) (Contains lists and descriptions of Banner-delivered reports)
The Reporting Center (Reporting on legacy HR, student and finance data)
Legacy Data Warehouse Information
Frequently Asked Questions about Reporting
Q: I am a Mac user/Firefox/InternetExplorer 7 user and cannot access the Web Report Studio. What should I do?
A: SAS WRS is currently compatible only with Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 6, which is only available for Windows-based PCs. Use the Banner Reporting Center instead
Q: How do I access data now that we have moved to Banner?
A: There are several ways currently available to access and report on Banner data.
- View, print and download data on internet-native Banner (INB) forms
- Run Banner Reporting Center reports
- Run Banner-delivered reports
- Run E*Print reports
- Create ad hoc reports from single ODS views using WRS
- Access and join ODS views through SAS Enterprise Guide or other reporting tool
Links to resources related to each of these options are given in the “Reporting Resources” section above.
Q: I’ve looked everywhere and I can’t seem to find a report I need. What should I do?
A: First, make sure that you have looked through all of the reporting resources listed above, especially the reports currently in the Banner Reporting Center. If you do not find the report you need, contact the data owner in the appropriate functional area for help. That person should know what different types of reports (e.g., Banner-delivered, BRC, WRS, etc.) are available and should be able to let you if your report is available. If your report is not available, the data owner can begin the process of creating a new report for you or granting you access to an existing report.
A list of the current data owners by general functional area is as follows:
- Admissions - Undergraduate: Sybil Halloran
- Admissions – Graduate: Mark Schaefermeyer
- Human Resources: Cynthia Andrews
- Finance: James Satterwhite
- Financial Aid: Susan Kadir
- Payroll: Martin Rengers
- Registration: Anjour Harris
- Student Accounting: Roberta Fife
Q: Someone I work with has access to reports that I do not have. How do I go about getting access to these reports?
A: The security model in the Banner environment is what is known as role- and value-based security. Your role determines what functionality and what data elements you have access to. Your value determines what records you have access to, and is typically based on your organizational affiliation. If your co-worker has a different role than you do, then it is likely that he/she has access to different reports.
If you feel that you have a bona fide need for the same reports that your co-worker has, you should contact the appropriate data owner (see list above). It may be that you have not been assigned the proper role, or it may be that your role needs to be given access to additional data elements and reports. Please keep in mind, however, that a great deal of thought was put into security roles and role assignments, and that your role may be shared with others within the institution, so the decision to grant you access to a particular report or data element must be weighed against the impact that decision has on others’ access.
Q: I have reviewed the resources related to the Banner Operational Data Store (ODS), and it does not appear that the data that I need are available. What do I do?
A: First, you need to ascertain whether the data you need are available in the Banner environment. If you can enter or see these data in the Banner environment, but cannot find them in the ODS, it may be that no ODS views exist that contain these data. If this is the case, contact the appropriate data owner (see list above) to discuss your need, and to see if a report based on Banner production (as opposed to ODS) data may be available. If this is not the case, the data owner can begin the process of making the data you need available in the ODS.
If the data that you need are not found in the Banner environment, it is likely that a business process has changed significantly along with the Banner conversion. Again, the data owner in question would be the best resource to determine how to meet your information needs in the Banner environment.
Q: I am using WRS to create ad hoc reports, but the information I need for my report is not found in a single ODS view. What do I do?
A: SAS Web Report Studio is intended for users who need access to pre-programmed (“canned”) reports, and those who want to create simple ad hoc reports of data in one ODS view. WRS does not allow users to join views. That functionality does exist in SAS Enterprise Guide (EG), but this tool is not web-based or as intuitive to use as WRS.
You have two options: Install and learn SAS EG, or ask the appropriate data owner(s) (see list above) to have what is known as an “information map” written that creates a view that is available within SAS BRC that contains all of the information you need.
Q: I need to be trained to use the SAS tools (e.g., Web Report Studio, Enterprise Guide). Who do I contact?
A: For the time being, training in the SAS reporting tools is being handled through VCU’s Center for Institutional Effectiveness. If you would like SAS WRS training or SAS EG training contact Kelly Lockeman.