Release Notes 2019

Version 2019 Announcement

Dear Valued Customer,

We are pleased to announce the official release of V2019 of Campus Café.  Version 2019 contains many new features as well as improvements to existing code.

Please note that this announcement is sent to key stakeholders or project managers at each school.  It is recommended that you forward this to any end users who would benefit from this document.

We have added an additional 19 new institutions to our client base this year and our continued growth assures that our product will continue to evolve as a leading provider of ERP software to the educational community.  Our cloud solutions provide full capabilities for customers who choose not to build or maintain their own infrastructure.

Please note that there may be some overlap from the V2018 announcement to V2019.  This is especially true if the feature was released late in the prior cycle or if there are significant fixes/enhancements for the prior year features.

The release notes attached will include more detailed lists of enhancements and fixes. The notes are broken down into separate attachments so that users can review enhancements, with more technical items (database changes, new permissions, parameters, etc.) available in separate documents.  Many client functions have been replaced with web applications and will be deprecated in V2018.  These will be noted in the highlights below.

For our On Premise Customers, please note V2018 will only be functional until February 28, 2019 and that V2019 must be installed by that date.  It is strongly recommended that you request a download of V2019 from our help desk so that you can begin testing and getting familiar with the new version as soon as possible.  Our help desk will assist you with installing new versions in your test or production environments.  Setting up and maintaining the test environment is the responsibility of the customer.

For on premise installations, the following are Recommended Minimum Specifications for hardware, software, and operating systems:

OS : 64-bit Windows Server 2012

SQL : 64-bit SQL Server 2012

TOMCAT : 64-bit Tomcat 8.0

Crystal Reports : 2013

Crystal Reports Reader : Saber Logicity

For cloud customers:  In order to further increase security, we will be deprecating any generic accounts used to access the Campus Café Client and to run the client base Crystal Reports.  A new user account and password will be created to access this functionality.  We will provide usernames and passwords for remote access in late January and will email you with credentials at that time.  The plan is to change the passwords at least yearly, although some customers may wish to change more frequently

It is recommended that all users review the section for new Custom Controls and Permissions.  In many cases this helps to discover new features and functions. Please remember that new Permissions are set to “no access” by default so it is important to make sure you are given access where applicable by your system administrator.

Important note: The 1098T must be filed on a cash/payment basis for 2018.  There is an additional video in the announcement area of the web site with more details and instructions.

Highlights for V2019:

Quick Launchers

All People finders now have a quick launch feature.  This allows searching for a person with either the last and first name, or the id number.  If only one record is found (which would always be the case with the id number), then the record is displayed immediately.  If multiple records are found, you can bring up the first record, and then use the next person button to see the other people in the list.  This process bypasses the traditional grid and makes searching much faster.

Email Template Building Tools

This interface will allow the user to build customizable HTML templates.  You can include merge fields from a dropdown list. These templates can be embedded within a work flow.  Other technologies can be used to build HTML templates and those can be used as well. The work flow interface also allows an ad hoc template by inserting merge fields directly into the work flow without the use of the template builder.

Database Trigger Function

This function will allow triggering of an event when any entry is made to the audit log.  Since the audit log is designed to capture a wide array of changes to the database, this will centralize event-based triggering.

For example, you may want to trigger an activity for any of the following:  a student status changes, an enrollment is added or dropped, a grade is changed, a financial aid verification status is changed, or others.

The process is summarized here.  Create a template/workflow. Use the interface on the ADMIN menu to create a trigger.  Generally, you will select a table name/field name from a drop down, specify the from and to value that you want to be the event trigger, and then select the template from the dropdown list that you wish to invoke.

Please note that the trigger invokes and event that goes into a job queue to actually create the activity tracking record.  This is generally set to run every 60 seconds, so there may be a slight delay before you see the record in the person’s activity tracking page.  This is designed this way to prevent rush conditions or locks if many activities are being triggered simultaneously.

The existing triggering system will still be used for Admissions Portal based triggers and will be moved to the admissions menu.  The few database triggers that exist in the old system will be deprecated and will have to be recreated manually with the new interface.  This includes progress code triggers (SBPRCC,ACDECD), Add enrollment trigger (ENR_ADD), enrollment tracking trigger (ENR_TRK_RELEASE), RGSTAT, REFLGR, REDFGR, and REYLGR.  We will be happy to assist any customer who needs help in reworking these triggers.

Immediate emailing for Drip Campaigns or other preset emails

There is a new function that will poll activity tracking to see if there are any workflows due.  It can be set to run at a desired interval and will produce emails from the work flow directly or an associated HTML template or word template.   This means the user does not have to run batches manually unless this is the desired behavior. The auto function will only work if the work flow is a word mergeable template and the email body or email template is filled in.

Opt In or Out for Texting

Add Texting option field to STBIOS and portal and finders. New custom control will determine whether the default is to opt in or out. Added Texting Option In and Texting Option Out checkboxes to admissions portal.  Only one of these can appear on a form. They both point to STBIOS.TEXT_ALLOWED. N means they cannot be texted. Blank (or anything else) means they can. The texting function in the various finders will automatically exclude anyone who has opted out.

SSRS Reporting

Announced in V2017, Campus Café now supports additional SSRS reporting. We have added many new reports.  Some of these are replacements for old reports and some are brand new. Cloud customers automatically receive access to all SSRS reports.  We will supply a free copy to on premise customers who wish to deploy these reports upon request. SSRS(SQL Server Reporting Service) is a tool available in the visual studio suite that allows development and deployment of sophisticated reports.  The advantages of this approach include:

• Easy web deployment of reports.
• No need for client based development tools.
• Included with MS SQL with no additional license fees.
• The base reports can be accessed through a URL.  Our default access to these reports is typically using a custom link on the faculty/staff menu.  We continue to replace existing base Crystal Reports with SSRS reports including IPEDs reports. (see list in reporting detail section).  In cases where the report has not been replaced, the existing reports can still be found in the client reporting menus or accessible through your file system.
• Campus Café Web now provides the ability to view database table and column names when hovering over a field.  This is permissions based.

User Interface

Major changes and improvements have been to the user interface (UI) has been implemented for V2019.  This includes the following:

• Filters that can be saved and shared with multiple users.
• Grids with column visibility feature and shared saved grid feature.  This will allow departments or individual users to create specific fields, field order, sort order, and # of results. This can become a sophisticated reporting tool which will replace many base reports.
• All Finders now have an ID Number search field that allows “not one of”.  This can be used in conjunction with activity tracking or other finders to get “not exists” lists.  For example, you could feed a list of activity tracking ids into the student finder and thus get a list of all enrolled students who do not have that particular activity.

(Programs that are deprecated on the Client will be noted with **)

Admissions Interface

• Add printable application form option – When app is filled out, the application is now available on the applicant page as a print option.
• Add RestFul API to accept inquiries .  This API is covered in its own help document and will allow real time import of inquiries from third parties.
• ** Add Cafeweb user interface for zip code range files in admissions system.
• Add inquiry date range and app date range to admissions finder.
• Add Semester Start Date as Column to admissions finder.
• Add religious preference to admissions finder.
• Added admissions withdrawal date in ADMAST to admissions finder and grid.
• Add Quick Launchers.  This feature allows for a quick search by ID number or last and first name.
• Added visa status to admissions portal and finder.
• Added finaid document complete/status to admissions finder.
• Add send to packaging option.
• Add US citizen code as filter in admissions finder.

Alumni/Development/Career

• On Line Donation Portal: Now Only First, Last, Email, Phone, and Donation Amt are Required.
• Allow delete of gift  – Added using perm 1174.  Will not delete gift if paid and MSPARM:CRTMISCBCH-1-1 = Y as that means ARMAST created from gift cash batch postings.
• Added Recognition Salutation To Download From People Finder.
• Add check number field to donation cash batch.
• ** Program for Batch Converting Student to Alumni.  Batch process from student finder that creates alumni record for all selected students. Added prompts to assign Degree Status, Degree Status Date, Degree Granted Date to current degree row. Also Alumni Class Of in STBIOS (as well as marking the alumni exists flag to yes). Also can assign Constit Codes to alum record.
  If alum record already exists it will still override the constit codes if that prompt is filled out.
• ** Add Alumni Profile Button to Gift Page on Web and Invoke report.

Attendance

• Add Batch Attendance Analysis Report For Clock Hour based On Percent – New Attendance Analysis Report shows people who are below a certain percentage of hours attended as of a certain date. Both the date and percentage can be input.  Can be exported to EXCEL.
• Add Room To attendance schedule file ATSCHD – In the ATSCHD creation process, fill in the room that the course meets on that date.
• Show all attendance attended and absent even if not clock hour on clock hour report.    Now it will show all enrollments, unless the MSPARM ATTEND_VAL 1-2 is filled in.
• Added prompt for start and end date on clock hour batch reports from finder.
• Added Columns to Batch Clock Hour Report – -Added infraction as new column to Batch Clock Hour Report.
• Added start date and greater than box to clock batch attendance analysis report.
• Added Scheduled & Actual Time In & Time Out To Clock Hour Reports And Batch Report.
• Added Online Courses (No Scheduled Time) To Clock Hour Reports – If a course has instruction method 1 of OL then it is considered to be a course with no scheduled time. The course roster already allows attendance taking for these courses without any days/times scheduled.  Even though there are no days/times scheduled, time can be accumulated for this course.
• Clock attendance now recognizes course exceptions in RGCRSE.  This allows adding of ad hoc time in addition to regularly scheduled time. For example, a course could meet on Monday and Wednesday at 1pm-2pm from 09/01/2018 to 09/30/2018 and then meet on Friday 09/28/2018 to 10/15/2018.  This latter time would be in the course exception record.
• Batch Attendance Summary- added option to export to excel.  This will allow sorting by attendance percentage or other fields.

Student Financials

• Student AR Ledger page – add sponsored decoded.
• Add cost center, gl account, and description on transaction code grid.
• Add start date from the semester dates table (FASCDT) to semester drop down on admission portal.  This will allow viewing of the start date associated with a term.
• Billing & Cash Batch pages – reassign perms 56 & 57 to the posting function – Added. This allows restriction as to who can post batches or just view them.
• Cash batch edit report needs member name – Added to edit report.
• Bill batch edit detail page – allow member column edit.
• Student Statement – Change column header text Charges to Debits.
• ARCBAT/BAG – allow Cash Batch MEMBER to be editable – This allows the user to switch a cash batch member on an individual record.
• Make Billing Statement Grid Smaller – Adjusted CSS, primarily set the cell padding from 4px to 1px.
• Payment Screen redesigned user interface
• Add payment reminder summary to payment page.  A days out value can be specified in the financial aid code table that will determine how many outstanding payments from a payment plan will be displayed when a student is making an online payment.
• PayPlan – allow editing of 3 disbursement amount fields even after paid – Removed lock on payplan disbursement amount field editing after disbursed.  Will set disbursed date to zero if net==0 but note this means if net ever later made non-zero then the disbursement date must be MANUALLY assigned.

Additional Notes:

• Due to the required NSLDS requirements and ease of reporting student status, we recommend limiting and mandatory hard coding of the following codes (E=Enrolled and A=Active-not enrolled automatically controlled and updated by the system, Y=Graduated/Conferred, W= Withdrawn, C=Completed, I=Inactive degree row used to mark inactive rows when new programs are started). See documentation for additional details.  We recommend using activity tracking for file for degree candidates.  This will keep the degree status limited to student status.  The status history table can be used to elaborate on withdrawal reasons etc. if needed.
• Please note that the clearinghouse NSLDS reporting has an option to use the status date or the graduation date as the data graduated if the status is C(Completed) or Y(Conferred).  This is important if there is a gap between the completion date and the graduation date where the completion date must be reported in that case.
• We have added an option on the client 1098T report that allows exporting of the 1098T data to a spreadsheet.  This will allow customers who use other third parties that we do not currently support to print 1098Ts.

Financial Aid

• FAWARD insert should default period from/to date fields with award year dates – Added. Will default to award year dates on insert if from/to dates in FAWARD are null/zero.
• ** New GUI On Fin Aid Control.
• Separate last and first name on disbursement roster grid so you can sort.
• ISIR – hook import into Admissions inquiry/application process.  Will create a inquiry or application if person does not exist in the database with same SSN.
• Add Title IV award type field to Transaction Code Listing .  Used for Title IV SSRS report and other.
• Convert award letter from html to pdf – Added disbursements using new msparm FA_LETTER-1-2=Y.
• STMAJR – Added column START_DATE_STYLE (1a) to determine whether the start date comes from RGDEGR or FASCDT. – We also need to add a new boolean flag to STMAJR that determines whether the start date comes from RGDEGR or FASCDT.  (START_DATE_STYLE). Label will say “Use Degree Start Date?” Default= blank will be FASCDT.
• ISIR modifications – trap for SAR C flag, selected for verification and block packaging if package status is H.
• Financial Aid Award Letter – adjust header & header text down to accommodate a background image.
• Audit log a deletion of scheduled disbursement – Added audit log of a disbursement deletion. Did not Audit log a new add.
• Plus Loan disbursement notification enhancements  – Activity Tracking Batch Page – supports mixed case award code desc now (even though FAWCOD edit save will force uppercase).
• Financial Aid Cost of Attendance fetch should look for a blank major if actual major not found.
• “FAWARD insert should default period from/to date fields with award year dates – Added. Will default to award year dates on insert if from/to dates in FAWARD are null/zero.”
• ** New GUI On Fin Aid Control.
• Separate last and first name on disbursement roster grid so you can sort.
• “ISIR – hook import into Admissions inquiry/application process. Will create a inquiry or application if person does not exist in the database with same SSN.”
• Add Title IV award type field to Transaction Code Listing . Used for Title IV SSRS report and other.
• Convert award letter from html to pdf – Added disbursements using new msparm FA_LETTER-1-2=Y.
• “STMAJR – Added column START_DATE_STYLE (1a) to determine whether the start date comes from RGDEGR or FASCDT. – We also need to add a new boolean flag to STMAJR that determines whether the start date comes from RGDEGR or FASCDT. (START_DATE_STYLE). Label will say “”Use Degree Start Date?”” Default= blank will be FASCDT. …”
• ISIR modifications – trap for SAR C flag, selected for verification and block packaging if package status is H.
• FAWARD insert should default period from/to date fields with award year dates – Added. Will default to award year dates on insert if from/to dates in FAWARD are null/zero.
• ** New GUI On Fin Aid Control.
• Separate last and first name on disbursement roster grid so you can sort.
• ISIR – hook import into Admissions inquiry/application process. Will create a inquiry or application if person does not exist in the database with same SSN.
• Add Title IV award type field to Transaction Code Listing . Used for Title IV SSRS report and other.

General Ledger

• JE Batch retrieval from GLWORK via system batch# – Added with only validation being notification of number of GLWORK converted (i.e. if invalid system batch number supplied to process, zero records will show converted).
• Added id#, system batch number, cost center, gl# to GL Lookup detail grid.
• Added unformatted Semester to the GL Lookup page.

Miscellaneous

• Clearinghouse-use hierarchy non0 date of degree granted date, end date override, or last_day_exams from the expected grad sem.
• Add rpt_people_finder_set to batch statements.  Now allows exporting id numbers and printing corresponding billing statements.
• Added new button that populates id number field with list of ids from browse function  – Changed button to look more like the saved filter link.
• Added send to finder from activity tracking.  This allows much flexibility in for filtering.  For example, you can use activity tracking to find all people who attended an event-send to People Finder and get that list. Now you could change the id number list operand to not any of, and get a list of people who did not attend.
• ** Added new GUI For Scores Page.
• Added SYSTEM DEFAULT For People Finder Grids – When first loading a people finder grid:  Looks for *MY DEFAULT in database with user’s id number. If exists, load it. Otherwise, looks for *SYSTEM DEFAULT in database with id number of -1. This cannot be  changed/added/deleted from interface.
• **Add STCONT Interface to Cafeweb – Removed from Cafe.
• **Add ALCONT Interface To Cafeweb – Removed from Cafe.
• Added semester range filter to semester dates interface.
• Add category to work flow definitions grid  – Added category decoded to grid.
• Copy Program for Class Room table STROOM on the web where you only specify from and to semesters and it copies all rooms.
• Change wording ethnic code to Racial Background on People Finder.
• Class Schedule:  Can Now Filter By Date – Can now pick a start and end date to filter the schedule by, regardless of semester. Looks at RGENRL, then RGCRSE, then the semester dates table FASCDT for the start and end dates.
• Add Template Builder.  This interface will allow the user to build customizable HTML templates. You can include merge fields from a drop down list.  These templates can be embedded within a work flow. Other technologies can be used to build HTML templates and those can be used as well.  The work flow interface also allows an ad hoc template by inserting merge fields directly into the work flow without the use of the template builder.
• Allow immediate emails to bios person with merge.  There is a new function that will poll activity tracking to see if there are any workflows due.  It can be set to run at a desired interval and will produce emails from the work flow directly or an associated HTML template or word template.  This means the user does not have to run batches manually unless this is the desired behavior. The auto function will only work if the work flow is word  mergeable templates and the email body or email template is filled in.
• Remove Row Reorder in People Finder to Make Checkboxes Work In First Column.
• Connect Template Builder To Email Functionality.
• Added Batch Student Schedule From People Finder.
• Add Texting option field to STBIOS and portal and finders. With MSPARM can only text people who opt in – Added Texting Opt In and Texting Opt Out checkboxes to admissions portal.  Only one of these can appear on a form. They both point to STBIOS.TEXT_ALLOWED. N means they cannot be texted. Blank (or anything else) means they can.
• Added mobile phone to mail merge fields.
• Add Database Trigger Function.  This function will allow triggering of an event when any entry is made to the audit log.  Since the audit log is designed to capture a wide array of changes to the database, this will centralize event based triggering.  For example, you may want to trigger an activity for any of the following: a student status changes, an enrollment is added or dropped, a grade is changed, a financial aid verification status is changed, or others.  The process is summarized here. Create a template/workflow. Use the interface on the ADMIN menu to create a trigger. Generally, you will select a table name/field name from a drop down, specify the from and to value that you want to be the event trigger, and then select the template from the dropdown list that you wish to invoke.  Please note that the trigger invokes an event that goes into a job queue to actually create the activity tracking record. This is generally set to run every 60 seconds, so there may be a slight delay before you see the record in the person’s activity
  tracking page.  This is designed this way to prevent rush conditions or locks if many activities are being triggered simultaneously.  The existing triggering system will still be used for Admissions Portal based triggers and will be moved to the admissions menu.  The few database triggers that exist in the old system will be deprecated and will have to be recreated manually with the new interface.  This includes progress code triggers (SBPRCC,ACDECD), Add enrollment trigger (ENR_ADD), enrollment tracking trigger (ENR_TRK_RELEASE), RGSTAT, REFLGR, REDFGR, and REYLGR.  We will be happy to assist any customer who needs help in reworking these triggers.
• Modify Batch Merge Service to Allow for Multiple Source Records – Added Browse button to upload the duplicate list and added the ability to merge multiple source records.  This now means that duplicate records can be found through the web based SSRS report or back end crystal report and batch merged.
• New Contact Info User Interface.
• Add clock hour indicator to STMAJR  interface – Added clock hour indicator field & checkbox to Cafeweb Major. Incorporated this flag if true to show Program Dates and hours on award letter header.

Registration/Student Services

• Student Finder: Added From ALRELA:start date, end date, placement date,  salary. Add ranges to admissions finder dates.26984
• remove grades from student schedule – New graphical schedule does not have grades
• Add Calendar Based Student Schedule.
• Make printable version of student schedule.
• Seats Used now uses REG_SEATS_USED view instead seats used in The Course File (RGCRSE).
• Add custom control to change word semester to term on transcript ent sem.
• Don’t load course listing until submit button is clicked.
• Clock hour input – add optional hour & minutes fields besides the time in & out input.
• Add auto submit on first pass on registration pages – When registering for classes for yourself or for an advisee the course listing is automatically loaded. The course listing and course listing with roster still has you hit submit on the filter before loading.
• **Move Code Array Restriction Page to CafeWeb.
• Add Final Grade import from Canvas.
• Added Course Site To Enrollment History Listing.
• Add Batch Schedule Feature – Filter by date or sem. Only list basic information, not the rows that appear on the bottom of the main rows on the current schedule.
• **Moved Transcript Footnote Maintenance to Cafeweb.
• MSPARM ENRDATEDEF 1-2 Will Copy Start and End Dates From Course To Enrollment When Enrollment is Added.
• Add status date to degree row grid.
• Moved Semester Status Code Interface To Cafeweb – Removed from Cafe.
• Add grid based gradebook entry – 1 row per student with all grades as columns.
• Withdrawal from class will now affect Moodlerooms integration.
• add image switch for site for 2 up transcript.  Allows for multiple images for multiple sites.