UA Student Process Reminders for Supervisors

that UA students make up approximately 9.1% of our active user base? There are specific processes that need to be followed when hiring, onboarding AND offboarding UA student employees. Take note of reminders below!

REMINDER #1:

Follow the onboarding process documentation for student employees found on The Canopy under Offers and Onboarding of the UA Students Canopy Page.

• Why this matters: Students need access to systems (in addition to ADVANCE) that will be critical to their job role (e.g. access to drives, Canopy access, etc. – documentation breaks down procedures based on the student supporting central versus non-central units).

REMINDER #2:

Follow the offboarding process documentation for student employees when they are no longer employed for UA. This information is found on The Canopy under the Performance Management and Development section of the UA Students Canopy Page.

• Why this matters: The student’s access to our systems need to be removed to protect the information that they no longer should have access to (e.g. drives, Canopy, etc.)

REMINDER #3:

UA Students do not have permission to work remotely for University Advancement. All UA Student positions are to be considered in-person positions. They must be logged into an on-campus CSU computer to access ADVANCE and My Learning for ADVANCE training. Unless otherwise approved by the Leadership Council, UA units will not be granted access to hire remote student employees at this time.

• Why this matters: CSU is unable to supply and support CSU equipment for students to use at home. Students using personal technology without the proper safety tools to access CSU systems is a risk. In addition, we want to ensure that CSU information and projects are not being saved to external equipment. If there are times that it is easier for a student to complete a specific project remotely that does not utilize CSU systems, a student supervisor can make that determination/exception on a limited basis.

In summary, please review the processes for onboarding and offboarding UA student employees prior to submitting forms or contacting ADVRequest for access. These processes are vetted and reviewed annually and if used correctly can expedite access and training for your UA students.

Thank you!

From the Desk of ADV Request

This is a friendly reminder as we approach the Fall hiring season, if you or UA student employee/intern needs additional access rights within Advance and/or Advance training, please remember to complete an Access and Training Request Form found on The Canopy under Quick Links > UA Staff/CSUF/Student Interns.

For Non-UA staff:

• You can access the form here.

While you may self-register for training in My Learning, please remember to first submit this form so that Advance rights can be assigned. Otherwise, you will be unable to complete your training. My Learning does not send notifications to ADV Request staff for when someone registers for a My Learning module.

Why this helps ADV Request?

• Saves back and forth email regarding the training for you and ADV Request
• We have a formal record of the request
• Ensures rights are assigned before you begin the training so that practice scenarios, final checkpoints, etc. for the training can be completed in Advance without delay of the training – saving you from having to contact ADV Request
• First and foremost – saves everyone TIME!

that Fall is our busiest season for training and access? We would like to keep everyone’s ability to self-register going forward, so remembering to submit this form first will help keep this ability in place.

If there are any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to ADV Request.

Happy Learning!

Kate Coskrey

Hey you – you “got PMATS”?  What is PMATS anyway? PMATS stands for Prospect Management and Tracking System. If you are someone who enters Proposals, takes assignment of Prospects, manages a Portfolio, etc. then you have Prospect Maintenance access rights because you went through PMATS training.

But when was the last time you went through a PMATS training? I know…I know…who has time for that? Well, a refresher course could be very beneficial, especially since PMATS has evolved and changed considerably since your initial training 5 or more years ago.

the PMATS I training is now online as a self-paced course with new content and “how to” videos? PMATS II courses are still set up as in-person training, but are now strictly virtual (you do not even need to leave your house or office or wherever your work sanctuary is). This course, however, will become available as an online course in 2022.

Our objectives of the PMATS I training is to cover:

• Contact Attempts
• Contact Reports
• Creating Prospect Assignments
• Understanding the difference between primary and secondary Prospect assignment as it relates to Advance
• Entering and maintaining a major gift proposal on a Prospect
• Notes and Strategies
• Entering Tasks
• Assigning proxy rights and how to proxy in as someone else if proxy rights were assigned to you

Our objectives of the PMATS II training is to cover:

• Reports that feed from data primarily learned in PMATS I
  • Contact Attempt Report
  • Portfolio Health Report
  • Prospect Portfolio Report
  • Prospect Portfolio Report Toolbar
  • Integrity Check Report
  • Development Pipeline Report
  • Development Forecast Report
  • Advancement Effort Report

Keep in mind that Prospect Maintenance rights (and PMATS I and II training) are only for University Advancement employees required to have these rights as part of their job responsibilities.

Non-UA Staff do have the capability to enter contact reports (an item of PMATS training) but there are special maintenance rights to accomplish this. If a Contact Report refresher is desired, please review the Contact Report videos within our video library under the PMATS section on The Canopy.

If you have any questions about signing up for a refresher training, please reach out to ADV_Request@colostate.edu.

Kate Coskrey

Data Due Diligence

Reminder during Cybersecurity Awareness Month

that we consider ADVANCE data as being highly confidential and that we, as users of the data, have an obligation to protect it against unintentional, unlawful, or unauthorized access, disclosure, or theft?

To access ADVANCE data, you are required to sign a CDIS Data Confidentiality Policy annually. When you sign this document, you are committing to:

• Policy compliance – you will abide by the policy
• Approved uses of ADVANCE data – in support of programs and priorities of the University and University Advancement
• Not violating the policy through the action of prohibited uses – using the data for personal, political, religious, or non-CSU commercial purposes
• If a vendor – agree to not sell or transfer information

Data Security is ongoing. Read on…

If using a laptop or handheld device:

• DO NOT download or keep sensitive information stored on it or any USB or portable device
• Access all information electronically on an “as needed” basis

Sensitive information includes:

• Obvious data such as credit card numbers and social security numbers
• This also can include personal contact reports/notes, giving history, and non-directory biographical information

Because some sharing of sensitive information is inevitable:

• Delete your emails as soon as possible if they contain proprietary information

REMEMBER: The less data stored the better. If a device is stolen and contains sensitive information, the situation can escalate to ACNS and there may be possible repercussions to the unit and/or the University. At the very least, loss of future access to Advance.

Be aware…be informed…and…be SECURE!

Janet Meine and the ITEA Team

Help…Me…Please!

Whoa! Wait!

a “help desk” is a service that provides information and support, especially within a company?

It functions as a resource intended to provide the customer or internal user with information and support related to a company’s processes, products and services. The purpose of a help desk is to provide a centralized resource to answer questions, troubleshoot problems and facilitate solutions to known problems.

Did you also know that there is a variety of Central UA email help desks available to you where you can ask questions, request information, schedule processes, and/or provide input related to your daily job tasks and responsibilities? Here is a rundown on our current Central UA help desks. Note: I will not publish the links on this site, however, links to the help desks are found on the Canopy under the Help! Tab.

ADVHelp (Owner: IT in ITEA)
For assistance with IT (computer, network, hardware, software) problems, services, and/or technology-related issues.

ADVRequest (Owner: SEA in ITEA)
For questions related to ADVANCE access and training, programs (e.g. CDIStributor, Gift Acknowledgements, etc.), online giving page requests, surveys/update forms, standard and ad hoc reporting, and general system related questions, enhancements, process consultation, troubleshooting and support. (My all-time favoriteJ💖!)

ADVResearch (Owner: P2D)
For requests for prospect research (e.g. background information, estimated gift capacity review, philanthropic history, etc.), requests for prospect lists (e.g. donor prospects who appear to have specific funding interests or reside in certain geographic areas), and help with anything related to assigned prospects (including all concerns regarding assignments and proposals).

ADVCGI (Owner: CGI)
For information or questions regarding constituent or gift data. Constituent data includes address, email, phone, employment, name change, marriage, divorce, communication preference, alert, affiliation, etc. Gift information includes at any point in the electronic workflow.

ADVSolicitation (Owner: CGI)
If you have a complex solicitation request, solicitation questions, or proposed materials to submit. The Solicitation Approval Request Form is used for submitting new requests.

ADVAdvancementOutreach (Owner: Strategic Engagement)
For questions and concerns regarding email communication reports and list builds. The Communication List Build / Review Request Form can be found on the Canopy under UA Engagement>Communication Resources>Email Strategy & Guidelines>List Request and Approval Form.

If you have trouble remembering what each help desk is responsible for, you can now hover over the name and the description will appear.

REMEMBER…

UA staff – that you have “at will” access to a plethora of resources. The Canopy may even provide some answers to your questions prior to you needing to use the Help! Tab. Take some time and review what it has to offer. You will be impressed!

Non UA staff – that you, too, have limited access and have probably already received the link to the specific resources within the Canopy that support your job responsibilities. If you need further assistance with access to these specific sites, please contact ADVRequest.

So…no need to pull your hair out!

We got you!!

Janet Meine

Calling All List Codes!

If you attended the ADVANCE Innovations User Group meeting in September, you have officially been looped into one major data cleanup project underway – list codes!

…we have over 3,000 list codes to audit in ADVANCE?!

But what is a list code, anyway?
These are code categories intended to track the involvement or participation, past or present, of our alumni and friends in ADVANCE. We reference these list codes in much of our daily work, such as in building targeted communications, prospecting, and developing a deeper understanding of our constituency’s engagement with our respective areas and CSU as a whole.

A crucial first step in this effort included re-defining six major list code categories that are under audit:

• Activity:  An entity’s involvement in an activity or specific aspect of an event. Coding should not include: student participation in activities while enrolled, formal volunteers, or event attendees.
• Affiliation:  An entity’s association or involvement with the University, both internal and external, outside of a formal university council, committee or board.
• Awards and Honors:  Awards and Honors received by an entity.
• Committee:  Participation on an institutional committee, board, or leadership/advisory council.
• Mailing List:  Codes identifying groups of individuals who are not otherwise categorized together to primarily support communications.
• Student Activity:  An entity’s participation in a student-based activity while enrolled at the University.

Why does this matter?
Access to a wealth of data can be a powerful tool, but only if you really understand what you’re tracking and how it should be applied to your work. Our goal is to provide you with the details you can’t see – what your area owns, how recent the data has been updated, whether it’s stored in the most appropriate table, and if more than one code is tracking the same information. But we need you to help us define what the codes are actually tracking, their data source, and whether you have any plans for future maintenance.

Where are we at in the audit process?
We have completed a full audit on affiliation codes and are actively scheduling meetings with our development offices and working through your audit findings over the next couple months. You can expect to receive a detailed summary of your area’s codes with a suggested set of actions per code. Upon agreement, ITEA will proceed with any necessary steps for formal code cleanup.

What’s next?
We’re still relatively early in the audit process on remaining tables, but plan to undergo a full audit on committee codes next. The audit process will continue into CY21 as we work through the remaining list code categories.

You are welcome to reach out to us at ADV Request with any questions about the audit process.

Linda Paule

To Sign or not to Sign…Please Sign!

Hello ADVANCE Users,

You are receiving this information because you are a current user of Advance/CDIStiller, and we wanted to inform you of an exciting change for how ADVANCE Confidentiality Agreements will be signed going forward using Adobe Sign.

Adobe Sign is an Adobe product that will allow you to securely sign and date your ADVANCE Confidentiality Agreement in electronic format. If you are familiar with how DocuSign works, then you are pretty much set as Adobe Sign works much like DocuSign.

Why is this a win?

• You will no longer need to print the agreement, sign it, hand it to your supervisor and wait for their signature, and then scan a copy to us or mail a copy to Crabtree Hall. Because of Adobe Sign, all signatures and routing can be handled in a matter of minutes.

Curious how it works?

• Here is a quick 2 minute video on how to sign a document using Adobe Sign – https://helpx.adobe.com/sign/how-to/adobe-for-signers.html?playlist=/ccx/v1/collection/product/sign/segment/designer/explevel/beginner/applaunch/continuinged/collection.ccx.js&ref=helpx.adobe.com

Have additional questions? Take a look below. If these questions, don’t answer what you were wanting to know, please contact ADV Request.

Am I still required to log into ADVANCE at least once every 90 days to maintain access to the system?

• Yes (If you use ADVANCE less frequently, just set a calendar reminder to log into ADVANCE regardless if you need to use it within that 90 day time frame).

How will I know if am due to renew my ADVANCE Confidentiality Agreement?

• University Advancement ADVANCE Users: You will receive an email from Adobe Sign that includes a message that it is time to renew with instructions for signing the agreement.
• Campus Partners ADVANCE Users: you will receive an alert on your ADVANCE dashboard alerting you that your Advance access expiration is due to expire in “X” days and to contact ADV Request to renew

If I no longer need access to ADVANCE, how do I decline the agreement?

• You can select the “decline” link in the email from Adobe Sign and include a message that provides a reason for declining.
• If you are a current user and know that you no longer need access to ADVANCE, please contact ADV Request to have your access inactivated.

Will my supervisor still need to sign the ADVANCE Confidentiality Agreement?

• Yes – your supervisor will receive their own link for Adobe Sign to sign the agreement. You will no longer need to print and scan/send off in campus mail.
• If your supervisor is out of the office, you can contact ADV Request to request an extension until they return.

I don’t use Adobe products on my computer. What if I don’t have an account?

• You don’t need an Adobe Sign account to sign a document that is requesting your signature. All links are viewable and the document is then sent back to the requestor in Systems, Education and Analysis.

Can I still print a hard copy and scan my agreement to be sent to ADV Request?

• No – Adobe Sign is now the only way to sign the agreement for audit trail purposes.
• Previous versions/copies stored on your computer that are signed in lieu of Adobe Sign will not be accepted.

If I hire a new employee that needs ADVANCE access, how will I get their confidentiality agreement to them to be signed?

• Once SEA receives the request for ADVANCE training, we will take it from there to send the agreement directly to them.

I haven’t signed my annual agreement in a while. Will I lose access?

• No – we have intentionally extended expiration dates due to the remote work status of many departments during COVID-19. Once Adobe Sign is rolled out for the ADVANCE Confidentiality Agreement, expirations of access will resume. Extensions will be reviewed on a case by case basis working with ADV Request.

We hope this process is more efficient for you. If along the way you find that there is a hiccup with using Adobe Sign, please don’t hesitate to reach out to ADV Request.

Best regards and happy signing!
Kate Coskrey

WELCOME to the New Bright and Shiny!

Since ending our campaign in June, and with a little over 5 months left in this year – 2020 – Systems Education and Analysis thought a new blog ‘look and feel’ might help us feel refreshed and optimistic for what lies ahead for University Advancement. We asked those of you new to University Advancement to follow this blog as part of your initial ADVANCE training. We utilize the blog format as a micro-learning tool to “push” out system related information to you in “smaller bites” so as not to overwhelm you with a ton of information all in one sitting!

So, welcome to the new and improved ADVANCE Innovations blog!!

We look forward to sharing new and exciting system enhancements, system usage tips and tricks, program best practices, and other related ADVANCE information. You can expect up to 10 posts in a given year.

 

 

 

 

Systems Education and Analysis manages the blog; however, we encourage each one of you to become a ”guest author” of a future blog posting. For example, if you or your team is working on a project that involves the ADVANCE system and/or supporting programs and you wish to share the “who, what, when, where, and why” of your project and how it will affect other users, we encourage you to submit a post.

To request becoming a “guest author” for the ADVANCE Innovations blog, please send an email to ADVRequest@colostate.edu.

We look forward to the time when we can reconnect personally with all of you and hope you are getting your training and information needs met during this difficult time.

Take care…

Janet

“DO YOU WANT TO BE ADDED TO THE SEEDED LIST?”

If you’re utilizing ADVANCE for any communication purposes, you’ve likely heard some form of this question before. More times than not, responses to this question consist of looks of bewilderment – “The what list?”

What exactly is the “seeded” list and what does it do?

The seeded list is simply a list of internal users who have requested to be included on all communications of a certain format (email or mail), type (newsletters, solicitations, invitations) and/or group (college/unit or CSU). Those on the seeded list are seamlessly included on these communication pieces without any additional action taken on behalf of the creator of that message.

Why would anyone want to receive every email or mailing?

“Seed” lists are pretty common in the direct marketing world. One clear benefit is ensuring necessary parties are “in the loop” on all upcoming communications without having to constantly worry about including the right people on the right type of messages. By indicating what YOU would like to receive, this process guarantees you’re aware of activity relative to your role, such as upcoming events, college-specific initiatives, or general news-related updates.  It is also an indirect way of monitoring what your area (or an area that directly impacts your role) is sending throughout the year.  This can help minimize catching others up or having to send out additional copies of communications when referencing them down the line.

Do I need to be on the seeded list to receive my emails?

No. CDIStributor automatically sends a copy of every email to the owner of that email.

Are there any negatives to being on the seeded list?

While it may seem beneficial to see all the communications activity within ADVANCE, there are some potential reasons why this may not be a suitable option for you.

Some things to consider:

• Irrelevant or non-applicable content: Alumni and friends often receive communication pieces based on their affiliation or engagement with the University. We often include merge fields to tailor these messages to reference data specific to the recipient. Since seeded list recipients don’t always have the same affiliation or engagement, that data may not be available to feed the merge fields. This may cause your specific message to present blank or misleading fields where data is not applicable.
• Overrides special handling (mail only): If you are on the seeded list but also have personal special handling on record for that same type of communication, your special handling settings will be disregarded and you will receive this communication, however this pertains to mail only. If you have email suppression’s on record and are on a competing seeded list, you will be removed from the email list. For this reason, it’s always good to confirm your personal special handling rules to confirm there are no conflicts.
• Busy inbox:

…millions of emails were sent via CDIStributor each year? If you’re already having trouble keeping up with your inbox, please consider the impact of receiving additional emails as a seeded list participant.

• Qualification: When receiving additional communications, it’s not always evident what you actually qualify for versus what you receive through the seeded list and there have been many instances where seeded list participants have forgotten that they were on the seeded list. For example, are you actually being invited to a certain event, or is this because of the seeded list (i.e. “Why did I receive this invitation for former CSU athletes when I never participated in CSU sports? The system must be broken?” You may need to reference the mailing log (seeded individuals do not show in email metrics) or reach out to the communicator if there is any confusion.

If there are any concerns about the above considerations, it may be better to reach out to project coordinators or communicators to ask to be included on specific communication pieces.

What seeded lists options do we offer?

We have a variety of seeded list options spanning various colleges/units, as well as some overall options for CSU level communications. Please contact ADV Request if you have specific questions and we can help find the most appropriate list(s) for your needs.

Can I exclude the seeded list from my communication?

Yes!  You can control this setting on your Ad-Hoc report (for mail or email lists) or through CDIStributor. This allows either the person creating the Ad-Hoc to control this option, but may also be decided by the author/content creator at the time the email shell is being created.

• To exclude via your Ad-Hoc report, go to your report Settings → More Settings → Settings – General → Excluded ‘Seeded List’ (select Yes)
  • Note: If you exclude via Ad-Hoc, this setting will freeze in your CDIStributor email builder.
• To exclude via CDIStributor, uncheck the “Include Seeded List” checkbox and click ‘Save’.

How do I know when to exclude the seeded list?

You generally do not have to worry much about excluding the seeded list, as these individuals asked to be included on communications of this type. However, there may be some scenarios that warrant exclusion:

• Multiple Segments
  • Email: If you have multiple email segments with roughly the same message, you can consider excluding the seeded list on all but one of these. However, those on the seeded list may be interested in seeing all versions, so please use your discretion when making this decision.
  • Mail: If you have multiple mail segments being sent, this will generate an additional mail piece for each person on the seeded list. As you can imagine, a mailing with 6 segments would generate a considerable amount of excess mail for each seeded individual. Consider including the seeded list on your largest segment to avoid sending additional mail pieces.
• Reminders or action-oriented messages: If a mail or email initiative also has reminders built in (common with invitations or opt-in pages), you can consider suppressing the seeded list from your 2^nd or 3^rd reminders, or if no new information is being presented.

I want to see everything – how do I get added to the seeded list?

Just email ADV Request and we’ll be happy to discuss your options and add you!

Linda Paule

On the bounce…

we rely on CDIStributor to send millions of emails each year? Last fiscal year alone, over 63,000 emails bounced, meaning the email message could not be delivered. Sometimes it’s simple – the email address doesn’t exist, commonly due to a typo or closed account (as with our students once they graduate). Other times, it may be a temporary issue. So how do we, as an organization, determine the reason for the bounce, and thus decide when this email truly is no longer contactable?

We have determined a point system to help rate the severity of the bounce, thus informing us at what point the email address should be inactivated in our system.  The point allotment is as follows:

• Hard Bounce (3 points): A hard bounce occurs when the message has been rejected because the email address does not exist or is invalid.
• Medium Bounce (2 points): A medium bounce occurs when the mail server cannot be found. This can be a temporary issue with the recipient’s mail server, but sometimes may be the result of a domain that is no longer in existence.
• Soft Bounce (1 point): A soft bounce indicates the email address is valid and reached the mail server, but was unable to reach the email recipient. Common reasons for a soft email bounce include a full mailbox or an inactivated/disabled account.

To minimize the possibility of a temporary issue, only one bounce per week will be added to the point total. Once the email has 5 bounce points, the email is inactivated in Advance. Based on the point system and point threshold for inactivation, it’s helpful to understand that all emails will be attempted at least twice before being marked as inactive.

When an email is inactivated, the system will automatically “promote” the most recently added alternate email address (if available) to become the entity’s preferred email address.

We do not track our bounce points on the profile, but awareness of the underlying process is beneficial as you continue to communicate via CDIStributor.

For questions about email bounces, please contact ADV Request.

Linda Paule