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Study Abroad: Exchange Balances (Admin Console)

Important Note: This article discusses the updated Exchange Balance interface. This update is only live on select client sites. If you would like to adopt this interface, contact your Customer Success Manager or open a case with Terra Dotta Support. Information about the classic Exchange Balance interface can be found here: Study Abroad: Exchange Balances

Overview

The Admin Console's Exchange Balances feature allows admins to easily track the number of applicants involved in an exchange program, ensure exchange ratios are maintained, and clearly label exchange applicants for billing purposes.

This article discusses the following topics: 

 

Access and Permissions

In order to enable and use Exchange Balances, the admin must have the following permissions: 

  • Application Admin: editing exchange balances
  • System Settings: system features
  • System Settings: terms (Add/Edit/View)
  • System Settings: partner institutions (Add/Edit/View)
  • Program Admin: program wizard
  • Program Admin: program searching and listing
  • Applicant Search: simple
  • Applicant Search: advanced
  • Application admin: overview

 

Initial Setup: Program settings, Terms, and Partner Institutions

Prior to creating your exchange balances, you will need to take the following steps to prepare your site: 

1. General Program Settings

Define the unit of calculation for exchange balances by navigating to Classic Administrative view>Settings> System Features>Programs tab: 

By default, Terra Dotta software uses 'semesters' when calculating exchanges. However, some institutions choose to use "Students" or another unit that better fits their process. 

 

2. Term Settings

Create a list of available terms under Admin Console>Settings>Global Settings>Terms and configure the default exchange weight for each term. 

3. Partner Institutions

Create a list of your partner institutions by navigating to Admin Console>Global Settings>Partner Institutions.  

 

4. Program Specific Settings

Navigate to Admin Console>Programs>Program Finder, open your desired program, and enable the "Exchange option available" toggle: 

 

Creating an Exchange Balance

Once you have completed the initial setup for programs, terms, and partner institutions, follow these steps to create your exchange balance:

 

1. Navigate to Admin Console>Exchange Balances.

Exchange Balances are found in the "Applications" card: 

 

2. Select the +Plus icon to create your new exchange balance:

 

3. Complete the Required Fields

3.1 Name the exchange balance: 

 

3.2 Configure your Balance Group 1 ( Outgoing Exchange):  

Populate one or several of the following exchange balance criteria options: 

    • Exchange Program: This list is populated from all programs that have been configured in Initial Setup: Step 4
    • Partner  Institution: This list is populated from all programs that have been configured in Initial Setup: Step 3
    • Home Intuitions: The Home Institutions option is used to match outgoing study abroad programs to their exchange partner institutions overseas. There is no tool for creating this list; to learn more about this list, navigate to this article: Study Abroad: FSC (Home Institution) Table: characteristics and customization

Important Note: The application/user only needs to meet one of the criteria in a balance group to apply to the exchange balance. The logic between criteria group options is OR logic; it does not compound. Adding several programs, partner institutions, home institutions, or a combination of all three options will broaden the applicability. 

 

3.3 Configure your Balance Group 2 ( Incoming Exchange): 

If you create an incoming program for each partner institution you work with, then you could select the incoming exchange program for Group 2. If you have 1 incoming program that students from all partner institutions apply to, then you will need to build the balance based on partner institution, not incoming program name.

 

3.4 Define the ratios for the exchange balance and save your edits: 



Target Ratio:  The target ratio indicates the terms of the exchange agreement with regards to how many students you want to send and receive. 
Example: If the target ratio is set at 1:2 and the quota is 10, you are indicating you wish to send 10 outgoing students per semester and receive 20 incoming students. 
Group 1 Quota: The group 1 quota displays the 'goal' number of outgoing applicants for this exchange for each application cycle. 
Note: The group 2 quota (incoming) is calculated as follows: (Group 1 Quota ÷ Group 1 Ratio) * Group 2 Ratio = Group 2 Quota
Previous Exchange History: The previous exchange history field allows you to input your historical exchange balance numbers for an existing exchange. This option allows you to keep a tally of your overall exchange numbers, rather than only applications that exist in the Terra Dotta system.  If you are setting up an exchange balance for a brand new exchange agreement, you can imput "0" for the exchange history and the balance will only count applications in the Terra Dotta system. 
Note: These fields should follow this pattern: (Group 1 Non-exchange) Group 1 Exchange : Group 2 Exchange (Group 2 Non-exchange) 
 
Tally totals include all applications with the 'PENDING', 'COMMITTED' or 'ACCEPTED' status (and aliases of these statuses). If an application is of 'REJECTED' or 'WAITLIST' status, it will not be included in the ratio tally.

Managing Exchange Balances

Once you have created the exchange balance, you can click the caret to the right of the exchange balance name to view a list of each application cycle that has an inbound or outbound application:

Note: Application Cycles will appear here even if the corresponding application(s) is/are withdrawn.

Important Note: If data does not load after expanding the exchange balance, initiate a hard refresh by selecting Shift-Ctrl-R (Windows) or Command + Shift + R (Mac) on your keyboard. 

 

The columns detail the following information:

  • Application Cycle: This column displays the application cycles. 
  • Ratio: This displays the total ratio of the exchange weight of Group 1 vs Group 2 (outgoing vs. incoming) applications. 
  • Target: This is your quota/goal for the application cycle. 
  • Exchange Applications:This column indicates the current amount of exchange applications for Group 1 vs Group 2.
  • Non-Exchange Applications: This column indicates the current amount of non-exchange applications for Group 1 vs Group 2.
  • Program Tally: At the bottom of each exchange balance you will see a ‘Program Tally’ that tallies all applicants across all terms in the entire exchange balance.

 

When applicants begin applying to the exchange programs, an administrator will need to manually mark applicants as part of the exchange by following these steps:

1. After expanding the Exchange Balances dropdown next to the balance name, click edit pencil next to the desired application cycle:

 

2. The dropdown shows a list of applicants who could apply to the exchange balance for the application cycle in question:

 

3. Click the arrow next to each applicant's name to move them to the correct column. By default, the applicants will appear in the outermost columns, meaning they do not apply to the exchange balance.  Moving the user to the innermost columns applies their application to the exchange balance:

When you move the applicant to the innermost columns, applying them towards your exchange balance, the following message will appear:

Click the box next to "Send email notification" if you wish the applicant to be notified via email that they have been marked as an exchange student.

The email will read as follows: 
Subject: [Institution Name] application notification
[Institution Name] Exchange Status Change 
Hello [Student Name],
 
This is an automated notification to inform you that your exchange status has changed from Non-exchange to Exchange for the following application on the Office of International Programs web site.
 
Program: [Program Name], [Application Cycle]
 
To login, use the following link: [Site login link]
 
This message was generated automatically

 

4. Click "Ok" to confirm your decision to count this application towards the exchange balance. Once you have confirmed this decision, the applicant will move to the innermost column for their group, indicating they count towards the exchange ratio: 

Note: Administrators can also designate an applicant as an ‘Exchange’ applicant by opening their application, and selected "Change Exchange" from the kebab menu in the top right of the application: 

 

Selecting "Change Exchange" will present the Change Exchange Modal:

Checking or un-checking the ‘Exchange applicant?’ box automatically changes the status to exchange or non-exchange. Fill in the number of semesters for which this exchange will count (usually 1 for semester programs or 2 for year-long programs) and click Update.

Note: If you do not see the ‘Change Exchange’ option in the application's kebab menu, you need to go to the program setup page and mark that program as Exchange Available (See Initial Setup: Program settings, Terms, and Partner Institutions> Step 4).

 

Once the applicant is counted toward the exchange, their application will display the following marker:

 

Note: Changes made in either exchange balance interface (Classic/Admin Console) will appear in both interfaces.  

 

 

 

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