March 6, 2024
DARS/uAchieve upgrade is coming
As previously announced, the Office of the Registrar is leading the way on a project to upgrade the university's DARS/uAchieve environment from 4.2 to 5.0.
This major upgrade will bring a new look and feel to how we run degree audit reports and enhancements to improve our student and user experience. The implementation of this upgrade will happen in phases over the next week and a half. Please reference the following timeline to understand how the upgrade may impact your daily tasks.
March 6 — The current DARS environment will be copied for the new 5.0 environment at 5 p.m.
What does this mean? All encoding and exception requests must be entered/requested before 5 p.m. on March 6. After the copy is taken, encoding and exceptions cannot continue until the new 5.0 client is up and running. All users who encode and enter exceptions can, if needed, enter an exception, but we recommend holding until March 18 if possible. Any exceptions you do in the current 4.2 environment are not available in the new 5.0 environment, which means keeping track of any exceptions done and redoing them when the 5.0 environment is fully available. All users can continue running audits out of KSIS, like usual.
March 11-March 15 — The Office of the Registrar will test and ensure DARS 5.0 and KSIS are up and running.
What does this mean? Students and advisors will continue running audits within KSIS, as usual. Encoding and entering exceptions in 4.2 is still discouraged as these additions/changes are not flowing to the 5.0 environment. As mentioned, all pending encoding and exceptions after March 6th at 5:00 pm should be postponed until they go live.
March 18 — uAchieve/DARS 5.0 Go-Live
What does this mean? The upgrade enhancements are available to the entire university. Everyone will interface with degree audits using the new uAcheive Self-Service tool, accessed via direct URL or KSIS. Encoding and exceptions will resume in the new 5.0 environment. All users will be required to authenticate through K-State Single Sign-On. The current 4.2 self-service tool — DARS Assist — will no longer be available; any clickable links in KSIS will point you to the new uAchieve Self-Service tool.
The Office of the Registrar is here to help through this transition. You can find helpful information on the registrar's website. There are helpful FAQs, video tutorials and links to knowledge-based articles to help you navigate this new look and feel to degree audit reporting.
Any faculty and staff experiencing issues running an audit in KSIS or via the direct link may contact us at DARSassist@k-state.edu and one of our support staff will be happy to assist you.
Faculty, staff and students needing assistance with any coding, substitutions, exceptions or missing items on the DARS/uAchieve audit are first reviewed by your college dean’s office for assistance to determine if the DARSassist team is needed.