Viewing and Understanding Student Data
Learn more about using the Student Database (SDB) and Electronic Academic Records (EARS)
- For instructions on accessing SDB visit the SDB administrative systems access page.
- Request access to UW's Electronic Academic Records (EARS): Get supervisor approval and then use this form to request EARS access.
Overview of Student Data Systems
Structure of Student Data
The UW Student Database (SDB), also known as Keynes, is a university-wide system for managing student records and student data. This is the system from which all other data resources (EARS, MyPlan, etc.) pull information. Using Keynes, advisers can access student information. Keynes also allows advisers to add and remove holds, register students, or make DARS exceptions.
The UW Electronic Academic Record System (EARS) enables authorized UW staff to access official student record information in a web format. Typically advisers use EARS to get a quick and easy overview of a particular student’s information. EARS also has a notes function that many advisers across campus use to write notes about student appointments. Advisers can also use EARS to make DARS exceptions.
The Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW) is UW’s secure, central system that integrates current and historical data from many sources to support operational reporting and strategic analysis. You can access off-the-shelf reports and analytics or query the data directly for more specific needs.
In BI Portal you can access data stored in the Enterprise Data Warehouse via pre-built reports and visualizations.
Getting Access
- For instructions on accessing SDB visit the SDB administrative systems access page.
- Request access to EARS: Get supervisor approval and then use this form to request EARS access.
Notes on FERPA
Before viewing student data, please make sure you are familiar with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, was enacted in 1974. It is a set of regulations that applies to institutions that receive funding from the Department of Education.
FERPA was written specifically for students and guarantees them the right to inspect and review their education records, the right to seek to amend education records, and the right to have some control over the disclosure of information from those education records.
FERPA 101: The Basics. This online module takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete, and provides you with recommendations to common FERPA-related issues that occur at the University. Watch the full video and complete the quiz to receive a PDF certificate as a record of training completion. *Note: users must log in with their personal UWNetID.
EARS Overview
UW's Electronic Academic Records (EARS) will help you see important information about a student quickly. In EARS you can:
- Search for students by name
- Review important demographic data
- See a student's academic record
- Run degree audits
- Make degree audit exceptions
- See transfer credits
- Write and read adviser notes
To learn how to use EARS, you can take the EARS training course. The EARS training course must be completed in sequence.
EARS training course content:
- Locator Screen
- Overview Screen
- Transcript Screen
- Transfer Credit Screen
- Degree Audit Screen
- Notes Screen
To learn best practices for writing notes please review the EARS Notes Guidelines Document.
Request access to EARS: Get supervisor approval and then use this form to request EARS access.
SDB Overview
Access and Training
To learn how to access and use UW's Student Database (SDB), please complete the training on the registrar’s website. This training will show you how to:
- Gain access to SDB
- Login to SDB
- Complete actions within screens
- Navigate to different screens
Need help troubleshooting? Try these resources:
- Troubleshooting SDB Login
- Navigating SDB: Important Key Commands
- SDB Screen Manual
- SDB Hints and Tips
What can I find in SDB that is not in EARS?
There are many reasons that advisers need to use SDB. The most common reasons are:
- Placing and removing holds
- Some DARS exceptions have to be in SDB
- Changing Transfer Courses
- Enrollment confirmation
- Viewing admissions information (high school attended, intended major)
- Registering students
- Faculty codes
- Add codes
- Transaction history
- Class Lists
Common SDB Screens for Advisers
While each adviser needs in SDB are different, here are some of the screens advisers commonly use:
- SRF104/105: Registration
- SRF120: Student Registration Transactions
- SRF130: Class Lists
- SRF245: Add codes
- SRT317: Transcript Inquiry - You can see numerical values for S/NS
- SRT325: Transfer Summary
- SRT370: Exceptions Screen
- SRT232: Faculty Codes
- SRF500: Student search
- SRF630: Hold Screen- add or remove holds
Note: Many advisers also use SDB for curricular purposes. We will not go into detail on this page, but for more information please see the Curriculum Page on the registrar's website.
Using EARS vs. SDB: Use Case Studies
Below you will find use case studies that illustrate how SDB and EARS can be used together to assist a student or find needed information.
Did a student add/drop a course and when did the transaction happen?
Situation
During Spring quarter, a student comes in and says that they don’t know why they are being charged $20 for having dropped a class, since they dropped it on April 7th. April 7th is the last day to make changes via MyUW without being assessed a $20 Fee and possible tuition forfeiture.
Solution
You open up SDB, find your way to the Registration Transaction Screen SRF120 and see that the student dropped the course at 1:09 Am on April 8th. Now, you can explain to the student that since they made changes after April 7th, they have been charged accordingly.
Student needs to add a class, but the system is not recognizing the prerequisite.
Situation
A student comes in and says they can’t register for Math 125 even though they’ve completed Math 124 with a 2.9 GPA.
Solution
You open up EARS and check their transcript to see that they’ve received at least a 2.0 GPA in Math 124, the prerequisite for Math 125. After confirming the students has completed the necessary prerequisite for the courses they’d like to add, you can log into SDB, and add the student into the course using the SRF104 screen. Once you’ve successfully added the student into the course, you should log into EARS and leave a note saying you completed an override into Math 125.
Questions about interactions with other advisers on campus.
Situation
A student shares that a departmental adviser has told them that they cannot take courses within the department they’ve been admitted to, this quarter. The student is upset because they feel they should be able to access the courses offered for majors-only.
Solution
You open up EARS to find the appointment notes that the departmental adviser has left. You open up the notes and the adviser states that the student has been admitted to the department but can’t begin taking courses until the following quarter, as senior students preparing for graduation, have already filled up the majors-only courses. The adviser wrote in the notes that the student will still need more credits after completing the major courses, to reach the 180 in order to graduate. You then use this information to have a conversation with the student about pursuing a possible minor or taking elective courses, as they will still need more credits to graduate, after completing the major requirements.
A student has a question about how a course was transferred in from a previous institution.
Situation
A student believes that there are credits missing on their UW transcript, which were transferred from a community college. The student shares that she took 4 anthropology courses.
Solution
You log into EARS, click on the “transfer credit” tab and then click “ evaluated courses”. You see that all 4 courses have been evaluated. You check her transcript in EARS and all 4 anthropology courses are on her transcript, but they say ”Anth 1XX”, ”Anth 2XX”, ”Anth 2XX”, and ”Anth 3XX”. You explain that the student has received appropriate credit and general education requirements, but has not received an exact equivalency because we do not offer that specific anthropology course on our campus.
Department chair asks for a class listing
Situation
The chair of your department asks you for a class list for a specific course.
Solution
You log into SDB and using the SRF130 screen, locate the list of students registered for that course. Before granting access to the list, you will need to determine if the reasoning fits within FERPA guidelines.
A student needs a hold from your office removed
Situation
A student sent you an email asking for a Satisfactory Progress hold to be removed. It was placed because the student was not in a major by the UW's satisfactory progress timeline. In the email, they have sent you the confirmation email they received about being accepted into their major.
Solution
You log into SDB Hold Update Screen SRF630, enter the students Identification number, and press ‘enter’. You see that the hold is in the first row, so you enter a “D” (drop) in the Action column and press ‘enter’. Once the screen shows that the hold has been dropped, you confirm that the hold has been removed by logging into EARS and checking their “overview” tab.
What is a student registered for currently and in the future?
Situation
You and your student have discussed not taking too many STEM courses at once. This has caused the student too much stress and a very low GPA in the past.
Solution
You log into EARS and click on the “overview” tab. You scroll down until it shows their current class schedule and next quarter’s class schedule. You see that a student is registered for 3 STEM courses, all with labs. You use this information to start a discussion this with the student while you’re having your appointment.
What day did a student withdraw?
Situation
A student is coming in for an appointment with you. To prepare you look at their record on EARS and notice that they withdrew from their courses. In order to gain more context, you would like to know when the student withdrew.
Solution
Log in to SDB and view the SRF120 screen to see the date in which the student withdrew.
Viewing transcripts
Situation
The note that a student provided when scheduling an appointment said, “ My schedule was too easy last quarter, so I need to take way more difficult classes next quarter."
Solution
You log into EARS and click on the “transcript” tab to see that the student was taking 3 courses to equal 13 credits and received a 2.8 GPA last quarter. You will discuss what academic success looks like in college at the next appointment with this student.