Summary

Automated Actions allow staff users with the appropriate permissions to regularly take certain actions on students matching criteria from a Saved Search.  Automated Actions can be used by faculty, staff, and administrators with access to Saved Searches to issue Alerts or send Messages on an automated schedule.

How-To

Instructions

There are two automation you can create:

1. One that lets you issue Alerts
2. One that lets you send a message to students

Creating a Send Message Automation

Step 1 - On the Lists and Saved Items page, navigate to the Automations table. Click New Automation. The New Automation page opens.

Step 2 - Enter the Automation Name. 

Step 3 - Enter the Automation Conditions.

Step 4 - Select a Saved Search and then choose Send Message from the THEN... take this action field. If desired, check the Omit initial matches box. You may want to do this if (for example) your intent is to automatically send a welcome message to student when they are assigned to you, omitting students who are currently assigned to you.

Step 5 - Next, create your message. Users may create a recurring email to be sent to the students.  Email messages have a rich text editor and the ability to add the merge fields Recipient Name, Recipient First Name, and Recipient Last Name.

Step 6 - After entering the Automation Conditions, it's time to enter the Automation Schedule.

Step 7 - Set your duration. For example, if you want your automation to remind students to fill out financial aid forms as shown in the screenshots above, you can have the automation occurrences run from January to April.

Step 8 - Next, set the automation frequency. This sets how often your automation checks for new students.

Step 9 - Finally, set a Time. You will be notified by email two hours before each automation run, so it's best to set this two hours after you can review it.

Step 10 - Once everything is set, click Save Automation. A confirmation window opens.

Step 11 - Click Save as Active to start the automation.

Creating an Issue Alert Automation

Step 1 - On the Lists and Saved Items page, navigate to the Automations table. Click New Automation. The New Automation page opens.

Step 2 - Enter the Automation Name. 

Step 3 - Enter the Automation Conditions. Select a Saved Search and then choose Issue Alert from the THEN... take this action field.

Step 4 - If desired, check the Omit initial matches box. You may want to do this if your intent is to issue an alert on any new students who meet your conditions, for example, transfer students with a GPA under 2.0, but you have already triaged current students who meet that condition.

Step 5 - Next, select your Alert Reason from the dropdown. It is then a good idea to select Preview Alert Reason, which shows you the settings and notifications associated with the Alert Reason.

Step 6 - If the settings associated with the Alert Reason do not match what you need, you can edit the Alert Reason if you have the permissions to do so.

Step 7 - Once you are satisfied about the Alert Reason settings, you can then enter the Automation Schedule.

Step 8 - Set your duration.

Step 9 - Next, set automation frequency. This sets how often your automation checks for new students.

Step 10 - Finally, set a Time. You will be notified by email two hours before each automation run, so it's best to set this two hours after you can review it.

Step 11 - Once everything is set, click Save Automation. A confirmation window opens.

Step 12 - Click Save as Active to start the automation.

Managing an Automation Occurrence

Step 1 - Once you have created an automation, it shows on the Lists & Saved Items page. automation can be edited or deleted from here. You can also open the automation by selecting the link in the table.

Step 2 - Two hours before an automation occurrence runs, you receive an email notification from Navigate with the planned automation details.

Step 3 - Click the View Details link to go into Navigate and look at the Automation Occurrence.

Step 4 - You can take several actions from this page: 

1. You can review, search for, and/or omit individual students from being included in the automation occurrence.
2. You can process the automation immediately instead of waiting for it to be sent.
3. Finally, you can cancel the occurrence of the automation.

Step 5 - When an Alert is issued from an Alert Automation, it shows on the student's History Tab with Created via system automation as the Alert comment. 

Step 6 - The Alert issued via Alert Automation also appears on the Alerts Report with "created via system automation" in the Alert Comments column. 

Step 7 - When a message is sent via a Message Automation, it appears on the student's Conversations Tab like any other message. 

When Setting Up Automations

Step 1 - Review saved search details so that you're confident with the student results that return before using it for an automation.

Step 2 - Always plan to review the email sent 2 hours before the automation runs. Avoid scheduling the automation too early where you might not be available to review the email before it runs.

Step 3 - Consider omitting initial matches to only trigger automated actions for new student additions.

Step 4 - Review Alert Reason configurations when creating an alert automation so you understand what happens after the alert is issued.

Automation Maintenance

If saved search has an enrollment term component, do not schedule automation past term end.

If the student meets the automation criteria, stops meeting it, and then re-meets it, they will not start receiving the automation again.

You can generate a manual occurrence of your automation at anytime by clicking Generate Queued Run and then clicking Process Now.

Outcome

Users should be able to configure automation for their needs based on the Saved Lists and/or Searches

Further Readings

EAB - Navigate - Saving Advanced Searches

EAB - Navigate - Advanced Search & Filters

Need additional help?

Visit the Technology Help Desk Support page to locate your local campus contact information or to submit an online technology support request.  For password issues you must call or visit the Help Desk in person.