Customizing Connect

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Customizing Connect

• For Beginners Graduate School Edition

Presented by Marcus HanscomAssistant Director,
Graduate Admissions
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Who We Are

• Small, private comprehensive institution
• A leader in Experiential Education
• Total Enrollments Approximately 5,000
• Graduate Approx. 1,600
• Located in West Haven, CT

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Where We Started

• Cumbersome software
• No user independence
• Lack of a customizable interface
• No ad-hoc reporting
• No communication plan automation

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Challenges

• Multiple campus databases
• Managing all adult students (undergrad, grad,
  cohort) on one interface
• Different learning curves
• Reinventing the wheel for communications plans

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Questions to Ask

• Who will be using Connect?
• What information is important to whom and how
  should it be presented?
• What types of data attributes are needed?
• What is needed to satisfy our communications
  needs?

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Determining Connect Users Customizing Views to
Specific Needs

• Users Admissions, Financial Aid, Registrar,
  Bursar, Program Coordinators/Advisors, Deans,
  Support Staff, Graduate Assistants
• Needs Student data management, folder
  management, follow-up mechanisms and control,
  communications monitoring

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Key Tip

• Avoid too many views(And avoid overfilling)

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What Information is Necessary and Who Needs It?

• Different constituentsdifferent needs
• If I dont need it, dont let me see it
• Dont be afraid to ASK

RememberIf you build it
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• Regardless of how little or how much data, use
• views to separate functions, roles, needs

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Keeping it Organized

• Group like attributes together
• Admissions needs
• Biographical needs
• Processing dates
• Test Scores
• Follow the above the fold rule

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Biographical
Admissions Processing
Test Scores
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Key Tip

• Keep it organized

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Why is it all important?

• Streamlining the process
• More efficient workflow
• Eliminate the unnecessary
• Increase communications control and ability to
  customize
• Better versatility in reporting functions

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Types of Data Attributes

• Free-form text
• Names, addresses, notes
• Dates
• Chronicle critical actions, drive
  reports/communications
• Pull-down menus
• Long lists
• Checklist/Radio Selection lists
• Short lists, Multi-Select
• Free-form number fields
• GPAs, tracking numbers

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Examples for Using Attributes
Free-Form Text
Standard Free-form Text
Limited Numeric
Multi-Line Option
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Examples for Using Attributes
Dates
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Examples for Using Attributes
Pull-down/Radio/Multi-Select
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The Follow-Up View
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Using Attributes to Drive the Communications Plan

• Use dates to drive the when it should happen
• Provide student-specific merged information
• Selectable options turn on outward
  communications
• Watched Attributes

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Key Tip

• Consult your users.

• Dont be afraid to call it a work in progress.
• Regular, recurring, and even repetitive
  training is not a bad thing.

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Questions?
Marcus Hanscom Assistant Director of Graduate
Admissions University of New Haven (203)
932-7448Mhanscom_at_newhaven.edu