Objective of the Postgraduate Online Approval Procedure: Description of the Postgraduate Online Approval Procedure:

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1 Institution Name: Originating Department: Contact Name: The University of Warwick IT Services Membership & Staff Application Mgmt Service David Hall Service Owner Objective of the Postgraduate Online Approval Procedure: The University developed an online application form, and supporting management processes, for postgraduate studies utilising the Metastorm BPM/BRD SWiFT workflow software some years ago. The system provided many benefits to the applicant in particular the facility to park applications and complete/submit them at a later date, as well as monitor the progress of their submitted applications as they progressed through the University s approval process. The application workflow process allowed the administration to update the details of applications to the student records system, as well as automating some correspondence with the applicant. However, the approval process still required the printing of the application form, which was then distributed via the internal mail, along with any subsequent documents provided by the applicant in support of the application. This process took time and required a lot of manual intervention. Applications could be tracked but this too required manual input. As the application process had already been automated, a business case was approved for the automation of the postgraduate approval process utilising the investment that had already been made in Metastorm s and BRD s BPM products. Description of the Postgraduate Online Approval Procedure: Applications that have been made on line are monitored by the process to ensure they meet the necessary criteria (e.g. payment has been made where necessary) before entering the approvals stage automatically. Where applications have been made on paper they are selected for monitoring from the student records system by an operator using an administration screen. Applications are then automatically forwarded to the nominated representative(s) within the department, where they are allocated to the course approver(s) and appear on their To Do list. The process then supports the gathering of information and decision making by both academic and administrative departments. At anytime during the process hard copy documents may be received from the applicant in support of their application. These documents are scanned and uploaded to the University s web content management system SiteBuilder. An operator then allocates the documents to the relevant applicant via an administration screen, and the approver who currently has the application on their To Do list is notified of the new document. The approver can view the application on line via a web interface and follow hyperlinks to the hard copy documents stored within SiteBuilder meaning secure access to processing applications wherever web access exists. The approver may view all of the information provided by the applicant on line and will also have access to scanned images of paper based applications. The new automated process gives clear oversight as to where applications are within the process and any bottlenecks that may occur. Service Level Agreements are now built into the process that automatically escalates applications should they exceed the SLA in any area. The management information the system provides the data necessary for the continuous review and improvement of the process. Page 1 of 45 Version 1.1

2 Please see Appendix A for the full User Guide as supporting documentation. Michael Youlton Postgraduate Admissions Officer "The Postgraduate approvals system has allowed for a more efficient processing of applications, reducing the time it takes from receiving an application to communicating the decision to the applicant." Staff Involved in the design, development & piloting of the system: Asst. Registrar (PG Admissions) BPM Analyst/Developer Assistant Group Secretary (Warwick Business School) Former Asst. Registrar (PG Admissions) Postgraduate Admissions Officer Christina Edgar C.L.Edgar@warwick.ac.uk Nigel Haslam Nigel.Haslam@Warwick.ac.uk Lindsey Kendall Lindsey.Kendall@Warwick.ac.uk Jonathan Wylie (no longer with the University) Michael Youlton M.D.Youlton@Warwick.ac.uk Support of Institution UCISA Representative: Mary Stott Head of Service Delivery Administrative, Commercial & Student Services Page 2 of 45 Version 1.1

3 Appendix A: User Guide POST GRADUATE APPLICATION APPROVALS USER GUIDE Date: 6 th March 2008 Document Issue History Date Version Comment Changed 16/10/ Original copy available for pilot phase Nigel Haslam 06/03/ Draft ready for review prior to full roll out Nigel Haslam Page 3 of 45 Version 1.1

4 1. Introduction and Overview The Postgraduate Approval EDM process is based on the business process flow that is currently in place in the PG Admission department. Using the BPM software the process has been developed into a system which will support academic and administration personnel to manage Postgraduate applications. The process is basically split into a number of stages from submission through to approval and final offer. Application Submission Process Start Process Application Department Co ordination Decision Processing Decision Approval Offer By using the BPM software we are able to introduce, at all these stages, notification to help reduce the time it takes an application to be dealt with. This aspect of the system will notify personnel that an application requires an action to be taken to advance it to the next stage. Another requirement of the delivered process was to provide a facility where all student supporting documents are made available on line. These documents could then be viewed by all personnel involved in coordinating and managing the approvals process. This has been achieved by providing an administration facility to manage scanned documents received from the applicant in support of their application. This document will describe the process from a user view point outlining the various elements and functionality of the process. At the end of this document you will find a process flow chart diagram of the complete process providing a visual picture of the whole process. Page 4 of 45 Version 1.1

5 2. Process and Roles Overview This chapter describes the process flow, identifying the stages and roles which play a major part in moving an application approval through the process. An application can either be submitted via the Post Graduate on line application process or entered manually if received via a paper or electronic file submission. After the request has been received by the process it is assigned to the relevant department s academic personnel and administrative support staff. From here it will advance through a number of stages with prompts for updates and actions to be taken by the assigned personnel until a decision has been approved. These stages and actions are assigned roles and it s these roles that provide the mechanism to control who sees what, when and who is required to take action on the folder. Roles have been defined and applied against each stage and users assigned to these roles. Users are assigned on the basis of their authority to make decisions at that point in the process and for specific department/s they are associated to. Users will find the applications which they have access to action or view by monitoring the process Todo and Watch lists Users All users must have a profile created on the BPM User and Roles database. For each user we must have the following: User Login ID Password Address Full Name Department Once the profile has been setup the user can be assigned to specific roles Department Coordinators Users assigned to this role will be required to review the approvals. Some will be allocated the ability to approver status while others will only have view only capabilities. The users with view only rights will be able to assess the application, make comments, request further information from other department personnel, but won t be able to approve them. Primarily these users will be required to deal with an application at the Department Coordination stage but will have Watch capabilities at certain stages in the process Postgraduate Records Team Page 5 of 45 Version 1.1

6 The post graduate records teams are divided into 5 teams and allocated specific courses which they will administer. These users will primarily deal with applications that have had an approval recommendation assigned and are advanced to the Decision Processing stage Postgraduate Management The users assigned to this role are the managers of the Admissions department and supporting decision makers. Certain users with this role will be required to provide the final approval against an application when it has reached the Decision Approval stage. All users with this role will have Watch capabilities throughout the process PG Admissions Administrator This role is assigned to administration staff in the admissions department who are required to deal with applications that have not been paid or have been stopped. They will be required to take action against applications which arrive at the Process Application or Stopped stages and have Watch capabilities at a number of other stages. Users with this role are able to start an approval for any paper submitted applications. Page 6 of 45 Version 1.1

7 3. Login to BPM and other user information The BPM system is delivered over the University Intranet and is also accessible off campus via the internet. All users will access the system by logging on using their staff id as the user login id and password. There are a number of locations and types of links where you will be able to connect to the BPM system: My.warwick Link contained in messages When any of these links are taken you are presented with an e Work Authentication login prompt. Enter the user name and password, and then click the Log In button. (fig. 3.1) After login on you are presented with a screen similar to this example (fig. 3.2), we will focus and expand on the functions and use of this screen in later sections of this document. (fig. 3.2) Page 7 of 45 Version 1.1

8 After a request has been submitted it will appear on users To Do and Watch lists. By viewing these lists department academics and support staff can monitor and take actions against the approvals. Personnel assigned to these roles will have received an notifying them that the request requires their attention and subsequent action. The contains the link to the BPM software where this action can be taken. Changing your password You can change your password at anytime by going to the Blank Forms page and clicking on the Change Password icon. (fig. 3.3) The following form is then presented. (fig. 3.3) Enter your current and new passwords as prompted and press Change Password to update. Alternatively if you do not want to follow through with the change then click Cancel to abort the change and keep your existing password. System Prompts and Messages Page 8 of 45 Version 1.1

9 At various points in the process you are likely to be presented with system messages such as: Security Information Do you want to display non secure information? Respond by taking the Yes option to continue. Security Alert Summary of security settings. Do you want to proceed? Respond by taking the Yes option to continue. Form Buttons There are a number of buttons which appear on most forms throughout the process and have the following functionality. This button will save any updates and move the application on to the next stage or form within the process. This button will abort any update action and return you either to the previous form or back to the main menus. When this button is taken the current form is closed and you are returned to the main menu. System Support Information If at anytime you require assistance with this process you can contact the Admissions department or the IT helpdesk helpdesk@warwick.ac.uk. Page 9 of 45 Version 1.1

10 4. Application Submission and Process Start This section describes the processes involved in preparing applications for submission to the first stage of the process. Applications can arrive at the process from two sources, either the On line Postgraduate Application facility or a paper submission received and processed by Postgraduate Admissions. To support these applications there is also a facility for logging and managing students supporting documents. These supporting documents are then available for viewing during the process by all users. This facility is described further in its own section later on in this document Online Applications Applications arriving via the On line PG Application process will already have been edited and updated to SITS and will only be released if paid (either in receipt of a World Pay payment or cheque received by the University). Applications for courses that require payment and have not been paid will remain on the online process and monitored for the receipt of payment. Any courses which do not require a payment, Research and PGA type courses, are advanced automatically. Application details submitted via the online route will form the basis for the information presented to the administering departments during the approvals process. In addition to this any attachment accompanying the application will also be available to view. When the application arrives at this stage the process assesses the roles and assigns users to either the ToDo or Watch lists. The users who are assigned at this point are based on the current course details with the following two roles set: PG Records Team set from the course details MCR_PRS2 PG Department Co ordinators set from the course details MCR_PRS1 and/or MCR_PRS3 The users set here must have a user profile setup on the BPM system. If the course details are missing or the user does not exist on the BPM system, the application will be advanced to the Stopped stage for the attention of the PG Admissions Administrator. The PG Admissions Administrator can then investigate why the application has been halted prior to their release to the next stage. If everything with the application is ok then it is forwarded to the Department Coordination stage Paper / Document File Applications Applications received by paper or electronic file will be managed by PG Admissions where any supporting documents are prepared, the application details are assessed and details are updated to the Student Records System (SITS). Page 10 of 45 Version 1.1

11 All applications going down this route must have the application document available to be attached to the application. Therefore, before starting the process the application form must either be scanned to a file or the electronic version located ready for attaching during the process. Once the details have been placed on SITS the approval can be raised and processed. This option is available to users who have been assigned the role of PG Administrator. To begin an approval you need to locate and select the PG Approvals SITS Route option from the Blank Forms menu. The following form is then displayed with all details blanked out: (fig. 4.1) Search for a student by entering a student id in the top section of the form. When you tab away from the input box the student details are retrieved and placed in the grid. All courses retrieved for the selected student will only include those applications which have been manually entered to SITS, excluding any on line submitted Page 11 of 45 Version 1.1

12 applications. The grid will be blank if the student or courses cannot be found and a suitable message pops up. To choose the particular students course, click on the row and the students details will be populated on the rest of the form. If the selected course is already being processed within the PG Approvals process then a warning message is displayed. The purpose of this message is to inform the user that the selection of this course would result in a duplicate entry. In some cases this is fine due to a change in course details, such as change of academic year, and you are able to proceed on this basis. (fig 4.2) There are a few f things to point out about this form. Status if this is set to PP the application has not been paid and will be forwarded to the Process Administration stage, other status codes represent the student has paid and could advance to the Department Coordination stage. Postgraduate Team will contain the name/s of the team members who will process the application. It s based on the user code retrieved from the course details as shown to the right of this box. Department co ordinator will contain the name/s of the department personnel who will assess the application and make a recommendation. It s based on the user code retrieved from the course details as shown in the two boxes to the right. Senior Management lists the names of the senior admissions personnel who will review the application and post final recommendation. If your selection was a duplicate then an additional tick box and text (in red) is revealed. You will have to untick the box to force the application to be accepted when submitting the application. (fig 4.3) App Form attach the scanned application form to the application. This is mandatory. Page 12 of 45 Version 1.1

13 To attach the application form do the following: Right click on the App Form graphic to reveal the following prompt. (fig. 4.4) Browse click here to browse the network for the file, the chosen location is retrieved and shown Cancel to abort the attachment action Upload use the chosen file and load the document for viewing during the process Once loaded the icon changes its appearance. If you hover over it and press the left mouse button additional options are made available to manage the file. (fig. 4.5) Open Attachment to view the file Save Attachment saves file Replace Attachment brings up the attachment browse and load prompt Remove Attachment removes the attachment from the application. Note: Various other forms throughout the process will have this attachment facility available. Click the SUBMIT button to complete. The approval will then proceed onto the next stage and appear on the relevant To Do and Watch lists. s are also distributed to the appropriate personnel at this point. Alternatively, click the CANCEL button to abort your request and close the form. Page 13 of 45 Version 1.1

14 5. Process Application An application can arrive at the Process Application stage from a number of routes: Application has not been paid Stopped and released Its here that the Admissions department can review the application details before moving it onto the Department Co ordination stage or cancel it. (fig. 5.1) Additional details can be viewed by pressing the tabs at the top of the page. Qualification Details (fig 5.2) Employment and Work Experience (fig 5.3) View Notes (fig 5.4) Examples of these pages can be seen here. Page 14 of 45 Version 1.1

15 (fig. 5.2) Page 15 of 45 Version 1.1

16 (fig. 5.3) (fig. 5.4) The Application Summary page enables you to: review the candidates application details View the applications document attached Review all notes and comments logged View supporting documents To view supporting documents, click on the specific row in the grid then press the VIEW button. The selected document URL will be retrieved and used to show the document in the most appropriate viewer. There are a number of actions available on this page. The actions will come into focus when you hover over them using the mouse, effectively these buttons will enable further actions to be taken against the application. The available buttons provide the following: Add a Note Take this action to bring up a new form where additional notes relating to the application can be entered. The details are then included in the summary of all notes / comments. On completion of this action you are returned to the Application Summary page. Refresh This action will retrieve the current information for this student and course from SITS. In most cases this should refresh the payment status and course users as entered against the MCR record. A confirm prompt pops up at this point. (fig. 5.5) Press the OK button to complete the action or CANCEL to abort. Page 16 of 45 Version 1.1

17 Release for Approval Take this option to flag the application as ready for release to the Department Coordination stage. It is then automatically released. A confirm prompt pops up at this point. (fig. 5.6) Press the OK button to complete the action or CANCEL to abort. View and Update Provides an option to update the application attachment and reopens the Application Summary page for edit purposes. Cancel Take this action to cancel the application. You are prompted to enter a comment but this is optional. The Cancelled stage does include a reinstate option if it is moved there by mistake. If you wish not to take any of the action buttons at this time then press the CLOSE button to return to the main lists. In addition to the action buttons there are a number of activities performed behind the scenes. These activities are timed events which have been defined to perform checks on the payment status. The action will either update the application with the current payment status or send out a reminder to the student if the payment is still outstanding. The scheduled timed events are as follows: Payment Update Checks SITS for receipt of payment, if a payment has been received then the application will be released to the Department Coordination stage. 1 Week reminder Send an to the Student as a reminder that payment is still outstanding after 1 week, only applied to manual / paper submissions. 2 week reminder Send an to the Student as a reminder that payment is still outstanding after 2 weeks, only applied to manual / paper submissions. 4 week reminder Send an to the Student as a reminder that payment is still outstanding after 4 weeks, only applied to manual / paper submissions. Page 17 of 45 Version 1.1

18 20 week reminder Send an to the Student as a reminder that payment is still outstanding after 20 weeks and is the final warning, only applied to manual / paper submissions. Page 18 of 45 Version 1.1

19 6. Department Co Ordination The application can arrive at this stage directly from the start or submission stage or advanced from the Process Application. In both cases the application will appear on the To Do list of users who have been assigned the Department Co ordinator role for the selected student s course. (fig. 6.1) Additional details can be viewed by pressing the tabs at the top of the page. Qualification Details (fig 5.2) Employment and Work Experience (fig 5.3) Request Summary (fig 6.2) View Notes (fig 5.4) An example of the Request Summary page can be seen below, while the other pages can be seen in other sections. Page 19 of 45 Version 1.1

20 (fig 6.2) There are a number of actions available from this stage and shown at the footer portion of the form. The actions will come in focus when you hover over them using the mouse, effectively these buttons will enable further actions to be taken against the application. The available buttons provide the following: Add a Note Take this action to bring up a new form where additional comments relating to the application can be entered. The details are then included in the summary of all notes / comments. On completion of this action you are returned to the Application Summary page or the last one you had viewed using the tabs. Request Information From This action provides a facility to forward a request for information to one or more personnel prompting them to return a response. The list of personnel is based on the following criteria: Any personnel associated with the course department All members of the PG Team dealing with the application All Senior Management personnel Choose the names by clicking the row on the grid. Multiple names are obtained by using the SHIFT (range) and CTRL (single item) keys with the left mouse button. Then enter in your request note. Page 20 of 45 Version 1.1

21 (fig 6.3) Press the SUBMIT button to complete the request. At this point the application is assigned to all the selected users ToDo list and advanced to the Request For Information stage. Additional information about this action can be found in section 7 of this document. Pass Application To Take this option to pass the application onto another user within the same department. One of the main uses of this option is to move the application on to a user who has the rights to Make a Decision, as indicated by the flag set on this page. The available users listed are based on the Department Co ordinator role and any Senior Management from Admissions. Page 21 of 45 Version 1.1

22 (fig 6.4) Select a name from the list and enter any accompanying comment. Complete the action by pressing the SUBMIT button and the selected user will have the application included on the To Do list at this stage. Put On Pending List Provides an option to move the application to the Pending Application stage where it can be held for a period of time and released either manually or based on the time entered. The date displayed will initially be set for 2 weeks from the current date. (fig 6.5) Page 22 of 45 Version 1.1

23 Enter the comment and select another date id the default time is not acceptable, then press the SUBMIT button. The application can be released from the Pending Application stage by the current co ordinator or previously selected name from the Pass Application To list. Effectively the person moving the application to this stage is the person who could release it prior to the timed release. Make Decision After assessing the application the recommendation can be posted. This action will only appear for certain department co ordinators who have the necessary authority to approve applications. (fig. 6.6) Complete the form by filling in the two sections: Recommendation Recommendation pick one of the items from the drop down list, either: OFFER (UNCONDITIONAL) OFFER (CONDITIONAL) Page 23 of 45 Version 1.1

24 REJECT DECLINE COURSE CHANGE Details additional note to support the application recommendation Mode of attendance defaults to current mode, can be changed to FULL or PART TIME if required Period of study defaults to current course years, can be changed if required Name of supervisor free text field for the supervisor name Additional Conditions of Offer Conditions of Offer click on any of the conditions that apply Further comments optional Request to waive admissions requirements select YES or NO If waive YES is chosen, then an additional box appears, Supporting Comment / Note for Request Waiver where a note can be entered Press the SUBMIT button to complete the action. The application will advance to the Decision Processing stage and appear on the PG Record Team members To Do list which has been allocated against the course. For further information about this action refer to section Decision Processing. Stop Take this action to stop the application. You are prompted to enter a comment and this is mandatory. Applications moved to the Stopped stage are monitored by PG Admissions Administrators. If you wish not to take any of the action buttons at this time then press the CLOSE button to return to the main lists. In addition to the action buttons there are a number of activities performed behind the scenes. These activities are timed events which have been designed to provide a prompt to specific users if the application is not being processed within the agreed time scales. There are two prompts at this stage: 1 Week Prompt Sends an to Senior Management and PG Team member s informing them that an application has been at the stage for one week. 2 Week Prompt Sends an to Senior Management and PG Team member s informing them that an application has been at the stage for two weeks. It also adds the Admissions Senior Management names to the To Do list so they can take suitable action. Page 24 of 45 Version 1.1

25 7. Request For Information During the process there is the opportunity to request information from other personnel within the department. The request would be directed at one or more personnel with each being asked to supply information. All responses are appended to the original request note to form a complete response summary. The originator of the request can then take the action to accept the responses and complete the request. The process allows a Request for Information to be started or originating from: Department Co ordination Decision Processing Decision Approval Applications advanced to this stage will appear on the selected personnel To Do lists prompting for a response to the request. s are also distributed during the stage informing everyone involved that a response has been posted. (fig. 7.1) Additional details can be viewed by pressing the tabs at the top of the page. Application Summary (fig 5.1) Employment and Work Experience (fig 5.3) Qualification Details (fig 5.2) Page 25 of 45 Version 1.1

26 View Notes (fig 5.4) The request summary will show all requests and their responses indicating who has replied and when the entry was made. The application notes can be viewed by clicking on the View Notes (fig. 5.4) tab at the top of the page. There are two possible actions available on this page and perform the following function: Respond Take this action to enter a reply to the request or at least add any supporting information so the Requestor can close it. After submitting your response an is sent to all selected requesters providing an update to the request. Accept Response This action is only available to the person who initiated the request. The option is taken to close the request, accepting the replies posted, and moves the application back to the originating stage (as listed above). A confirm prompt pops up at this point. (fig. 7.2) Press the OK button to complete the action or CANCEL to abort. If you wish not to take any of the action buttons at this time then press the CLOSE button to return to the main lists. Page 26 of 45 Version 1.1

27 8. Decision Processing Approvals arrive at this stage after the department co ordinator approver has taken the Make Decision user action from the Department Co ordination stage. The approval will appear on the PG Team members ToDo list and will bring up the following screen if selected. (fig 8.1) Additional details can be viewed by pressing the tabs at the top of the page. Application Summary (fig 5.1) Qualification Details (fig 5.2) Page 27 of 45 Version 1.1

28 Employment and Work Experience (fig 5.3) Request Summary (fig 6.2) View Notes (fig 5.4) The Decision processing stage is where the Postgraduate Team and Management assess the application. The application is then updated as approved with the offer or rejection status. The main form shown at this stage presents the following: Recommendation details and any additional conditions as posted by the department co ordinator PG Team decision details are present if it has previously been passed for decision approval by Senior Management View the applications supporting details documents Review all notes and comments logged View supporting documents To view supporting documents, click on the specific row in the grid then press the VIEW button. The selected document URL will be retrieved and used to show the document in the most appropriate viewer. There are a number of actions available on this page. The actions will come in focus when you hover over them using the mouse, effectively these buttons will enable further actions to be taken against the application. The available buttons provide the following: Add a Note Take this action to bring up a new form where additional notes relating to the application can be entered. The details are then included in the summary of all notes / comments. On completion of this action you are returned to the Decision Processing page or the last one you had viewed using the tabs. Request Information From This action provides a facility to forward a request for information to one or more personnel prompting them to return a response. The list of personnel is based on the following criteria: Any personnel associated with the course department All members of the PG Team dealing with the application All Senior Management personnel Choose the names by clicking the row on the grid. Multiple names are obtained by using the SHIFT (range) and CTRL (single item) keys with the left mouse button. Then enter in your request note. Page 28 of 45 Version 1.1

29 (fig 8.2) Press the SUBMIT button to complete the request. At this point the application is assigned to all the selected users ToDo list and advanced to the Request For Information stage. Additional information about this action can be found in section 7 of this document. Decision Approval Select this action when all relevant information has been assessed and the final approval is to be recorded. The Decision Processing page is shown with the PG Team Decision block opened for update. Page 29 of 45 Version 1.1

30 (fig 8.3) Complete the form by entering the following: Offer to be made: Select one of the decision categories from the drop down list. Either confirm the recommendation as posted previously or change as necessary. OFFER (UNCONDITIONAL) OFFER (CONDITIONAL) REJECT DECLINE COURSE CHANGE Conditions to be added: These are optional but will add supporting information to the application for final approval Select Decision Approver: The drop down list is populated with Postgraduate Management personnel who can put the final approval to the application. Select a name from the drop down list. Press the SUBMIT button to complete the action. The application then advances to the Decision Approval stage and appears on the selected Decision Approvers ToDo list. (refer to the Decision Approval section later in this document) Conditional Offer Made This option is taken when a conditional offer has been approved and moves the application to the Conditional Offer Holder stage. The main purpose for this action is to place all the applications with this decision on to a separate list and will remain here until further information is at hand to review the decision. When this action is taken the following form is displayed: Page 30 of 45 Version 1.1

31 (fig 8.4) Enter a comment to provide additional supporting information for the application, but is optional. Press the SUBMIT button to complete the action and move the application to the Conditional Offer Holder stage. The PG Team member supporting this application can then pick it up again from their Watch list. The application would then be released back at a later date after further assessment has taken place. Additional details about the Conditional Offer Holder stage can be found in section Conditional, Unconditional and Reject Offer Stages later on in this document. Unconditional Offer Made This option is taken when an unconditional offer has been made and would move the application to the Unconditional Offer stage. The main purpose for this action is to move applications with this decision onto a new stage, keeps them separated from those applications which haven t been approved. When this action is taken the following prompt pops up: (fig 8.5) Page 31 of 45 Version 1.1

32 Press the OK button to complete the action or CANCEL to abort. An application reaching the Unconditional Offer stage can be viewed by the PG Team member from their Watch list and will remain at this stage for a short period of time (3 months) before automatically being advanced to the Archive state. Additional details about the Unconditional Offer stage can be found in section Conditional, Unconditional and Reject Offer Stages later on in this document. Reject This option is taken when the application is rejected, and would move it to the Reject Offer stage. The main purpose for this action is to provide the PG Team with a separate list of application with this decision, keeps them separated from applications which haven t been approved. When this action is taken the following prompt pops up: (fig 8.6) Press the OK button to complete the action or CANCEL to abort. An application reaching the Reject stage can be viewed by the PG Team member from their Watch list and will remain at this stage for a short period of time (3 months) before automatically being advanced to the Archive state. Additional details about the Reject Offer stage can be found in section Conditional, Unconditional and Reject Offer Stages later on in this document. Stop Take this action to stop the application. You are prompted to enter a comment and this is mandatory. Applications moved to the Stopped stage are monitored by Admissions Administrators. If you wish not to take any of the action buttons at this time then press the CLOSE button to return to the main lists. In addition to the action buttons there are a number of activities performed behind the scenes. These activities are timed events which have been designed to provide a Page 32 of 45 Version 1.1

33 prompt to specific users if the application is not being processed within the agreed time scales. There are two prompts at this stage: SLA1 Decision Sends an to Senior Management and PG Team member s informing them that an application has been at the stage for 2 days. SLA2 Decision Sends an to Senior Management and PG Team member s informing them that an application has been at the stage for 4 days. It also adds the Admissions Senior Management names to the To Do list so they can take suitable action. Page 33 of 45 Version 1.1

34 9. Decision Approval Applications arrive at this stage from the Decision Processing stage after the Decision Approval action has been taken. The purpose of this stage is to obtain the approval of Senior Admission Manager before the application can be signed off as approved and final declaration forwarded to the applicant. The application will appear on the ToDo list of the selected manager picked from the list when this action was taken. The following screen is shown when the application is selected from the ToDo list. (fig 9.1) Additional details can be viewed by pressing the tabs at the top of the page. Page 34 of 45 Version 1.1

35 Application Summary (fig 5.1) Qualification Details (fig 5.2) Employment and Work Experience (fig 5.3) Request Summary (fig 6.2) View Notes (fig 5.4) The Decision Approval stage is where the Admissions Management assesses the applications decision recommendation and endorses it or not. The application is then flagged as approved, yes or no, and returned to the PG Team to complete the process. The main form shown at this stage presents the following: Recommendation details and any additional conditions as posted by the department co ordinator PG Team decision details are present View the applications document attached Review all notes and comments logged View supporting documents To view supporting documents, click on the specific row in the grid then press the VIEW button. The selected documents URL will be retrieved and used to show the document in the most appropriate viewer. There are a number of actions available on this page. The actions will come in focus when you hover over them using the mouse, effectively these buttons will enable further actions to be taken against the application. The available buttons provide the following: Add a Note Take this action to bring up a new form where additional notes relating to the application can be entered. The details are then included in the summary of all notes / comments. On completion of this action you are returned to the Decision Approval page or the last one you had viewed using the tabs. Request for Information This action provides a facility to forward a request for information to one or more personnel prompting them to return a response. The list of personnel is based on the following criteria: Any personnel associated with the course department All members of the PG Team dealing with the application All Senior Management personnel Choose the names by clicking the row on the grid. Multiple names are obtained by using the SHIFT (range) and CTRL (single item) keys with the left mouse button. Then enter in your request note. Page 35 of 45 Version 1.1

36 (fig 9.2) Press the SUBMIT button to complete the request. At this point the application is assigned to all the selected users ToDo list and advanced to the Request For Information stage (refer to section Request For Information ). Return Decision Take this action when the applications final approval is ready to be applied. Page 36 of 45 Version 1.1

37 (fig 9.3) When the form pops up select the appropriate text, either YES or NO, from the Approve Application drop down list. If NO is selected an additional text box is revealed where a comment can be entered, but is optional. Then press the SUBMIT button to complete the action. The application is returned back to the Decision Processing stage for the PG Team member to continue the process. Cancel This action provides the option to remove the application from the process. An application can only be cancelled from the process while at this stage. No other stage has this option. Therefore, it s the responsibility of Senior Management to take the final decision to completely remove an application. If this action is taken a prompt pops up. Confirm your selection by pressing OK or Cancel. The application is then moved to the Bin stage and remains here for a short period of time (3 months) before automatically being advanced to the Archive state. While at this stage there is an option to release it back if required. If you wish not to take any of the action buttons at this time then press the CLOSE button to return to the main lists. Page 37 of 45 Version 1.1

38 10. Conditional, Unconditional and Reject Offer Stages When an offer has been approved the PG Team member will move it to one of the offer stages. The application can be picked up from the Watch list for all three offer types with the following form shown. (fig 10.1) Conditional Offer Holder If the application is placed at the Conditional Offer Holder stage then the only action available is the Release action. The release action enables the application to be passed back to the Decision Processing stage for further assessment and action. When this action is taken the following prompt pops up: (fig 10.2) Press the OK button to complete the action and return to the Decision Processing stage or CANCEL to abort. Unconditional Offer and Reject Offer Page 38 of 45 Version 1.1

39 Applications remain here for a short period of time (3 months) before automatically being advanced to the Archive state. However, there is still the opportunity to take a couple of actions against the application prior to it automatically advancing to the Archive stage. Archive This action enables an application to be moved manually to the archive stage. If this action is taken a prompt pops up. (fig 10.3) Confirm your selection by pressing OK or Cancel. Release If an application has been moved here by mistake it can be released back to the Decision Processing stage for further assessment and action. If this action is taken a prompt pops up. (fig 10.4) Confirm your selection by pressing OK or Cancel. The archive stage is the final stage of the process for any application and has the effect of removing it from all ToDo and Watch lists. Page 39 of 45 Version 1.1

40 11. Student Supporting Documents This admin form provides a facility to log all student supporting documents and will be available to users who have been assigned the PG Admission Administrators role. The supporting documents dealt with here and logged on the database are required to be placed in the document storage facility, provided by Site Builder, first. To activate this facility bring up the Admin Forms group of items and click on the Student Documents icon. (fig 11.1) The following form is then displayed. (fig 11.2) This facility provides a number of functions to enable documents to be managed. Search and view Add new document entries Page 40 of 45 Version 1.1

41 Student document alert for new document added against a student Delete document entries no longer required Clear form Search and View Firstly perform a search by entering the student ID and use the tab button to activate the search. If there is a match then the following are populated: Student Id First Name Last Name Date of Birth Supporting Documents List Note the student search is performed against an extract from SITS which is performed daily. Therefore, if the student does not exist then it s likely that it s a recent update to SITS and would be included in the next scheduled extract. Any supporting documents already logged in the database are retrieved and displayed in the grid. (fig 11.3) View Documents Page 41 of 45 Version 1.1

42 To view any of the documents listed click anywhere on the row in the grid shown. The selected documents details are then placed on the form to confirm the row that has been selected. View the document by pressing the View Doc button. The URL is used to open the document from the stored location and will be opened using the appropriate viewer software. Add New Document To add new documents search for the student by entering the student ID and the tab key activate the search. The student details and current documents are then retrieved. Complete the document details section as follows: Document Type select one of the types from the drop down list i.e. Letter, Reference, Certificate, etc. Document Name enter a name or label to identify the document being loaded Original Seen select either Yes or No to indicate whether the original has been seen Document URL the start of the URL defaults to the general location, append the unique identifying file name to the end. Then press the Add button to update the database. A couple of validations will be performed and, if passed, the new document will be added to the Supporting Documents list. Document Alert All new documents added will be included in a Student Document Alert action. This action will notify, by , any personnel currently associated against applications for the selected student. It basically provides a prompt to these users to visit and review the application. Delete a Document To delete a document for a student, perform a search using the student id. The student details and current documents are then retrieved. Select the document by clicking anywhere on the grid row. The selected document details are then placed in the fields in the section just below the grid. Then press the Delete button to complete the removal of the details. The grid will automatically be refreshed. Clear Form Press the Clear button to blank out your previous search and reset all the form details. You could just re enter another student ID to start a new search but sometimes it may be useful to blank out the form and start again. All previous actions and updates are not effected by this action. When you have finished press the CANCEL button and return to the main menus. Page 42 of 45 Version 1.1

43 12. Approvals Status Summary This admin form enables the logged in user to review all the applications which appear on their ToDo and Watch lists. Basically, the facility provides the option to find a particular application and open it at its current stage. Access this form by going to the Admin Forms group icon and select the PGA Administration Approvals Status Summary item. (fig 12.1) The following form is then displayed. (fig. 12.2) A search can be performed using one of the following parameters: Course Code choosing Include All Course would search and retrieve all applications attributed to your profile Student Name full name or part of name to perform a wild card type of search. i.e. key in WOOD would search for WOOD anywhere in the name Student ID match exactly to the student id including leading zeroes Page 43 of 45 Version 1.1

44 After entering your parameter, move off the field with the TAB key to start the search. The database is searched and places the retrieved applications in the data grid. Click on the row to view or open an application. After viewing or performing a user action against the selected application you are returned back to this form. When you have finished press the CANCEL or SUBMIT button. Page 44 of 45 Version 1.1

45 13. Process Flow Diagram Page 45 of 45 Version 1.1