Before using Enrollments, configure the academic time periods that enrollment records will use. In Slate, this typically begins with Academic Years and Academic Terms.
🏗️ Feature under development
Please note that Enrollments is under active development, with new features being rolled out over time. Check What’s New for release notes.
Academic Years and Academic Terms for enrollments
An Academic Year represents the broader academic cycle, such as 2026 Academic Year or 2026-2027 Academic Year. An Academic Term represents a specific period in that academic year, such as Fall 2026, Spring 2027, or Summer 2027.
Together, these records organize enrollments by the academic period in which a student participates.
Academic Year | Academic Term |
|---|---|
2026 Academic Year | Fall 2026 |
2026 Academic Year | Spring 2027 |
2026 Academic Year | Summer 2027 |
After Academic Years and Academic Terms are configured, use them when creating and managing enrollment records.
Creating an Academic Year
Go to Database → Academic Years.
Select Insert.
Configure the following settings:
Select Save.
Academic Year settings
Field | Description |
|---|---|
Status | Determines whether the Academic Year is active and available for related Academic Terms and Enrollments. In most cases, set Academic Years that are currently in use, or that will be used for upcoming Academic Terms and enrollment records, to Active. |
Folder | Optional organizational folder. Use folders to group records for easier management. |
Year | The numeric year associated with the academic year. For example, |
Name | The display name for the academic year. For example, |
Year Key | A short internal key for the academic year. For example, |
Year Start Date | The date the academic year begins. |
Year End Date | The date the academic year ends. |
Export Value 1-5 | Optional values used for integrations, exports, imports, or institutional reporting. |
The Status setting is especially important when using enrollment checklist rules. Enrollment checklist rules evaluate enrollments connected to active academic time periods. If the Academic Year is inactive, checklist rules tied to enrollments in that year might not run as expected, even if the related Academic Term or checklist item appears to be configured correctly.
For best results, keep Academic Years active while their related Academic Terms are being used for active enrollments, checklist assignment, student-facing requirements, reporting, or ongoing Student Success processes. Before making older Academic Years inactive, consider checklist behavior, reporting, historical review, and integrations.
Example Academic Year
Field | Example value |
|---|---|
Status | Active |
Year | 2026 |
Name | 2026 Academic Year |
Year Key | 2026 |
Year Start Date | 08/01/2026 |
Year End Date | 07/31/2027 |
Export Value | Optional; use if needed for SIS or reporting alignment |
Notes for Academic Years
Use a naming convention that makes sense to staff who manage enrollments, reports, and student records. Some institutions prefer a single-year label, such as 2026 Academic Year. Others prefer a range, such as 2026-2027 Academic Year.
The Year Key should be short, consistent, and easy to reference. If your institution exchanges enrollment data with another system, consider aligning the key or export value with the corresponding value in that system.
Creating Academic Terms
After creating the Academic Year, create the Academic Terms that belong to that year.
Go to Database -> Academic Terms.
Select Insert.
Configure the following settings:
Select Save.
Academic Term settings
Field | Description |
|---|---|
Status | Determines whether the Academic Term is active and available for use. Set this to Active when the term should be available. |
Folder | Optional organizational folder. Use folders to group records for easier management. |
Academic Year | The Academic Year that this term belongs to. |
Name | The full display name of the term. For example, |
Short Name | A shorter display name for the term. For example, |
Term Key | A short internal key for the term. For example, |
Term Start Date | The date the term begins. |
Term End Date | The date the term ends. |
Census Date | The institution-defined census date for the term, if applicable. |
Protected from Rank | Determines whether the Academic Term participates in term ranking logic in Slate. In most cases, Academic Terms should remain Rankable so Slate can evaluate and order terms consistently for enrollment-related queries, reports, dashboards, and other term-based processes. |
Export Value 1-5 | Optional values used for integrations, exports, imports, or institutional reporting. |
Setting an Academic Term to Protected from Rank excludes that term from ranking. This can be useful for special, test, historical, or administrative terms that should not affect logic designed to identify a student?s current, most recent, or primary term-based enrollment. For most standard academic terms, such as fall, spring, summer, quarters, or active enrollment periods, leave this setting as Rankable.
Example Academic Term
Field | Example value |
|---|---|
Status | Active |
Academic Year | 2026 Academic Year |
Name | Fall 2026 |
Short Name | Fall 26 |
Order | 10 |
Term Key | fall_2026 |
Term Start Date | 08/24/2026 |
Term End Date | 12/18/2026 |
Census Date | 09/08/2026 |
Protected from Rank | Rankable |
Export Value | Optional; use if needed for SIS or reporting alignment |
Repeating for each term
Create one Academic Term for each term that should be available for enrollments.
Academic Year | Academic Terms |
|---|---|
2026 Academic Year | Fall 2026 |
2026 Academic Year | Spring 2027 |
2026 Academic Year | Summer 2027 |
Depending on the institution, terms can include semesters, quarters, sessions, modules, or other academic periods.
Term structure | Example terms |
|---|---|
Semester | Fall 2026, Spring 2027, Summer 2027 |
Quarter | Fall Quarter 2026, Winter Quarter 2027, Spring Quarter 2027 |
Short sessions | Summer Session I, Summer Session II |
Program-specific terms | Nursing Clinical Fall 2026, Study Abroad Spring 2027 |
Continuing education terms | Module A, Module B, 8-Week Session 1 |
Using Academic Terms with enrollments
After Academic Years and Academic Terms are created, use them to organize enrollment records. An enrollment can be associated with the appropriate Academic Term so staff can understand the time period or academic context connected to that enrollment.
Student experience | Enrollment term |
|---|---|
Current semester enrollment | Fall 2026 |
Spring advising cycle | Spring 2027 |
Study abroad program | Spring 2027 |
Summer internship | Summer 2027 |
Clinical placement | Fall 2026 |
Graduation review | Spring 2027 |
This structure keeps term-based student information organized and reportable.
Naming and key practices
Establish naming conventions before creating many Academic Years and Academic Terms. Consistent names and keys make records easier to manage, report on, and exchange with other systems.
Academic Year naming
Type | Example |
|---|---|
Single-year format | 2026 Academic Year |
Range format | 2026-2027 Academic Year |
Undergraduate-specific | 2026 Undergraduate Academic Year |
Graduate-specific | 2026 Graduate Academic Year |
Academic Term naming
Name | Short name | Term key |
|---|---|---|
Fall 2026 | Fall 26 | fall_2026 |
Spring 2027 | Spring 27 | spring_2027 |
Summer 2027 | Summer 27 | summer_2027 |
Naming tips
Use names that are clear to staff and students.
Use keys that are short, lowercase, and consistent.
Use export values when the term or year must align with another system, such as a student information system.
Use the Order field consistently so terms appear in the correct sequence.
Avoid duplicate term names unless there is a clear institutional reason, such as separate undergraduate and graduate calendars.
Testing the configuration
After creating Academic Years and Academic Terms, test the configuration before building a large enrollment process.
Test item | What to check |
|---|---|
Academic Year appears correctly | Staff can select the correct Academic Year when creating or editing terms. |
Academic Terms appear correctly | Staff can select the correct term when working with enrollments. |
Dates are accurate | Start date, end date, and census date reflect the institution?s calendar. |
Names are clear | Staff can easily distinguish terms from one another. |
Keys are consistent | Keys follow the institution?s naming convention. |
Export values are correct | Export values match any external system values, if applicable. |
Term order is correct | Terms appear in the expected order. |