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The Knowledgebase

Study Abroad: Process Element Essentials (Classic)

Important Note: This article discusses classic functionality. For information on the modern applicant experience, refer to the Applicant Experience Knowledgebase article.

This article discusses the following tips and best practices related to process elements:

 

Building Process Elements with Undefined Date/Phase Assignments

When building the online application process, you may have aspects to your application where the phase in which the process element is deployed and later completed by the applicant is undefined and could occur across multiple phases of the applications.

Example: A course list form has to be turned into the Study Abroad office by the applicants. Some applicants can get this form completed immediately, others will turn it in after being accepted to the program, and others will not be able to complete it until after they have gone abroad and are at the destination institution.
 
This brings up the question of how this process element is to be configured in your application process.
 
Here's a suggestion:
  1. First create a signature document in the pre-decision phase which allows the applicant to download and print the required form. The applicant will sign this document indicating that they have been able to download and print the required form. This printed form has the instructions for getting the process element completed.
  2. As an optional next step: Create a questionnaire with a question item indicating when the applicant is going to turn in this printed form. It is also possible to simply have the form downloadable from the questionnaire where the applicant indicates when they intend to submit it.
  3. Then, create a returnee phase material submission to be checked off when the printed form is submitted.

This will allow the applicants to receive the required process element, allow the staff to mark when it has been received, and the applicant will not see this checkbox (or receive reminders regarding it) until they return from the time abroad. At that time, the process element should either be marked as received already or if not marked as received, the applicant will begin receiving notifications that it hasn't been completed.

There are other methods for deploying such a document should you not be using either the "Complete" flag as a part of your process or if your office does not see a problem with an applicant receiving reminders regarding this process element during the pre or post decision phase of the application process despite the potential of the process element not being complete-able by the applicant at the time.

If a process element is not completed during its designated phase, the administrators and applicants do still have the ability to view/complete it in subsequent phases of the application. Not completing a pre-decision signature document does not mean that the applicant cannot sign it during the post-decision phase (the same applies to material submissions and questionnaires as well).

 

 

Creating Conditional Process Elements

Some materials, questionnaires, assessments, or learning content do not need to be required for all applicants. You might be asking:  how can I make it so only certain students are required to complete these materials or questionnaires?

Here are the steps to take:

  • Go to Process and choose either Questionnaires, Materials, Assessments, or Learning Content.
  • Choose Outgoing, Incoming, Scholarship, etc.
  • Choose to create a New Questionnaire or New Material.
  • Answer 'yes' to the question "Is this a conditional submission?".
  • When you choose 'yes' a text box will appear where you can write your conditional question.
  • Decide if the process element will be applicable to applicants who answer 'yes' or 'no'.
Example: Any student who needs to purchase additional insurance is required to fill out a form. For this material, the conditional question will be "Will you need to purchase additional insurance for your study abroad semester?" If the student answers no, they will not be required to complete this material submission. Their box will be checked as completed, and they will not receive any reminders about filling out this form. If the student answers yes, the insurance form will appear and they will receive reminders until they have submitted the form. 

Clearing an Incorrectly Answered Conditional Response
If an applicant improperly answers the conditional question of a process element, there is no method for the applicant to change the response that was submitted. This can result either in a process element remaining attached to the application as a requirement when it should not be - or it can result in the process element being marked as 'n/a' when it should be filled out.
 
This action can only be addressed in an application by an administrator with access to that applicant's application.
 
In the case of questionnaires, the conditional question can be reset by clicking on the eraser icon for the submitted questionnaire in the applicant's application on the 'questionnaires' tab. (NOTE: the questionnaire must be submitted before the eraser icon will become clickable. If the applicant did not actually complete the questionnaire but needs the conditional question reset, then an administrative user can provide dummy answers into any required questions and submit the questionnaire from their end.) This will remove all responses to that questionnaire that had been submitted and reset the conditional question. The applicant will be presented with it the next time they access that questionnaire.
 
In the case of materials that have been improperly marked as 'n/a' by the conditional response, an administrator can 'un-receive' the material on that application's materials tab and the conditional question will be presented to the applicant the next time they access that material.
 
In the case of materials that have been improperly marked as applicable to the application by the conditional response, an administrator can mark the material as received and then un-received on that application's materials tab and the conditional question will be presented to the applicant the next time they access that material. In these cases, it is usually recommended that the admin make a note of the reason for the activity on that material in the notes.

 

Tips for Retiring Process Elements

After retiring process elements, it may be difficult to distinguish the retired elements from the active elements when reviewing an application cycle's process map. A suggested best practice is as follows:
  1. Un-retire the process element if it has already been retired by accessing Process > Materials or Questionnaires > View Retired Materials or Questionnaires > select Reinstate Material or Questionnaire.
  2. Edit the process element and change the name that includes "RETIRED" as a prefix (or whatever is desired).
  3. Update the process element, but do not cascade it to any application cycles.
  4. Retire the process element again.
After completing this procedure, the process element will not appear in the list of available process elements when creating a new application cycle. Also, when editing an existing application cycle, the title will clearly state "RETIRED" which should eliminate confusion of the status of the element. 

 

Tips for Returnee Phase Process Elements

 If your returnee students are reporting that they are not seeing process elements that should be deployed to them in returnee phase when they go to their application pages after the program has finished, it might be due to the program or application not having start and end dates assigned.
 
In order for an outgoing or incoming program application to be in the returnee phase, the program date record needs to have start and end dates that are both in the past.
 
To check this, navigate to :
  1. Program Admin
  2. Search for program or List All to find the applicant's program 
  3. Click edit pencil icon to the right of the program name
  4. Click Dates tab
In order for a risk management program application to be in the returnee phase, the start and end dates assigned to that application must be in the past. 
 
To check this, navigate to:
  1. Application Admin
  2. Search for the applicant by name and/or program
  3. Click to view the application you are checking
  4. Click on the Risk Management tab