The Cycle Prep status page displays for institutions that have gone through the Slate implementation process and have released decisions, or have otherwise completed an admissions cycle within Slate. If you have completed your core implementation and are ready to enable the Cycle Prep Status Page, contact Client Success to update your status at client-success@technolutions.com
The Cycle Prep status page provides a list of recommended tasks, allowing you to manage, edit, or add items needed by your institution.
How to Access the Cycle Prep Status Page
Who Can Access the Cycle Prep Status Page?
Only Slate users with the permission of Submit requests to Service Desk, Service Desk Requests, or Administrator (All Access) can access the Cycle Prep status page from the link on the Service Desk Request landing page in Slate.
Important!
Do You Work in Multiple Databases?
To access the status page for another database:
- Click "Logout" from the status page you have opened up/accessed
- Login to the other database
- Access the status page
Standard Checklist Items
The Cycle Prep status page is initially populated with a standard set of checklist items which can be modified to fit your needs. The Technolutions-delivered items are typically set to recur and are typically due July 1, depending on when you notified Technolutions your organization was ready for the checklist to be activated.
Each checklist item contains three tabs. Click each tab below to see additional information on the tab.
How do checklist items become due again?
Each time a recurring checklist item is marked as complete, the item will move to the Completed tab and automatically regenerate for the next cycle based on the month chosen for Recurrence. The item will move from the Completed tab back to the Due & Upcoming tab 45 days prior to the Due Date.
Important!
To ensure checklist items automatically repeat each year and are usable, two things must happen:
- the recurrence month must be set on recurring checklist items, whether standard or custom
- checklist items must not remain uncompleted beyond the due date, or it will render stuck in time. Move all items on the Due tab forward before they become past-due.
Your Cycle Prep Status Page is designed to be evergreen so long as checklist items are managed. Changes you make to your custom checklist items will persist year-over-year and will be available to you year-round. Technolutions will not automatically reset any of the changes you’ve made nor update your list of checklist items.
Custom Checklist Items
You may determine that there are additional annual or periodic maintenance tasks associated with Cycle Prep that you wish to document on your portal. Create a custom checklist item to include this in your database maintenance.
To create a custom checklist item:
- Select New Checklist Item.
- Enter the following configurations:
-
Details tab:
- Description
- Category
- For one-time tasks: Enter a Due Date
- For recurring tasks: Check "Make task recurring", then select the months in which you want this task to come due
- Notes tab: Add any notes for your team about this checklist item.
-
Details tab:
All Checklist Items
Whether standard or custom, checklist items can be set to recur or to be one-time only.
- Recurring: You can set the month that recurring tasks are due each year, or you can add more than one month per year to visit this task. All selected months will default to the 1st of that month; there is no day selection available for recurring tasks.
- One-time: You can set an existing recurring task to a one-time occurrence or you can create a custom task that will take place only once, but is needed for the current maintenance season. One-time tasks will not become due again for the following cycle. The implication of a one-time task is it effectively expires after the due date without becoming due again the following year.
Best Practice
Set the due date at a comfortable future date to allow completion or reconciliation time if the item is critical to cycle readiness. If the task is not vital, mark it completed, making it dormant until coming due for the next cycle.
List of All Standard Checklist Items
Portals include a standard set of recommended checklist items, listed below. Any updates are entirely up to the partner institution to manage.
Type | Description | Category |
---|---|---|
Recurring Task | Remove batches from Batch Acquire as necessary | Batch Acquire and Document Imports |
Recurring Task | Review integration with other systems, including Student Information System | Data Exports |
Recurring Task | Review any scheduled queries or reports for annual updates | Data Exports |
Recurring Task | Review and update source format mappings | Data Import |
Recurring Task | Review and update custom datasets as necessary | Datasets |
Recurring Task | Review and update Organization Dataset | Datasets |
Recurring Task | Review snippets, translation codes, liquid markup throughout Slate including Deliver | Deliver |
Recurring Task | Review Deliver configuration and purchase credits or provision additional phone lines as necessary | Deliver |
One-time Task | Confirm that DKIM configuration is enabled and validated | Deliver |
Recurring Task | Review Deliver mailings and roll over population-based campaigns for the new cycle | Deliver |
Recurring Task | Review and update event templates as necessary, and create upcoming events | Events |
Recurring Task | Use Slate auditing tools to update, inactivate, or archive current resources | General |
Recurring Task | Review rules using the Check Rules and Rules Health tools | General |
Recurring Task | Review and update configuration keys as necessary | General |
One-time Task | Migrate to form-based custom tabs to display custom fields | General |
Recurring Task | Review and update entities | General |
Recurring Task | Update your Slate institution profile via the tab above | General |
Recurring Task | Review and update forms, copying and archiving previous forms as necessary | General Form Building |
One-time Task | Migrate custom population-aware query bases to Configurable Joins | General Querying |
One-time Task | Migrate SQL-based integration queries to Configurable Joins | General Querying |
Recurring Task | Review incoming emails in the Gateway Inbox and review process with users as necessary | Inbox |
Recurring Task | Review and update Origin Sources as necessary | Origin Sources |
Recurring Task | Review current payment integration | Payment Integrations - External Payment Processor |
Recurring Task | Review current Slate payments configuration | Payment Integrations - Slate Payments |
Recurring Task | Review Slate access and security for all active users | Permissions, Roles, and Realms |
Recurring Task | Review users with exclusive permissions, such as Security Administrator and Submit requests to Service Desk | Permissions, Roles, and Realms |
One-time Task | Consider recommending multi-factor authentication for all users | Permissions, Roles, and Realms |
Recurring Task | Review and update population rules as used in permissions and/or drip marketing campaigns | Person Records |
Recurring Task | Review staff assignment rules | Person Records |
One-time Task | Consider replacing previous event landing pages with new Event Portals functionality | Portals |
Recurring Task | Review and update portals as necessary | Portals |
Recurring Task | Review retention policies: create, schedule, and execute them as needed | Retention Policies |
Type | Description | Category |
---|---|---|
One-time Task | Migrate custom SQL hard fails to Configurable Joins | Application Building |
Recurring Task | Review Slate application logic, including page keys, soft fails, and hard fails | Application Building |
Recurring Task | Create new application periods for the upcoming cycle | Application Building |
Recurring Task | Create new application rounds for the upcoming cycle | Application Building |
Recurring Task | Review Slate application pages, questions, and prompts | Application Building |
Recurring Task | Review and edit the application status page and/or portal | Application Status Portals |
Recurring Task | Review and update source format mappings for imported application(s) as they become available | Data Import |
Recurring Task | Review decision codes and update as necessary | Decisions and Letters |
Recurring Task | Archive decision letters by copying previous versions to revise for the upcoming cycle | Decisions and Letters |
One-time Task | Migrate triggers to rules | General |
One-time Task | Continue migrating standard queries to Configurable Joins | General Querying |
One-time Task | Migrate teasers to custom portal content | Portals |
Recurring Task | Review and update the Reader configuration for the new cycle | Reader Bins and Workflows |
Recurring Task | Remove previous applications from the Reader | Reader Bins and Workflows |
Recurring Task | Review and update Slate.org application sharing settings for undergraduate admission | Slate.org |
Type | Description | Category |
---|---|---|
Recurring Task | Update rules to leverage the fiscal year configuration | General |
Recurring Task | Review and update gift appeals and campaigns | Giving (Advancement) |
Recurring Task | Review specific advancement rules: populations, giving levels, Head of Household, salutation, and person statuses | Giving (Advancement) |
Recurring Task | Update reports to leverage the fiscal year configuration | Report Builder and Widgets |
Type | Description | Category |
---|---|---|
Recurring Task | Review permission realms and how they are have been applied to queries, mailings and events | Permissions, Roles, and Realms |
Recurring Task | Review person status rules | Person Records |