CommunityForce Scholarship
Management System
Release Notes Version 7.5
Contents
New functionality added in this release ....................................................................................................... 3
1.
Setup Users Import .......................................................................................................................... 3
2.
Allow Multiple Annual Budget/Academic Years data on a single scholarship fund ........................ 4
3.
Application Form Cost...................................................................................................................... 5
4.
Ability to not have a deadline on an application ............................................................................. 6
5.
Allow for Single or Multiple Nominators on Request Sections........................................................ 7
6.
Removed Publish an Application ..................................................................................................... 8
7.
Create multiple conditional logic on Sections or Questions ............................................................ 9
8.
Additional Question Types added .................................................................................................. 10
9.
Push Changes From Master Application, Section and Question selection .................................... 13
10. Batch PDF ....................................................................................................................................... 14
11. Import Applications ....................................................................................................................... 15
12. Import Applicant Data.................................................................................................................... 17
13. Clone a Task ................................................................................................................................... 19
14. Committee Setup now shows number of ...................................................................................... 20
15. Select multiple scholarships for a single Task Assignment ............................................................ 20
16. Enable Random Selection in Assignments ..................................................................................... 21
17. Reviewer can Import Scores for Applicant .................................................................................... 21
18. Ad Hoc Reports Filter Award and Score Card by Task ................................................................... 22
19. Show Question Replies in Manage Awards ................................................................................... 24
20. See Task Specific Scores in Manage Award ................................................................................... 25
Administration Changes .............................................................................................................................. 26
1.
Control Mapping ............................................................................................................................ 26
2.
Manage Role Types ........................................................................................................................ 27
3.
Manage Academic Years ................................................................................................................ 28
User experience improvements made in this release ................................................................................ 29
1.
Application Sort By Listing ............................................................................................................. 29
2.
Log in With Facebook..................................................................................................................... 30
3.
Nominator Login Access................................................................................................................. 30
4.
IE 8 Not Supported Message ......................................................................................................... 31
5.
Multiple Browser Instances Not Allowed ...................................................................................... 31
New functionality added in this release
1. Setup Users Import: Ability to import a listing of users to create multiple user profiles from an
Excel or XML file. While in the Setup Users, you will click on the Import Users button.
Select the download file type. If using Excel, there is a pre-formatted Excel file available for
download. Click the “Click here to download the format of the file” to download the Excel
document that contains all the required fields needed to create the profiles.
Complete the downloaded document and then upload that same file using the Upload Excel File to
create the new profiles. (It’s recommended that you save a copy of this document prior to
uploading, for future reference.)
2. Allow Multiple Annual Budget/Academic Years data on a single scholarship
fund: Ability to track historical data on the same scholarship fund without having to create a new
scholarship fund for each separate year.
In the Scholarship Setup, click the Green Icon next to the Annual Budget/Academic Year
Enter the new Academic Year and the Total Amount Allocated for that year. Click the green plus
sign to add additional years.
Each new Academic year must have a new application process. When you create the new
application linked to that Scholarship fund, you will want to make sure to use the same academic
year under the General Information for that Application.
3. Application Form Cost – This is a feature that can be turned on that allows you to set a
payment requirement for an application form. For example: Admission form applications.
Note: this does require integration with a third party payment software and will need to be set up
by the CommunityForce Implementation team.
The setting would first have to be turned on in the Administration > Site Settings under the General
Settings, Enable Application Payments, marked as yes to enable this feature.
Once it is turned on in the Site Settings, you will see in the Application Setup> General Information
an option Application Form Cost. Enter the amount required for the Application:
If there is a cost, the applicant will not be able to submit their application until the payment has
been made. A Payment Gateway question with a button will appear to the applicant that they will
click on to be directed to the payment gateway software that you are using. Once payment is made
the applicant will return to the payment question and it will show that the payment has been made.
When viewing from the Applicant Status Screen there are two additional columns that will show “Is
Paid” and “Payment Date”.
4. Ability to not have a deadline on an application – There is now the option to make an
application a rolling application with no deadline.
When creating the Application in the Setup Application>General Information, select:
Does this Application have a Deadline:
Yes - allows the application to have a deadline and will open up the Deadline Date and Deadline
Time fields to enter the deadline information.
No – removes the Deadline Date and Deadline Time fields and the application will not have a
Deadline for completion.
5. Allow for Single or Multiple Nominators on Request Sections – When creating
request sections in an application, there is now the ability to have the applicant select one
nominator to complete all the request sections in an application or have the ability to select
multiple nominators, one per each request section, in an application.
When creating the Application in the Setup Application Forms Dashboard>General Information,
select the Nomination Type (Applicant can choose single or multiple nominee):
Single – All request sections go to a single nominee. Applicant will click a single icon on their
dashboard and enter the contact data for one nominee to complete all the required request
sections.
Multiple – Each separate request section can go to a different nominee. Applicant selects each
separate request section and enters the nominee’s contact information just for that one specific
request section.
6. Removed Publish an Application – Removed the “Publish” box from the General
Information setup for an application. Previously when a new application was created the “Publish”
box had to be selected in the General Information setup for that application. You could not access
an application in the Setup Scholarship view if that application was not first marked as published.
Therefore, the “Publish” feature in the Application Setup has been removed. From the
administrative view all active applications will be viewable in application dropdowns. When you are
ready to begin accepting applications, you will only need to publish the linked scholarship.
7. Create multiple conditional logic on Sections or Questions – When you have
similar conditional logic that applies to multiple questions or sections, you now have the ability to
create that condition one time on all the questions or sections it applies to.
When creating the condition, depending on if you are in the Section Setup or Question Setup view,
select all the sections or questions that the condition applies to by putting a checkbox next to each
section or question you want to set the condition on and Click the Add Condition(s) button
Enter all the condition(s) that apply and click the Save and Exit
The same condition(s) will then appear on all the sections or questions you selected. This is the
same process for sections as well as for questions in the questions setup.
8. Additional Question Types added – When creating questions for your application there
have been some additional question types added:
a. Date Day Validation: The system will look at the minimum and maximum numbers of days
and allow the applicant to apply if they fall within the allowable number of days. For
example an applicant has 30 days to enter an application for a specific event. That date
must be within the last 30 days.
Enter a minimum and maximum number of days of 0 to 30. If it has been past the 30 days
the applicant will not be able to enter the date.
b. EncryptedField: Creates a text field that only the Global Administrator can view. For
example you want the applicant to enter their SSN but not allow all other role types to be
able to view it. If you create the question as an Encryptedfield only the Global Administrator
can view the applicant’s reply.
c. Matching Fund Eligibility:
Used when you have one application, and that one application is used to apply to
multiple scholarships. The Matching Fund Eligibility matches applicants to the funds
they can apply to based on their replies to eligibility questions within the application.
Depending on how the applicant answers those questions, they are given a list of
Scholarships they can apply to. They then select or unselect the scholarships they want
to apply to from that listing.
There are two options available for the listing that they can select from:
All – Shows a listing of all the scholarship funds available for that application and has
only the funds selected that the applicant matched to. However, since all the funds
appear, they have the option to select additional funds if they want to apply to those as
well.
Eligible for – Shows a listing of “only” the scholarship funds that that applicant has been
matched to. The applicant can unselect any funds they do not want to apply to.
d. Payment Gateway: Used to collect payment for an application form. (See the new
functionality feature – Application Form Cost for additional set up information)
e. Organization Validation: Requires integration setup with your organization’s software
program or a subscription requirement purchased through GuideStar and an additional
plugin through CommunityForce.
Creates a dropdown listing of pre-approved organizations information from your
organization’s program that has been integrated with CommunityForce. (i.e., Grants Edge)
Example:
Validate with: Grants Edge (Schools), the question will automatically populate with the
approved organization listing of schools from your GE program (schools field) for the
applicant to select from that dropdown listing.
Validate with: GuideStar: A validate button will appear next to the text field. The applicant
enters their organization name and clicks the validate button. The moment they click on
validate it goes to GuideStar and pulls data from GuideStar to populate data fields that have
been pre-mapped to GuideStar fields within the application.
f.
Application Link:
Allows you to create a question that allows the applicant to click a link and directs them to
another application to apply to. Select the application that they are to be directed to, once
they click on the link.
Note: the application they are linking to, must have a future begin date in order to show in
the listing of available applications.
Once the link is clicked there are three options that can occur:
Link: The applicant clicks on the link and a pop up appears giving them the
option to apply to the application. If they click the apply button, they are then
directed to the dashboard for that new application.
Apply: The applicant clicks on the link and is automatically directed to the
dashboard for the new application, no option to apply is available it is
automatic.
Apply and Import: The applicant clicks on the link and is automatically direct to
the dashboard for the new application. Any questions that were in the original
application that carry the same xml name that are present in the second linked
application, will automatically be pushed down and populated with the replies
in the initial application. Applicant will not be required to re-answer those
questions.
g. Awarded Scholarship:
If selected this question type will automatically populate the scholarships that were
awarded to the applicant in this application process. If there was more than one award
given to the applicant all the names of the awards will appear. This can be used as a
question in the staff question for the staff to review or in a post acceptance section that
shows the applicant the awards they have been awarded.
If this question is present, it can also be used to set conditional logic on other sections or
questions that can hide or appear if a specific fund was awarded. (i.e., if awarded a specific
fund then they need to send a thank you. If the Awarded Scholarship Question shows that
specific fund was awarded, then the question to provide an uploaded thank you note will
appear)
9. Push Changes From Master Application, Section and Question selection –
There is now the ability to select specific sections and questions to push down when pushing
changes from the Master Application to the child applications that have been cloned from that
master application.
Using the Master Template in the Setup Application>Sections and Questions. Make the change to
your Sections and Question then click the Push Changes From Master Application
This will open a new page.
If you want everything you updated to push select the Push all Sections, Questions and Conditions
from Master Application, or:
Select only the Sections from the Master Application that you want to push the changes for
Select the Questions from those Sections that you want to push
Select Application(s):
Check the Create Sections and Questions that have been deleted from Child Applications if you
want to recreate all the deleted sections and questions in the child applications, otherwise do not
check. If this is not checked, only the newly created sections/questions in the Master template and
existing sections/questions with the same xml in the child applications will be pushed down.
Select the Application(s) you want to push your changes to.
Note: This will push only to unpublished applications and if the application’s deadline has not
passed. Therefore all the applications that you need the change pushed to will have to be taken
offline, unpublished, while the push is being made. It is recommended that once you start your
application process that no additional questions be added to the application, therefore it is best to
do this push prior to releasing your applications to the applicants.
10. Batch PDF – When creating a PDF of an applicant’s application there is now the option, when
selecting multiple applicants, to create a batch folder of the PDF documents. The batch PDF will
download a folder that you can save to your own computer with a separate PDF document for each
applicant you selected.
Batch PDFs are located in the Evaluations>Applicant Status report.
Select all the applicant’s you want to include in the Batch Folder by checking the box next to each
applicants name. Then click either the Batch Admin PDF or Batch Reviewer PDF button.
Batch Admin PDF – creates a batch PDF of the Applicant’s application showing only the items
viewable to the Administrators.
Batch Reviewer PDF – creates a batch PDF of the Applicant’s application showing only the items
viewable by the Reviewers. Questions marked as “Hidden from Reviewer” will not be included.
11. Import Applications – there is now the capability to import applications from an Excel
document into the application process.
This is located in the Evaluations>Applicant Status report. Click on the Import Application(s) button:
A box will appear where you can upload your Excel File.
Click the “Click here to download Application(s)” to download a pre-formatted Excel document that
contains all the applicant data and fields that have been created in your online application. (This
downloaded document can also be used to upload information to your external program, i.e. FIMS)
It is advisable to first create a copy of this document before making any changes so that you have
a backup copy you can convert back to if needed as this will override any existing data already in
the applicant’s applications.
Note: when completing this form, if any of the fields are multiple choice selection fields (i.e.
Dropdowns, checkboxes, radio buttons), be sure to input the data exactly how it appears as a
selection in the multiple choice question of the application.
This form can also be used to complete a batch of questions that the administrator may have
to input, (i.e. questions in a staff section). You can enter the replies into this form under the
column for that question and then re-upload the document to have the replies automatically
input into that question on the online application. Use caution when using this function as
you do not want to accidentally change an applicant’s reply.
Once you have populated that Excel document with the applications you want to import, you can
then upload that document by clicking on the Upload Excel File. This will then enter the information
back into the application and add any new applicant(s) that had been input onto the Excel
Document.
12. Import Applicant Data – There is now the functionality to be able to copy all the applicant
data from one application to another application. You must contact your Account Executive to have
this feature turned on. This is useful if you open an application multiple times within an academic
year and want to include the applicants that applied in one period into the next application period
without having to reapply.
This is located in the Evaluations>Applicant Status.
To import this data, select the new application that you want to import the data into under
Evaluations and then select the Applicant Status icon in that dashboard.
There are two ways to import data:
1) Applicant has already applied to the new application and you want to only push the data
down for those applicant’s that have applied.
a. In the new application, select the applicant’s first by putting a check in the box next
to the name of the applicant.
b. Click the Import Applicant Data button. A new box will appear.
c. Select the Source Application (the application that you want to push the data down
from).
d. Select all the sections from the source application you want to push down.
Note: the XML names must match exactly, therefore only the Section and
Field XML names in the Source application that are the same in the
Destination application will be pushed down.
e. Do Not check the box Import Applicants.
f. Click the Import Data button (all the data from the source application will now be
pushed down to the new application for only the applicants selected.
Note: You can also use this to push data down for just a specific section. (i.e.,
staff section data from one application to another. The applicant has already
applied in the destination application and you want to push the data from the
source application’s staff section down to the new application to keep history
intact)
2) The applicants have not yet applied and you want to push all the applicants from the first
application into the new application.
a. Open the new application and click on the Import Applicant Data button. A new box
will open.
b. Select the Source Application (the application that you want to push the data down
from)
c. Select all the sections from the source application you want to push down.
Note: the XML names must match exactly, therefore only the Section and
Field XML names in the Source application that are the same in the
Destination application will be pushed down.
d. Check the box Import Applicants.
e. Click the Import Data button (all the applicants and the data from the source
application will now be pushed down to the new application for only the applicants
selected.
f.
All the applicants that have been pushed down will show a status of “Pending
Submission.
g. The applicant will now have this new application in their My Applications
Dashboard. (this will automatically start the application for the applicants but will
not submit their application) The applicant will need to go in and complete any
additional questions in the new application and click submit on the new application.
13. Clone a Task – There is now the ability to clone a task when creating Tasks. You can clone any
task from the current application or from any other application you have created.
Select the Tasks icon from the Evaluations>Evaluation Setup dashboard.
Click on the Clone A Task button:
A new page will open to Add/Edit Tasks
You will need to select the application for the task you want to clone, select the task to be cloned
and continue creating the task as if you were creating a new task.
Once you save the task, all the questions that were in the cloned task will now be created in the new
task. If you want to delete a question or add new questions to the new task, you can click the
Create/Edit next to the task to update it.
14. Committee Setup now shows number of assignments – after you have made the
Assignments to the Committee members you can view the number of assignments under the
Committee Setup.
Select the Committees Icon in the Evaluations>Evaluation Setup dashboard. The number of
assignments will show under the Committee Name Column.
15. Select multiple scholarships for a single Task Assignment – if you have the same
score card task for multiple scholarships and the same committee is reviewing those scholarships, to
limit duplication of scoring on the same applicant, you can now create assignments of that task to
multiple scholarships. If the applicant appears in more than one of those scholarships you can
decide to only assign that applicant to the committee one time for that task. The applicant will then
receive the same score on all the scholarships they matched to that were assigned to that task.
Select the Assignments icon in the Evaluations>Evaluation Setup dashboard.
Select the Task Name and then click the arrow next to the Select Scholarship.
A dropdown of all the scholarships linked to that application will appear. Put a check mark in all the
scholarships you want to assign to that scholarship and that same committee. Click the Display
applicants. All the applicants matched to all the selected scholarships will appear in the applicant
listing.
16. Enable Random Selection in Assignments – When creating committee assignments,
there is now an option to use a random selection process to assign.
Select the Assignments icon in the Evaluations>Evaluation Setup dashboard. Select the Task, the
scholarship if applicable, and the Committee. Click the Display Applicant.
Next click the Enable Random Selection at the bottom of the Applicant listing and enter the number
of applicants you want to be assigned randomly in the blank select field for the applicant listing and
click Go. Do the same for the Committee listing.
The system will randomly check the number of applicants selected and the random number of
committee members selected. Click the Save Assignment to assign the applicants and remove them
from the listing. You will need to repeat this process until all assignments for that task are
completed.
17. Reviewer can Import Scores for Applicant – When reviewing applicants that have been
assigned to them, if that applicant has been assigned in another scholarship or task, the reviewer
can choose to import the scores that they just entered into other assignments. If all the score/task
cards have exactly the same xml on the same question, then all scores will be imported into those
identical questions. However, if there are additional questions to score on in another score card,
they can import only those that match and would then have to go in on the individual assignment
and completed any additional scoring.
Once the reviewer scores on the first scoring task and clicks the Save and Next for that applicant, if
they have been assigned that applicant in another task assignment a listing will appear showing all
the matched tasks for that applicant. If the reviewer selects the check box next to the applicant and
clicks Save it will import all the matched scores to the selected tasks.
18. Ad Hoc Reports Filter Award and Score Card by Task - When creating Ad Hoc
reports there is now the functionality to be able to filter Score Card data by Task and see the total
and average score data for just that specific task.
When creating or editing an existing ad hoc report Under Evaluations>Reports (One
Grant/Fellowship)>Ad Hoc Reports
To add the Score card data select the Score Card Information and click Save & Next
You will need to include all the questions from the specific score card in your report. Select the
Score Card in the Select an Item and in the Unselected Columns click on all the questions from that
score card and click the right arrow to move them to the Selected Columns. Click Save and Next to
move to the Conditions page.
To filter by the specific task, in the Conditions Screen select the following:
Report Item: Score Card Information
Section Name: Score Card Information
Field Name: Task Name
Filter: Contains
Filter Value: (Name given to the task you want to filter on)
Click on Finish to return to the reports listing.
On the reports listing, first click the Update Reporting Database button to confirm you get the
current data. Then click on the View button for the report you just created/edited.
This will return the scoring result for just that scoring task on all the applicants that have been
scored 100%.
19. Show Question Replies in Manage Awards – When awarding applicants using the
Manage Awards (used for awarding multiple scholarships in one application) you can have the
replies appear for specific questions from the applicant’s application.
When creating the question in the Sections and Question setup select the Show on Award Screen in
the Add/Edit Question:
To view the question in Manage Awards, first select the scholarship you want to award to view the
listing of all eligible applicants for that specific scholarship. Then select the Award Questions next
to the applicant’s name. This will open a box showing all the replies to all the questions you marked
to Show on Award Screen when creating the application. These replies will also appear when you
click the Award Applicant to award the applicant.
20. See Task Specific Scores in Manage Award – There is now the ability to view only the
scores for a specific tasks while in the Manage Awards screen. This allows you to create a task
scoring for a specific scholarship(s) and view only the score results for that scholarship’s task.
While in the Manage Awards screen, select the scholarship you want to view.
In the Filter by Review Task, select only the task you performed for that specific scholarship. The
Total and Average scores will reflect only those scores for that filtered task.
Administration Changes
1. Control Mapping – Used to only change the Control Name Label. Role types have been
removed.
Click the Edit button to open up the Fields and type the new label name for each control name
you want to change. Then click the Save button to save the changes you have made to the label.
(If you change any of the label names, please keep a list of the old name so that you can refer
to the original label when reviewing our help guides, training videos and when putting in a
request for support)
2. Manage Role Types – Ability to add unlimited role types.
There has been a new item added to the Administration Dashboard > Manage Role Types
This gives you the ability to Edit the names of the existing role types as well as add additional role
types. Note that the first three role types (Global Admin, Reviewer, and Applicants) access cannot be
changed. However, you can change the names of these role types.
Important: You cannot add additional licensed users to the system. These role types and the access
given them are licensed users which cannot be randomly added. You also cannot add additional role
types and give them the same access, as this will require additional licensing to be purchased.
All other role types can have their access and name changed and the number of these role types you
can add is unlimited. This can be used to create as many role types as you would like and give access
to specific non-administrative areas only to those users with those role types.
Click the Edit icon next to a Role type that you want to change or click the Add New Role Type
button to add a new role type.
Clicking the red X will delete any unwanted Role types. Before deleting make sure that none of
them are in use or you may lose any data entered by a user with that role type.
Enter the Role Type Name, Description and put a check mark in each area the role type can have
access to.
When creating user profiles in the Setup users, be sure to select the appropriate role type for the
profile.
3. Manage Academic Years – Academic years previously came already set up with default
dates. These can now be customized according to your actual academic year.
You can edit an existing Academic year by clicking on the Edit icon next to that year, or add a year by
clicking on the Add New Academic Year.
Enter the Start Date, End Date and Academic Year and click Save. Remember the dates should not
overlap
User experience improvements made in this release
1. Application Sort By Listing – When an applicant is viewing the Application List, they are
now able to use the Sort By: feature to sort the view. They following sort options are available:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Scholarship (A-Z)
Scholarship (Z-A)
Begin Accepting Application Date (First to Last)
Begin Accepting Application Date (Last to First)
Deadline Date (First to Last)
Deadline Date (Last to First)
Once the Applicant selects the sort feature, the screen will refresh to show the new sort order.
2. Log in With Facebook – There is now the option available to allow a new applicant to login
with Facebook. The applicant can log in and create a user profile by clicking “Log in With Facebook”.
This will then create their user account based on their Facebook credentials. (Note: this information
is not used to target or market ads on Facebook.)
3. Nominator Login Access – If a request section Nominee cannot login using the link in the
email they received, there is now the option to go to the site and click on the Nominator Login
located in the bottom right hand corner of the Login screen.
The nominee can then enter the access code received in their email to access the nominated
request section.
The Default Notification Email Template, Application: Request From Applicant, now has the URL
link and the Access Code included in it.
Note: If you have created additional Nomination Email Templates for your request sections, you will
need to make sure that those items are added to those additional templates.
4. IE 8 Not Supported Message – When a user tries to open an application using IE 8 (Internet
Explorer Version 8) they will now receive a pop up message that CommunityForce does not support
IE 8, if they wish to continue they will not receive correct results.
5. Multiple Browser Instances Not Allowed – If a user tries to open an application using
more than one tab on with the same browser they will now receive a pop message: They will need
to close all the additional tabs prior to continuing.