Slate provides a standard Enrolling Students Portal that can be imported using Suitcase.

Step 1: Configuring the portal

You must configure certain elements of the portal after you import it.

XML configuration

1. Select Edit.

2. In the XML Configuration field, you’ll find two var tags:

   • profile_update_form: Replace the value between the opening and closing tag with the GUID of the profile form in your database.

     

   • missing_photo_url: Replace the value between the opening and closing tag with the link to the image that should appear when a student has not uploaded a profile photo using the profile form. Deleting this variable will cause no image to be displayed if it is missing.

Tabs and redirect query

The enrolling students portal by default uses tabs and a redirect query.

Review the decision codes in the redirect query: your institution has unique decision codes.

This redirect should be configured such that any applicant who is not enrolling but tries to access this portal will be redirected automatically to the status portal.

1. Select the Redirect query.

2. Select the redirect subquery.

3. Select the Decisions / Code filter.

4. Select the desired decisions.
   

5. Select Save.

💡 You can display an error message by removing the redirect query and methods and using access filters instead.

Step 2: Customizing the profile form

The portal also includes an associated profile form. This form lets students upload a profile photo. Students access the form from the portal’s Profile tab.

To add additional questions to the profile form:

1. Go to Forms.

2. Select the Enrolling Student Profile form, which was included in the Suitcase.

3. Add any additional mapped or form fields desired.

This form is not required to use the portal, and you can remove the form, the tab, and directory photos from the portal.

🔔 Important!

The Profile Photo field uses a custom script that lets users to upload their profile image. Don’t remove it unless you don’t want students to be able to upload photos. The Directory portal view must be updated if you opt to not use photos (see Editing the views).

Step 3: Configuring the other portal queries

We’ve already customized the redirect query, but there are others. The exports in these queries can be customized to return different data points to the portal.

Enrolling student info

This query pulls information about the applicant logged into the portal. Add exports to this query to use them as merge fields in the portal views.

Directory results

This query returns a list of other enrolling applicants, with the option to filter the results by region.

1. Select the Directory Results query.

2. Select Has Released Enroll Decision.

3. Adjust the Decisions / Code filter to select the desired decision.

   

📖 Further reading: Pass variables into a query with parameters.

Regions

The Regions query returns a list of US states and territories used in the dropdown when searching the directory. Some updates might include:

• Changing the region list if your institution is not in the United States.

• Filtering on data points in addition to, or instead of region by adjusting the parameters in the Directory Results query

• Adding dropdown queries if you employ multiple filters

Step 4: Configuring the portal views

The standard enrolling students portal contains multiple views. You can edit the Homepage framework, the content within each tab, as well as the pop-up that appears when selecting a student in the directory.

You can edit these views to:

• display any additional data points added to the queries

• remove items

• reformat in a different visual layout

📝 Any data point used as a merge field in a view must appear in the associated portal query.

Checklist by section

The enrolling students portal uses the Checklist by Section widget. This allows users to only display checklist items from a particular section, which can be useful for displaying enrolling checklist items without also showing the admissions checklist.

Step 5: Configuring the portal methods

The various methods in the enrolling students portal include GET methods, which call data from queries and display them in views.

Since this portal uses tabs, most methods will have actions. Methods without actions are called immediately upon accessing the portal.

Redirect method

There is a redirect method for the default action (no action), as well as every tab action (home, profile, directory). Regardless of which tab an applicant tries to access, if they do not have access to the portal, they are redirected accordingly.

Step 6: Testing the portal

Testing the enrolling students portal requires an example applicant with the desired decision code (for example, Enroll).

Additionally:

• If you use the directory search, create additional enrolling records for testing.

• If you use the redirect, access the portal as a non-enrolling applicant to ensure the redirect functions.

🔔 Impersonate one applicant at a time.

To test the portal:

1. Select Impersonate.

2. Select an application.

3. In the portal:

   • Confirm the appropriate information appears for the enrolling student.

   • Test the directory search.

   • Update the profile form and any pop-ups you may have edited.

4. Return to the portal editor to make any changes to the queries and views as desired.

⭐ Best practice

Consult the Community Forums if you’re still in need of assistance after testing. Detail the steps you have taken and what you would like to or expect to see, but currently do not. As always, include screenshots and links to example applicants.

More ways to customize the portal

The standard enrolling students portal can be updated in various ways, depending on your institution's process. Some possible customizations include:

• Including a redirect on their status portal to redirect to the enrolling portal

• Adding a welcome video, music, or other interactive content

• Use additional widgets on the portal, such as the decisions, payment, or materials widgets

• Link to additional resources or forms applicable to enrolling students