Using Xitracs Programs Module for Institutional Effectiveness Plans

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1 Xitracs Portal Guide IE Plan Entry IMPORTANT! Xitracs uses two sites for various entry tasks: Xitracs Portal (what you re using for the IE Plan entry below) and Xitracs Admin. If you use the admin site for other tasks, it is recommended that you use two distinct browsers to view these two sites (e.g., Internet Explorer for the portal site and Firefox for the admin site). If you cannot use two browsers, you must clear your internet cache before you move between the two sites to access the admin site properly. Using Xitracs Programs Module for Institutional Effectiveness Plans The following guide will provide you with some basic instructions regarding how to use the Xitracs Programs module to input Institutional Effectiveness Plans. We begin by logging into the Xitracs Portal webpage: Never logged in before? No problem Use the Register me link. It will prompt you for your address and send you an with a link to set your password. 1

2 Upon logging in, you will see the Xitracs home page. You can access the Programs module by either clicking Programs from the top menu or from the View link provided in the body of the page. Once you have clicked on programs, you will see the full list of programs that you have been assigned to edit/enter. As you click on each program, you will see three charts for the program showing the level of completion for its Previous, Current, and Next cycles. Please Note: The date ranges listed correlate directly to the year in which the IE plan was implemented. For example, in this prior cycle below (dates from Sept 15, 2015-Sept 14, 2016), we have already entered part of the IE plan for Cycles will automatically move forward once the current cycle s final date has passed. Using the example below, after September 14, 2017, the Prior cycle will be archived and will no longer be available in this view; Current will move to Prior; Next will move to Current; and a new Next cycle will be created. Click the program cycle you wish to edit and a list of assessment fields will be displayed. 2

3 IE Plan Fields Below are field values used for IE Plans for both academic and non-academic programs: Academic Programs Program Mission Program Educational Objectives Outcomes Outcome Type Assessment Method Benchmark Results Use of Results Non-academic Programs Department Mission Objective Action Steps Assessment Method Benchmark Results Use of Results Descriptions of each field can be found in Xitracs by clicking on and expanding the field. Adding/Editing Data Use the link on the top right to Show All fields or click each field as needed to begin to add/edit the data in them. Expanding a field will show you the additional available options for that field. Click Edit to enter text/selection. Once you are completely finished with edits to a field, click Mark as complete. Xitracs calculates the progress of a program cycle using these checkboxes. The status of a field will also change to Complete when this box is checked. Click OK to return to the cycle that you are editing. Some fields allow text entry, like below: 3

4 Other fields can be selections: Repeat the steps above for every incomplete field in the cycle. You can return to incomplete fields as needed to complete them for the current cycle. 4

5 Adding extra fields In many cases, an IE plan is comprised of more than once instance of each of the fields listed. To create additional fields, use the Add New link. As an example, we will add a second Outcome below Program Educational Objective 1.1. This action created a new Expected Outcome field and associated child fields. If you create any fields accidentally that you no longer need, there will also be a Delete link on the top additional field to remove it and its associated child fields. (Please note: not all fields can have multiple instances.) 5

6 Attaching Files to Fields You can attach files to specific fields if you wish to include additional information that cannot be written directly into the IE plan. Attach a file by selecting File under the appropriate expanded field. Then, browse for the document on your computer and click OK. Please Note: If you have already filled out an IE plan for the selected cycle on a separate document and would like to retain that document (i.e., PDF), please attach this file to the mission field. Adding Links to Fields You can also link your objective fields to larger university goals (UST Core Curriculum Goals, Strategic Initiatives). In this example, we will be linking Program Educational Objective 1.1 to UST s Outstanding Academic Programs Strategic Initiative. Our first step is to click Link in the desired Program Educational Objective (or Objective) field and select General Outcomes. 6

7 Select the desired option from the dropdown menu that appears, and check all the applicable goals/outcomes. Click the Submit button at the bottom of the popup menu when finished. The linked item will now appear on the field with the response narrative. Hovering over the i icon will show which program link was selected. It will also be visible on the PDF report. Copying Fields Finally, you can copy text from a previous cycle if needed (Supporting files are not copied over and will have to be reloaded as necessary). To Copy Multiple Fields from Previous Plan Select Copy on the top row (labeled Fields and Responses) of the plan you wish to copy previous field values. 7

8 In the window that opens, select the previous cycle and row(s) of the item(s) you wish to copy. You may also select to copy over links at this time. If you wish to Mark as Complete, you can also do so here. When you are finished, click Submit all rows selected should now be copied over (Note: Parent fields will be added when any child fields are copied over, though they will not be populated with any previous data). To Copy an Individual Field from Previous Plan Select Copy on the row to which you wish to add copied text. In the window that opens, select the previous cycle and row of the item you wish to copy. You may also select to copy over links at this time. If you wish to Mark as Complete, you can also do so here. When you are finished, click Submit. 8

9 Results Status You can now leave a status for your results using the drop-down menu under the Comment icon: This allows you to quickly see which results were met and which were not from the main window: Below is the view from the main window: 9

10 Comments The Assessment Office will review your IE plan and leave comments where there are additional comments or questions that need to be addressed. Comments can appear below any field and will list the date, time, and name of the person who left the comment. To see if comments have been left on your IE plan, click the Show All button on the Fields and Responses line and scroll through your report to see where comments have been left. Alternatively, you may click the View comments link, which will bring up a box containing all comments. Here is a screenshot of the comments when you click View comments. Additional Questions or Assistance If you have any questions regarding IE Plan entry into the Xitracs Program module, please feel free to contact me at or sflemin@stthom.edu, and I will be happy to assist you. 10