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Active Scheduler

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With Active Scheduler, you can use a portal to create on-the-fly timeslots for specific appointments based on a schedule you define. This schedule is composed of three basic parts:

  1. General availability for a given timeframe (including overrides for specific days)
  2. Existing external appointments defined by an iCal feed shared as free or busy- Documentation for iCal setup here
  3. Instances of timeslots created either manually or on the fly through the scheduling tool in a portal

Important!

Active Scheduler is currently an Early Access Feature. To activate it, select it in the popup generated by this path: Database > Configuration Keys > Early Access Features (listed under Database Configuration). Once enabled, wait roughly 15 minutes for these changes to be reflected within your database.

Getting Started

To get started with Active Scheduler:

1. From the top navigation, select Scheduler.

2. From the right navigation, select Scheduler Availability.

3. Click New Schedule. A popup appears.

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4. In the New Schedule popup, enter a name, a start date, an end date, and folder placement. The User field is selectable with Active Scheduler Administrator permission, otherwise, the field defaults to the currently logged in user.

5. Click Save. A new schedule appears in the list. 

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With your new schedule created, you can edit or add templates from other previously created schedules. You may also add the days and times you are available using the Regular Weekly Availability menu.

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You can also copy an active schedule by selecting the copy button next to the trash can. 

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Templates

You can incorporate existing Scheduler templates into your availability schedule.

Add Scheduler Templates:

1. Click Edit Templates. A popup appears.

2. In the popup, select any number of available templates from the list.

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3. Click Save. The templates that have been activated for this availability schedule will appear in a list to the left of the Edit Templates link. Any portal widgets used by these templates will appear in the list below.

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Remove Linked Scheduler Templates:

  1. Click Edit Templates.

  2. From the list of Linked Templates, select any templates you'd like to remove.

  3. Click Save.

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Availability

To add a day that you would like to display as available, select each day:

Add_a_Day.png

You may also add a block or blocks of available time for each day.

Add Available Time:

  1. Select a day from the list.
  2. Click Add Time.

  3. Enter a start and end time for the availability block.

    Available_Times_Chosen.png

  4. Click the check to save. Or, click the X to delete.

An error displays if you have selected an invalid time slot. Other errors appear for similar situations, like adding a slot with the same start and end time.

Invalid_Timeslot.png

You may also click Copy Schedule to copy a day's availability and select which days you want to copy it to:

Copy_Day.png

Alternate Schedules

If there are certain dates on which you will have different availability or won't be available at all—for example, when on vacation or at a conference—you may set up Alternate Schedules. 

Set Alternate Schedule Dates and Times:

  1. Select Add a date with an alternate schedule.

  2. Choose a date.

  3. If you want to show no availability on this date, leave it as is.

    Add_Date_with_Alternate_Schedule.png

  4. If you want to add a time at which you are available on a certain date, click Add time.

    Select_Time_-_No_Availability.png

Portal Widgets

Active scheduler can be displayed in a portal widget.

Add Active Scheduler to Portal Widget View

1. From the top navigation, select Database.

2. Select Portals.

3. Select an existing portal to which you'd like to add active scheduler, or create a new one.

4.. Select the view you'd like to add active scheduler to or create a new one.

5. From the right navigation, select New Row (option only available if using the updated portal editor). Select a Row Layout with two columns.

Your end result will look like this:

Two_Columns.png

   

6. Drag a Static Content Block to the open column. A popup appears.

7. In the popup, give the Static Content Block a descriptive name. In this example, Timeslots.

Static_Content_Block.png

8. Click Save.

9. From the right navigation, drag the Active Scheduler widget into the left column. The Edit Part popup appears. 

10. In the Details tab, enter the following configurations:

    • Name: Give your Active Scheduler widget a name. We'll choose Advising Appointments
    • Status: Active
    • CSS Class Name: Leave this field blank

11. In the Scheduler Selection tab, enter the following configurations: 

      • Page Title (optional): Enter Schedule
      • Internal Name (optional): Enter an internal name, if desired
      • Schedule: Select an existing schedule from the list. For this example, Admissions Interviews
      • Duration: Set a length for individual appointments, rounded up to 5 minute increments
      • Start Time Frequency: Set the time interval at which users can book appointments. In our example, meetings are 30 minutes, but users can book a meeting from, for example, 2:15-2:45 PM.
      • Allow Consecutive Signups: Selecting this option allows the scheduling of consecutive appointments; that is, appointments after one another. For example, one person could schedule a half-hour session at 9:00, and another could schedule a half-hour session at 9:30. Leaving this option un-selected will prevent users from scheduling sessions that run up against each other. 
        Note: Overlapping sessions (for example, an appointment from 8:30 to 9:00 occurring with an appointment from 8:45 to 9:15) are never allowed to be scheduled.
      • Admin Notify Email (optional): Enter an email address to receive an email notification for every registration submission.
      • Related Records (optional): Records can be selected and linked to an event or interview. For example, linking an Alumni interviewer or organization to an event or interview.

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12. In the Scheduler Location tab, enter the location details of your sessions.

    • If your sessions are hosted through Slate's Share video platform, select that option from Online Session.
    • If your sessions are hosted using an external service, select that option.

If your sessions are in-person, leave Online Session blank and fill in the location fields that appear below.

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13. In the Scheduler Display tab, enter the following configurations:

      • Display Target: Set this to Add to static content: Timeslots. Here, "Timeslots" will appear as the name you gave to the Static Content Block.
      • Calendar Start: Set this either to the current month or to the first upcoming month with events.
      • Calendar Legend: Use these fields to customize the calendar as it will appear in the Active Scheduler Widget.
        • Enter text into Days with availability to replace the default display text ("Available Timeslots") with something of your choosing. Use the color picker at the right to change the color of days with openings on the calendar.

        • Enter text into Days with no availability to replace the default display text ("No Availability") with something of your choosing. Use the color picker at the right to change the color of days without openings on the calendar.

          Scheduler_Display.png

See below example of modified Scheduler display settings:

Scheduler_Display_-_Results.png

14. Click Save.

15. Use the breadcrumb navigation to return to the main portal menu. 

16. Click the URL link to see the Active Scheduler Widget in action. See the example below:

Portal_Frontend_View.png

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