Overview
This KB will review the process of creating Request Configurations in ISSS Student. This is where ISSS Admins can create and configure the Requests that students can complete in the Pre-Arrival, Check-in, Continuing, Post Completion/Graduated, and Archived Stages of the student visa lifecycle.
A Request is an action process that can be initiated by both the student and the ISSS Admin to update information, apply for OPT/CPT, or provide any additional information to the ISSS office. Requests can also come in from updates from your integrated SIS.
When the ISSS Admin goes to Configurations > Request Configurations, they will be brought to the dashboard with a list of Request Configurations. The dashboard presents the Requests with three information columns: Request Name, Active Status, Stage, and Visa Type.
Creating a New Request Configuration
To create a new Request Configuration, begin by clicking the Plus button located in the lower right-hand corner.
You will be directed to the set-up page where you can fill out the following information:
- Title: Name of the Request, i.e. Buddy Program Check-in, OPT Request, Financial Information Update.
- Request Instructions: This section allows the ISSS Admin to put any instructions for the Student to follow. Clicking into this text field will have a WYSIWYG editor appear for minimal stylizing and formatting. There is a 4000 character limit to this section.
- Stage Status: Select which stage that this request will be available to. The ISSS Admin can choose one to multiple student stages. Stage Status is required in order to create a Request Configuration.
- Request Icon: The icon selected is what will be displayed on the student’s Portal.
- Active: Choose to make this request active or inactive with this slide button.
- ISSS Admin Request: This toggle will put the request within the quick access menu of requests within the student's profile. When in a student's profile, the ISSS Admin has access to a menu of requests that are made visible with this action in the SEVIS Actions and the Plus button in Pending Requests section of the Requests Tab of a student profile.
- Visible to student: When enabled, the request will be viewable to students if added to their Student Portal configuration. If turned off, only the ISSS Admin will have access to initiating the request. Note: once the request has been initiated by the ISSS Admin, the student will see it in their Pending Requests section of their Control Center.
Once this information has been input into the fields, click the Next button to proceed to add components. In the lower right-hand corner, a Plus button will appear.
Clicking on the Plus button will give the ISSS Admin the options of:
- Learning Content: Traditional learning content or instructional information for the request.
- Assessment: A quiz to ensure the student has read and understood the learning content, purpose of the request, and any fundamentals necessary for the benefit request.
- Questionnaire: Contains information needed for the request, for example, employment information for the CPT request.
- Approver Form: Formatted content sent to a third party with no access to Terra Dotta. Typically this could be an academic advisor, employment supervisor, faculty advisor, etc.
- Signature Document: Provide instructions and information to students where they will then have to confirm and sign that they have reviewed the content.
- File Upload: This option will allow students to upload documents that have been requested by the ISSS Admin.
The components added to the Request Configuration can be arranged in any order that the ISSS Admin sees appropriate in the Active Component section. To rearrange the order of components, click and drag the two bar icon located to the left of the component title. Note: Approver Forms will always display last, regardless of how the components are ordered. Once the components have been added to the Request Configuration, click on the Save button in the lower right corner.
Active Components Icons:
- Checkmark: This component is active
- Eye: Preview the component's content
- Pencil: Edit the content in the component
- Star: Required component.
If a component is marked as inactive, that component will move down to the Inactive Components section. Inactive components can always be made active again by clicking the pencil icon and turning the active toggle to enabled.
Adding Learning Content
After selecting the Learning Content option, visible after clicking the Plus button, a new pop-up will appear with a workspace to set up the Learning Content. Begin by giving it a title, this section is required.
To add a content block, click on the Plus button in the lower right-hand corner of the window. The ISSS Admin can add any combination of text, image, and video content blocks.
Written Content Block
In the written content section, the ISSS Admin can put any additional instructions or other needed information for the student to complete. A WYSIWYG editor is available that allows for formatting and stylizing the text.
Image Content Block
Images can be added to the Learning Content by clicking on the Up Arrow button located in the middle of the image content block. The ISSS Admin can upload any image file saved to their computer. Provide an alt-text by clicking on the pencil icon in the lower right corner of the image block.
Note: In order to upload an image, the ISSS Admin will need to have the Image Library, Program Wizard, and Scholar Admin: ISSS Administrator permissions enabled for their account even if your site does not use Scholar Admin. For more information on enabling permission in staff accounts, check out the KB Managing Staff Permissions.
Video Content Block
A video cannot be added directly to this content block from a saved file. The video must first be uploaded to a video service and the video code copied and pasted into the ‘embed your video code’ field. Note: videos must be resized within the video service before the ISSS Admin copies the video code to embed.
Each of the content blocks are configurable into any size and order within the darker color section. Move the location of a content block by clicking and holding anywhere within the content block and drag to the desired location. To adjust the size of a content block, click and hold the edge of the block and then drag the edge to adjust.
Click on the Preview button to view the content from the perspective of a student. Once you have completed inputting the content blocks in the Learning Content, click Submit.
Adding an Assessment
After selecting the Assessment option, visible after clicking the Plus button, a new pop-up will appear with a workspace to set up the Assessment. Begin by giving it a title, this section is required. Below the title, the ISSS Admin can set up the structure of scoring the assessment with a minimum required score, a scoring mechanism (most recent and highest score), and the number of attempts. Note: The max number of attempts for an assessment is limited to 10 and all options to the questions must be selected for the assessment questions to be marked correct.
To add questions, click on the Plus button in the right-hand section of the window. From here the ISSS Admin can set up the questions with the following question types:
-
Selection
- Single Selection
- Multiple Selection
-
Field
- Numeric
- Yes or No
To rearrange the question order, click on the up or down button next to the Question Order in the lower-left corner of the question. Once all questions have been set-up, click the Submit button.
Adding a Questionnaire
After selecting the Questionnaire option, visible after clicking the Plus button, a new pop-up will appear with a workspace to set up the Questionnaire. The Questionnaire set-up component is similar to the Assessment component previously described.
Click on the Plus button to add questions. The ISSS Admin can create the following question types:
-
Selection
- Single Selection
- Multiple Selection
- Lookups
-
Field
- Text Box
- Numerical Only
- Short Description
- Essay
-
Yes or No
- With or without Explanations
- Date
- Checkbox
Note: Selection question types can be made conditional. For more information on setting up conditional questions, check out the KB ISSS Student: Conditional Questions.
To rearrange the question order, click on the up or down button next to the Question Order in the lower-left corner of the question. Once all questions have been set-up, click the Submit button.
Adding an Approver Form
After selecting the Approver Form option, visible after clicking the Plus button, a new pop-up will appear with a workspace to set up the Approver Form. This component is where the ISSS Admin can set up content that is displayed to a third party approver who must sign off on a request for approval. For example, an academic advisor who is verifying that a CPT experience is required or that a reduced course load is warranted.
To add components to the Approver Form, click on the Plus button in the lower right corner of the window. The ISSS Admin will have the option to add the following components:
- Information Blocks: This block is where the ISSS Admin can set up instructions for the Approver. Clicking into the text field will have a WYSIWYG editor for formatting and it can include links.
- Questionnaire: Similar to questionnaires and assessments, questions can be added for the approver to answer.
- Student Submission: Allows the ISSS Admin to give permission to the Approver to see a student submitted component. The questionnaire will appear to the ISSS with a box to select to expose the approver (Visible to Approver). If checked, the Approver will be able to see the content with the student’s submitted answer.
Similar to the other Request components, the contents in the Approver Form can be dragged around to present in the order the ISSS Admin wants. Clicking on the edges of the component will allow for resizing of that block. Once complete, click Submit to save.
Adding a Signature Doc
After selecting the Signature Doc option, a new modal window will appear. This is where the ISSS Admin can content like text, images, and video for students to view and confirm that they have reviewed the content.
To add a content block, click on the Plus button in the lower right-hand corner of the window. The ISSS Admin can add any combination of text, image, and video content blocks.
Along the bottom of the screen, there is a section for the confirmation of reviewing and understanding the content of the Signature Doc. This confirmation message can be edited to fit university-specific language.
Adding a File Upload
The last component of the Request that an ISSS Admin can add is the File Upload. This is where the student can upload multiple documents as part of the Request. For example, bank statements in a financial information request, passport images, or travel documents.
After clicking on File Uploads from the options, a new modal window will appear with the options to add a file. Only one file can be uploaded to a file section, however, the File Upload component can hold multiple file upload sections.
- Document Type: This field contains a dropdown menu with a set of documents like passport ID Page, Visa Stamp, etc. There is also an Other type where the ISSS Admins can write in the description further details on what this other document is. The Document Type is required and is not editable.
- Description: Provide more information on the document type that the student should upload. The description is required but can be edited by the student when uploading their file.
- Request Instructions: This section provides space for the ISSS Admin to write instructions to the student on the documents they are to upload like file type. Request instructions are optional.
To add a file, click on the Plus icon in the lower right-hand corner of the modal window. A new document type will appear where the ISSS Admin can give the file upload a Document Type name, a description, and any instructions required.
Editing a Request Configuration
Editing an existing Request Configuration is similar to the creation process. Once the ISSS Admin has the Request Configuration they would like to edit open, there are multiple options to choose from.
A Request Configuration cannot be deleted after it has been created. If the ISSS Admin no longer wants a Request Configuration to be actionable, click on the Active switch in the upper right corner. This will make the Request Configuration inactive and unable to be completed by a Student. In the Request Configuration dashboard, an X will appear in Active Status for any Request Configurations that are not in use.
Components within the Request Configuration can be made inactive, edited, or rearranged. A component with an X icon is a component that is currently inactive while active components have a checkmark. To edit the component, click on the pencil icon to open.
The modal window will appear with the same configurations as it was when creating the component. From here the ISSS Admin can add, delete, rearrange, or edit any of the contents within the component.
To change the active status of that component, click on the Active switch in the upper right corner of the window. Switch to the left to make the component inactive or switch to the right to have the component in active status.
Once complete, click Submit to move out of the modal window and click Save to save any changes made to the Request Configuration.
Note: if a student has completed a request before the content within a component has been updated, the request will keep the older version remaining within the student profile.
Enabling Available Request
The newly created request will automatically show in the Available Request section of the Pre-Arrival, Check In, Continuing and Archived Stages. The ISSS Admin should navigate to the Stage Configurations to enable the available request for students use. For more information on Request Configuration, check out ISSS Student: Stage Configurations: Pre-Arrival, Check-In, Continuing Stages, Post Completion/Graduated, and Archived Stages.
Once completed with the desired configuration, click on the Save button to save all work. In the upper right-hand corner of the screen, there is a Preview button of the stage configuration that will allow the ISSS Admin to see the configuration from the student's perspective.