Have you ever wondered how all of the information at Mason is stored and how it is managed? Developed by Ellucian, Banner is an administrative software application used in higher education to maintain and support data across universities. The system contains personal, academic, and administrative information for Mason students, faculty, and staff.

Over the past year, ITS has been working diligently to advance the Banner application software to its most recent release, Banner 9. The first phases of the upgrade included implementing new registration and financial aid features, the conversion to admin apps, and the introduction of the new profile page. While there are more upgrades to come in 2020, these recent changes have already begun to provide more efficiency across the university for both students and employees.

The latest upgrade to the Banner system—the addition of a Personal Profile in Patriot Web—provides users access to new features and the ability to update their information in one location. Prior to the implementation, there were 13 links on the Personal Information tab. That list has been condensed to seven options, pushing selections like viewing/updating addresses and phone numbers to the Personal Profile.

This past fall Mason adopted a revised Chosen Name and Pronouns Policy that enables students and employees to designate their chosen name and pronouns for university purposes. Introducing Personal Profile provided students and employees the ability to edit their chosen name, pronouns, and gender identity, which will be used in many areas, including class rosters, Blackboard, and other systems.

If you have questions about your information or need assistance making changes to your Personal Profile, employees may contact Mason Human Resources at hr@gmu.edu and students may contact the Office of the University Registrar at 703-993-2441. If you have questions about Patriot Web, contact the ITS Support Center at support@gmu.edu or 703-993-8870.