The SGS Online Admissions Application: A Guide for Graduate Administrators

Transcription

1 The SGS Online Admissions Application: A Guide for Graduate Administrators v.2.2 October 2012

2 P a g e 2 Table of Contents 1. Introduction and Login Home Page, Menus and Navigation Program Settings References and Supporting Documents Screen Reference Requirements Supporting Document Requirements Deadlines Screen Collaborative Programs Screen Application Fees Screen Managing Individual Applications Applicant Search Screen Applicant Listing Screen Applicant Profile Screen Application Details Screen Document Downloads for Individual Applicants System Tools Batch Document Downloads Mailing and Contact Information Master Documents Transcript Instruction Settings Reports Additional Information Using Electronic References and Other Documents Confidentiality and Protection of Privacy Secure Website (or Intranet) Server-Based Files Portable Media (Disks, USB Drives, Etc.) Paper File Retention Appendices Appendix A: Icons Appendix B: Formatting Template Forms...53

3 P a g e 3 How Do I...? Edit Existing Reference Requirements for a POSt... 9 Create a New Reference Requirement for a POSt Edit Existing Supporting Document Requirements for a POSt Create a New Supporting Document Requirement for a POSt Establish Application Deadlines for My POSts Search for an Individual Applicant Search for Multiple Applicants by Session, POSt and/or Status View and Update Document Receipt Status for an Applicant Add Additional Required Documents for an Applicant Re-send a Reference Request to a Referee Add a New Referee/Change an Existing Referee Add an Address for a Referee and Send a Reference Request Change Application Status to Under Review Record a Decision Download All Documents for a Single Applicant Download Individual Documents for a Single Applicant Perform Batch Document Downloads Edit My Graduate Unit Mailing Address Edit My Graduate Unit Contact Information Edit Existing Master Documents Create New Master Documents Edit Transcript Instructions for Applicants Create Reports of Various Types of Application Data... 47

4 P a g e 4 1. Introduction and Login The Online Admissions Application facilitates the electronic submission of application forms and other supporting documents for applicants to the University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies. Graduate administrators use this system to manage documents, application instructions, and receipt of materials electronically, increasing the speed and accuracy with which applications are prepared and evaluated. This manual is intended to assist graduate administrators in using the administrative side of the Online Admissions Application, and can be used with both the Live Site and the Demo Site. Live Site vs. Demo Site: Which Should I Use, and When? The Live Site is the Online Admissions Application. Applicants use this site to submit their applications, and graduate administrators use it to manage documents, application instructions, and receipt of materials. The Demo Site (or Test site) is a testing environment in which graduate administrators can practice and become comfortable using the administrative side of the online application. It is also a safe and secure way to experience the system from the perspective of an applicant, referee, or evaluator without submitting a real application. Graduate Administrators who are new to the online application or who are implementing a new practice (e.g., a new form) are encouraged to test extensively in the Demo Site prior to launching it on the Live Site. Using the Demo environment will allow you to test any changes and to see how they will appear and function from the perspective of both an administrator or an external user. Note: Some components of the Live Site receive information from external databases and are not available in the Demo Site. The online payment feature is one important example: when creating a test application, it is important to select offline payments only. The batch document download function is also not available in the test environment, as one of the conditions required to prepare records for the batch is a successful upload to ROSI. To log in to the Admissions Application, you will need a username (usually the same as your ROSI username) and a password, both supplied by SGS Information Systems. To request a username/password, please contact SGS Information Systems at [email protected].

5 P a g e 5 Graduate Administrator Login Pages: Live Site: Demo Site: Both the Live and Demo Graduate Administrator login pages will appear as below. To Log in, enter your username and password in the boxes, and click the Login button. Applicant Login Pages: To view the Online Admissions Application from the applicant s point of view, and to create test applications, follow this link to the Development Site: Note: This link is for use by administrators only and should never be given to applicants. The Live applicant login page is found here: Note: This link should never be used to create test applications.

6 P a g e 6 2. Home Page, Menus and Navigation After logging in to your administrator account, you will be brought to the Graduate Administrators Home Page: A B C The home page has three main components: the Menu Bar (A), the Quick Links list (B), and the System Info & Updates section (C). The Menu Bar is the blue bar located immediately below the SGS Logo at the top of every page. You can use it to navigate to any function within the Graduate Administrator section of the online application. It is organized into five tabs for navigation to various components of the application: Home - A permanent link to the front page of the site. Program - The Program Tab gives you access to a variety of activities, all related to specific Programs of Study (POSts). These include: o References and Supporting Documents: allows you to update the number of required references and to manage the basic supporting document requirements for your application o Deadlines: opening and closing dates for each POSt in the session o Collaborative programs: a list of the collaborative programs in which each degree POSt participates Application - From this tab, you can find applicants using one of two search/find options: o Applicant Search: search for an individual application using specific criteria (name, applicant number, student number, etc.) o Application Listing: a list of applicants by session and other criteria

7 P a g e 7 You can manage various aspects of an individual application from within this section of the system as well. Tools - The Tools tab allows graduate administrators to perform several actions within the application: o Batch Document Download: use this option to collect and transfer all applicant and referee documents that have been received via the online application. o Mailing & Contact Information: update the graduate unit s address, telephone number, website, and contact information for display in the application web pages and in to applicants and referees. o Master Documents: manage the list of supporting documents for the unit. (see Referees and program documents). o Transcript Settings: manage instructions for the submission of transcripts o Reports: access reports and downloads. Logout - The online admissions application includes confidential information about applicants. It is very important to remember to log out of the system when you have completed your work or when leaving your work station. Failing to log out could result in others accessing or modifying information. The list of Quick Links is located on the left side of the home screen, and includes: Applicant Search, Applications, Collaborative Programs, Program Deadlines, Referees & Supporting Documents, Reports and Logout. Each of these items can also be reached through the Navigation Bar found below the red SGS Banner (item B ). The Systems Info & Updates section provides system-wide messages and information regarding enhancements, new processes, best practices, and scheduled downtimes. Please check this section regularly.

8 P a g e References and Supporting Documents Screen 3. Program Settings To reach the page for managing Reference and Supporting Document Requirements for your graduate unit s Programs of Study (POSts), select Program References and Supporting Documents in the menu bar. The screen will look like this: Select POSt New Requirement Reference and Supporting Document requirements are specific for each of your Graduate Unit s POSts. To make any changes in this area, you must first select the appropriate POSt from the drop-down menu at the top left of the page. Once you have selected the POSt to be revised, you can make any necessary updates to the requirements by clicking on the Edit ( ) or Add New ( ) icons in the Actions column. You can also add a new Supporting Document requirement by clicking on the Add a New Requirement link. When managing the settings for these requirements, It is important to pay attention to the start and end sessions. Any changes you make will affect all applications for sessions between those dates. Also, documents cannot be deleted from these lists. If a document should no longer be a requirement, click Edit and add an End Session for that requirement. If a document is to continue as an application requirement, the End Session should be

9 P a g e Reference Requirements The School of Graduate Studies requires all applicants to submit a minimum of two letters of reference with their applications. The Online Admissions Application enables referees to submit their letters (or reference forms) electronically, reducing processing time, paper use, and applicant anxiety. Graduate administrators control the POSt-specific settings for these requirements from the screen shown on the previous page. To edit an existing reference requirement or add a new one, click the appropriate icon in the Actions column. Actions Column If your Graduate Unit decides to change the required number of references, you should use the Edit icon to add an End Session (the final session to which the old requirement applies) to the existing reference requirement, then use the Add icon to add the new requirement. Instructions for editing and adding reference requirements appear below. How Do I... Edit Existing Reference Requirements for a POSt Clicking the Edit icon in the Reference Requirements section will bring you to the Edit Reference Requirement screen. The screen, pictured below, will be pre-populated with default University text; this text can be edited or replaced with custom text for your graduate unit. You would use the Edit function if you need to update applicant or referee instructions or to change the Template Type or Submission Method. As mentioned above, if your graduate unit decides to change the number of required or optional references, you should end the previous requirement using the Edit function, and then add the new requirement using the Add function.

10 P a g e 1 0 A B C D E F G H A. Applicant Instructions: This text appears in the applicant s document tracking screen for reference after referees names have already been submitted. Encourage the applicant to contact referees well in advance of the application deadline to confirm their contact information, including address, prior to submitting the reference request. Please stress the importance of having a correct address. If you do not enter custom graduate unit text, the university default text will be used. It says: The University of Toronto requires at least two letters of reference for each application. They are provided electronically directly to the graduate unit and are not shared among graduate units or programs. The University will contact your referees using the information you have provided in your application. It is recommended that you confirm your referees availability prior to submitting their contact information.

11 P a g e 11 Clicking the Use Default box will replace any custom text you have entered with the university default text (above). B. Start/End Session: Select the appropriate start and end sessions for this requirement. The Start Session is the first session in which this requirement will be effective; the End Session is the last session for this requirement before it is superseded by an update. For continuing document requirements, the end session should be C. Attendance Class: Select the appropriate attendance class for this requirement. Use FT/PT when the setting applies to both full and part time applicants. Use FT when the requirement applies only to full time applicants and PT when the requirement applies only to part time applicants. D. Number of References: Select the appropriate number of referees required. We have set the maximum total number of references to 6. You will see two options for this: i. Number of Required References: Set this to the number of mandatory references the unit requires for each applicant. This number defaults to two (the university minimum), but you can edit this number to a maximum of four. ii. Number of Optional References: This option is designed to meet the needs of units which will allow applicants the option of submitting additional letters of reference (beyond the mandatory number). This is entirely optional. Units do not have to set this number, nor do units have to accept references beyond the mandatory number. The optional references are set with a default of zero and a maximum number of two. E. Template Type: If you select None here, your program referees will be given a text box in which to compose and submit their reference. A Web-Based Form Instructions box will appear (see item G below). The screenshot above shows what the screen will look like when you select this option. If you select File, your program referees will be asked to download a reference form, complete and save it to their computer, then upload it back to the application system. To make your template available, choose the File radio button. This will change the appearance of the screen you are working in; the screenshot below shows what it will look like:

12 P a g e 12 Click the Browse button to locate the form on your computer; you may only use a Word or Rich Text document for your form. The Web-Based Form Instructions will disappear when you select the File option, and you may save the form by clicking the Save button at the lower right of the screen. F. Submission Method: Only Online may be selected here; the other options are not available. G. Web-Based Form Instructions: These instructions will appear above the text box in which the referee composes the reference. If you do not wish to provide specific text, the following default text will be used in correspondence with applicants: You may submit an original letter that speaks to the applicant's ability to engage in independent research and to complete a graduate program. Clicking the Use Default box will replace any custom text with the university default text (above). If an applicant does not provide an address for a referee, the applicant must contact each referee directly to request that a letter or form be mailed. This direction is provided to applicants in two areas: referee instruction and on the applicant s Supporting Documents page. For this group of applicants, any reference forms or templates should be made available on your departmental website. H. Save: To complete the changes to your Reference Requirements, click the SAVE button at the bottom right of the screen.

13 P a g e 13 How Do I... Create a New Reference Requirement for a POSt If your graduate unit decides to change the number of required or optional references, you should end the previous requirement using the Edit function described above, and then add the new requirement using the Add function. Adding a reference is similar to editing an existing one; you will be asked to provide the information requested in items A through G above, and then click the Save button to save the settings for your new requirement. 3.3 Supporting Document Requirements Supporting Documents are additional materials that applicants to your POSts are required to submit. Typical Supporting Documents might be curriculum vitae, academic interest forms, and writing samples. From the References and Supporting Documents page, you can navigate to the screens for managing these requirements by clicking either the Edit or Add icon in the Actions column in the Supporting Document Requirements section. Edit Icon Add a New Requirement

14 P a g e 14 How Do I... Edit Existing Supporting Document Requirements for a POSt To edit the settings for an existing Supporting Document, locate it on the list and choose the Edit icon in the Actions column on the right. The screen will look like this: A B C D E F G Edit the settings for the supporting document by following these steps: A. Name: You can change the name of the document by typing in the text box. B. Applicant Instructions: Make any necessary changes to the Applicant Instructions by typing in the text box provided. You can apply basic formatting styles and add links ( , web URL, etc.) to the instructions using the editor above the text box. Here are descriptions of the icons which may be unfamiliar: i. Chain Link ( ): Used to create a link from highlighted text to an or web address. A pop-up window will appear asking for the link URL and whether you wish the new page to appear in the current window or if it should open a new window. ii. Broken Chain Link ( ): Used to remove any links from highlighted text.

15 P a g e 15 iii. Anchor ( ): Used to create links within your body of text, (e.g., from a question in one section of a document to the answer, farther down in the same document). iv. HTML ( ): Allows you to edit using HTML tags v. and : Creates subscript and superscript, respectively vi. Omega ( ): Opens a custom character browser for foreign language characters, etc. C. Session Dates: You must confirm the Start Session (when this document first became a requirement) and an end session (when it will no longer be required) for each document in every POSt. The system defaults to the next available session for its start time and for the end session. Please remember to change these dates if you want documents to have specific start and end sessions. D. Attendance Class: If you will have different documents for full-time and parttime programs, you must choose an Attendance Class for the document. If you do not select a Class, it will default to FT/PT and be applied to both full and part time applicants. E. Template Type: You can choose to provide a template for your document. If you are selecting this option, you must provide either a Word document or a PDF form for applicants. Templates can be provided in two ways as: as a file, or as a URL. If you choose File, the system allows you to browse for the file on your hard drive and attach it directly. If you choose URL, you will be able to insert a URL for the applicant to use. If you do not choose to provide a Template, the system will default to None, and no further action is required. F. Submit Method: Most documents are submitted in one of two ways: Upload, by which the applicant uploads a self-authored document directly to the application, or None, for documents which must be mailed in hard copy. Third party documents or large applicant documents (e.g., large writing samples, audition recordings, portfolios) should be mailed. The default for this system is Upload. G. Save: To complete the changes to your Supporting Document, please make sure you click the Save button at the bottom right of the screen.

16 P a g e 16 How Do I... Create a New Supporting Document Requirement for a POSt If you click the icon to Add a New Requirement, you will first be asked to select a Master Document on which to base it, as shown in the screen below. Master documents are created first so they may be shared or reused in multiple POSts (e.g., both the M.A. and the Ph.D.). Further information on Master Documents is found in Section 5.3 of this manual. Select a Master Document Choosing <New> will take you first through the steps to create a new Master Document, then through the steps to create the POSt-specific Supporting Document (the same as the process described above). The new Supporting Document will be based on the new Master Document you just created. If you would prefer to use an existing Master Document, select it from the drop-down menu and choose Save. This will allow you to create a new Supporting Document with the basic settings of the selected Master Document. 3.4 Deadlines Screen Selecting ProgramDeadlines from the menu bar will bring you to the Deadlines Screen. This tool lets you manage the opening and closing dates and document submission deadlines for your graduate unit's programs. Changes here will determine the programs to which applicants may apply, as only programs whose deadlines have not passed will appear in the pick list. Once the deadline has passed, applications that have not been paid for (with the exception of those in Payment Pending status) cannot be moved to the payment process.

17 P a g e 17 How Do I... Establish Application Deadlines for My POSts A B C D E F G Establishing application deadlines each of your programs is very important. For each session, you must determine the application opening and closing dates for each of your POSts, as well as the last possible date for any documentation to arrive in your office or online. The screen will automatically display your graduate unit s POSts for the session you select in the drop-down menu. A. Select the date you wish to use as the application Opening Date. Please set this date carefully; it is the launch date for this application cycle. B. Select the application Closing Date. Remember that this date will affect any applications in progress! C. The Document Closing Date is the date by which applicants and referees must have submitted all material to your office (online or via mail). It is essential that you set a Document Deadline. It should be at least 10 days following your program application deadline, and should be clearly indicated on the Graduate Unit website. D. Disable Document Closing: Some units require the option to indefinitely extend their reference deadlines. Check this box for each POSt for which you need the document deadline suspended. Note: This waives the reference deadline but does not change the date in the instructions or the referee .

18 P a g e 18 E. Active: This box must be selected in order for your application to be made available to applicants using the online system. Be sure this box is checked for the POSts and sessions for which you want to begin receiving applications! F. Exceptions to these rules may need to be set for specific applicants. To arrange this accommodation on a case-by-case basis, click Exceptions in the Action column and enter the appropriate Applicant number for each person in the box, one number per line, as shown here: Note: This box causes all deadlines to be waived, including those for documentation.

19 P a g e Collaborative Programs Screen Select ProgramCollaborative Programs to view a list of the Collaborative Programs in which your POSts participate. Select the session and click View to display the list. Applicants to your POSts will have the option to apply for these Collaborative Programs when completing the Online Admissions Application. Graduate Administrators are not permitted to add or remove Collaborative Programs from these lists; they are updated by SGS Information Systems after additions or removals are approved through the university governance process.

20 P a g e Application Fees Screen Select ProgramApplication Fees to view a list of the application fees for each of your POSts. Select the session and click View to display the list: Graduate Administrators are not permitted to make changes on this screen; it is for information only.

21 P a g e Applicant Search Screen 4. Managing Individual Applications To search for an individual applicant, select ApplicationApplicant Search in the menu bar. The screen will look like this: The Applicant Number is unique to each person in the online application. The Student Number is the ROSI Person ID supplied either by the applicant (if a current or previous U of T student) or otherwise created when the paid application was uploaded to ROSI. Remember, the more search terms you enter, the narrower the search. If you are searching by name, pay close attention to spelling, spaces, punctuation, and sequence. Below are a few examples of names which can be problematic when searching: delgrande vs. del Grande alhussein vs. al-hussein van der Beek vs. vander Beek vs. Vanderbeek Macdonald vs. MacDonald vs. Mac Donald vs. McDonald Wong Kar Wai vs. Kar Wai Wong Enter your search terms and click Search. The results will appear at the bottom of the screen. If your search returns multiple results, you can use the Applicant Number, the Applicant s full name, postal code, and phone number to identify the specific applicant you are looking for, as shown in the example below. Note: Only those applicants who have saved a program selection for your graduate unit will be accessible to you. You will not be able to view applicants to other programs, or individuals who have saved profile information only.

22 P a g e 22 Locate the person you are looking for, and click on the Applicant # to navigate to their Applicant Profile screen. 4.2 Applicant Listing Screen You can also search for multiple applicants by session, POSt and/or status by selecting ApplicationApplicant Listing from the menu bar. Use the drop-down menus to select your search criteria and click View. An example of these search results is below: You must choose a session. You can refine your search by including the POSt or an application status (see below). From the list of results, you can view the details of either the applicant or the application to this POSt, or download electronic documents, by selecting one of the action icons: Application details provides a summary of the application to this POSt Applicant details provides basic information about the applicant (personal and contact information, academic background, and a list of applications to individual POSts within your graduate unit) Download electronic documents for the application to this POSt

23 P a g e 23 Application Status: This column may display a number of different statuses, as follows: A. Draft-Incomplete: Some application information is completed, and no payment is received. The applicant has completed the first and second section of the application, and added information about academic background and program choice. Although they have not entered all their information, they have been sent an applicant number and password. The list of required supporting documents has not yet been created and the record has not been loaded into ROSI. The applicant is still able to change any information on the application. B. Draft-Complete: All application information is completed, but no payment is received. The applicant has entered all of the required information but has not submitted a payment. The list of required supporting documents has not yet been created, and the record has not been loaded in ROSI. The applicant is still able to change any information on the application. C. Documents Pending: Application complete and paid, but supporting documents outstanding. The applicant has (a) completed all of the information and has chosen to pay online with MiraPay, or (b) was previously in Payment Pending status and offline payment has now been received at SGS. Entering this status triggers the automatic s to the applicant s referees, as well as the creation of the list of required Supporting Documents. Applicants will be able to view document descriptions, download templates (if any), and check document receipt status; they will also be able to upload self-authored documents to the system. The graduate unit can manage document receipt status or access any individual electronic documents submitted by the applicant or the referees. The record will be loaded into ROSI overnight (weeknights only) on the day of payment. While in this status, the only change an applicant can make is to personal contact information. D. Payment Pending: All application information is completed; applicant opted to pay offline, but no payment has been received by SGS. The applicant has completed all of the information and chosen to pay offline, but payment has not been received at SGS. Entering this status triggers the automatic s to the applicant s referees, as well as the creation of the list of required Supporting Documents. Applicants will be able to view document descriptions, download templates (if any), and check document receipt status; they will also be able to upload self-authored documents to the system. The graduate unit can manage document receipt status or access any individual electronic documents submitted by the applicant or the referees. The application record will not be

24 P a g e 24 loaded into ROSI until payment is received; graduate units should not make decisions about the application while in this status. E. Under review: Sufficient documentation has been received by the graduate unit to send the application to the admissions committee. The graduate unit has confirmed that all documents have been marked as received or waived. While in this status, no special or additional documents can be added to the applicant s requirements by the graduate unit, and the package of electronic documents is available for the batch document download. F. Decision Made: An admission decision has been made by the department and loaded into ROSI. Applications enter this status when the graduate administrator has clicked the "Decision Made" button at the bottom of the applicant detail on an application that is currently Under Review or SGS has updated this status from information available in ROSI. The applicant can see that an admission decision has been made but cannot see the outcome. Document Submission Status There are four selections for Document Submission Status: A. Any: This will display all statuses in your search results. B. Complete: This will display only applicants whose documents have all been recorded as either Received or Waived. C. Complete w/o Transcripts: This will display applicants whose documents have all been received, except for Transcripts. D. Incomplete: This will display applicants who still have documents in Pending status.

25 P a g e Applicant Profile Screen This screen provides basic information about the applicant, including name, personal and contact information, academic history, English facility tests (if applicable), and a list of applications to individual POSts. You can navigate to this screen, either by clicking the Applicant # link on the Applicant Search screen, or by clicking the Applicant Details icon ( ) from the Applicant Listing screen. Applicant Profile information also appears at the bottom of every Applicant Details screen. 4.4 Application Details Screen This screen displays information about an application to a specific POSt. In addition to the Applicant Profile information at the bottom of the screen, the Application Details screen displays the application POSt, Decision Status, and the statuses of all required documents: Transcripts: Each institution entered in the applicant s Academic History will appear as a separate item in this list. References: Online and offline references appear in the list. Receipt status for online references will be updated automatically when submitted by the referees; Graduate administrators need to update the status manually for offline references. Supporting Documents: Includes required documents from the list assigned to the POSt, plus any additional required documents assigned to the individual applicant (see instructions below). To navigate to the Application Details screen for an applicant, find the applicant either through the Applicant Search or Applicant Listing functions (see the above sections). From the Applicant Profile Screen, click on the POSt application which appears at the top of the page; from the Applicant Listing screen, select the Application Details icon ( ) in the Actions column. Here is an example of the Application Details Screen:

26 P a g e 26 How Do I... View and Update Document Receipt Status for an Applicant The online admissions application allows applicants to log in and check the overall status of their application as well as the receipt status of individual documents; this is the screen Graduate Administrators use to update these statuses. Whenever possible, graduate units should update the document status as soon as items are received; this

27 P a g e 27 will provide up to date information for applicants and prevent telephone and enquiries. To update the status of an individual document, click the check box beside that document and select the appropriate status from the status drop down list just below the blue Documents bar. The available options are Pending, Waived, and Received. When you click the status, this pop-up window will appear: Clicking OK will process the change to the status of the selected documents. How Do I... Add Additional Required Documents for an Applicant In certain circumstances it may be necessary to add a document requirement that is specific to an individual applicant (e.g., a second or updated copy of another document or transcript, proof of facility in English). This may only be done when the application is status is either Payment Pending or Documents Pending. Additional documents cannot be added after the application has been moved to Under Review, because the move to this status triggers an to the applicant that all documents have been received and the file is being considered by the admissions committee. To add a required document, click the New Supporting Document link just under the Supporting Documents header on the Application Details page:

28 P a g e 28 On the next page, insert a name for the document and an explanation or comment about the new requirement. The system will the applicant with notification of the new document requirement and include your explanation. The text of the to the applicant will include the comment you entered. The for the example above would appear to the applicant as follows: Subject: School of Graduate Studies Documentation From: [email protected] This was sent automatically by the SGS Online Admissions Application. Please DO NOT REPLY directly to this . *************** Dear Applicant, This notice is being sent to inform you that a comment has been attached to one of the required documents for your application. The following comment has been attached to the document labelled Proof of award: Please submit confirmation of the award offered to you by xxxxx or other confirmation that you have sufficient funds to support you during the course of your study.

29 P a g e 29 If you have any problems or concerns, please do not hesitate to let us know. We hope to hear from you again soon. Sincerely, The School of Graduate Studies How Do I... Re-send a Reference Request to a Referee An applicant or referee may ask you to re-send the reference request . To do this, go to the Application Details screen and click the Send Request icon ( ) next to the reference in question. An will be sent to the referee which includes a link to the online reference submission system along with a gentle reminder that the reference has previously been requested. How Do I... Add a New Referee/Change an Existing Referee An applicant may contact you to ask to add a new referee or to replace one referee with another. To add a new referee, take the following steps: A. If the application currently has the required number of referees, you will see this message under the References bar in the Application Details screen: The maximum number of references allowed for this application is X. A new reference cannot be added unless an existing one in Pending status is first cancelled. Delete This message can be seen in the screenshot above.

30 P a g e 30 Locate the reference to be removed from the list and click the Delete button. A pop-up will appear, asking you to confirm that you wish to delete the reference. Click OK and the reference will be removed. B. Once the reference is deleted, the screen will appear as below: You may now click the New Reference link above the list of references. C. On the New Reference screen that follows, fill in the information for the new referee, obtained from the applicant: D. When you click Save, you will return to the Application Details screen, and you will see the new referee in the list. If the newly-added referee will be submitting the reference through the online system, you need to click the Send Request icon ( ) to send the reference request to the address you entered.

31 P a g e 31 How Do I... Add an Address for a Referee and Send a Reference Request If an applicant fills out the application form and does not include an address for a referee, the system will assume that the reference is being submitted offline, in hard copy. If the applicant or referee notifies you afterward that the reference will be submitted online, you will need to enter the referee s address into the system and send them an automatic reference request. To do this, follow the steps below: A. Click on the Edit icon ( ) next to the referee s information in the Application Details screen: Edit B. You will be taken to the Edit Reference screen, where you can add the referee s address and click Save : Add Referee Address Save C. You will be brought back to the Application Details screen, where you must click the Send Request icon ( ) to send the reference request to the referee.

32 P a g e 32 How Do I... Change Application Status to Under Review When all required documents and the applicant s payment have been received, the application status can be changed to Under Review. This is done by clicking on the Confirm Documents link on the Application Details page, below the supporting documents and above Personal Information section: This link will only appear once all required documents and the applicant s payment are received or waived. Note: For graduate units participating in the electronic transcript submission pilot project, the Confirm Documents link will be available even if an official transcript has not yet been received. When the application status is changed to Under Review, the online application system will the applicant a notification that all documents have been received and the application is moving to the next stage. The text of that is as follows: Subject: School of Graduate Studies Application From: [email protected] This was sent automatically by the SGS Online Admissions Application. Please DO NOT REPLY directly to this . *************** Dear [given name] This notice is being sent to inform you that all of the required documents for your application to [POSt title]' have successfully been received. If you log into the SGS system, you will see that your application is now pending a decision.

33 P a g e 33 If you have any problems or concerns, please do not hesitate to let us know. We hope to hear from you again soon. Sincerely, The School of Graduate Studies Changing the application status to Under Review will also allow you to download electronic documents should be transferred to your local system. Instructions for downloading electronic documents appear in section 4.6 of this manual. How Do I... Record a Decision ROSI remains the official record for all applications and registered students. All admissions decisions must be entered in ROSI, and all decision letters must be generated from that system. However, applicants will want to check in the online application to see if a decision has been made. SGS will update the online application from ROSI from time to time; however, you may want to update the system yourself. Once an application has been moved to Under Review, a link will appear at the very bottom of the Application Details screen: Note: This link will only appear after the application status is changed to Under Review. To update the application, click the link. A pop-up window will ask you to confirm; click OK and the status of the application will change to Decision Made. The online application will not indicate what type of decision has been made, as the official notice must come in an admission or refusal letter.

34 P a g e Document Downloads for Individual Applicants How Do I... Download All Documents for a Single Applicant You can download all application documents for an individual applicant by starting either at the Application Details page or the Applicant Listing page. The following steps start from the Applicant Listing page. 1. Go to the Applicant Listing page and enter the required information to identify the applicant you are searching for. The sample search below has returned 4 results. Locate the applicant you need in the list, and click the Download Application Documents icon ( ). Download Application Documents 2. Follow the instructions for SAVING the file to your hard drive. The folder you download will include all items from the application, including: Application Summary, applicant-authored documents (CV, Statement of Intent, etc) and Letters of Reference.

35 P a g e The names of the files included in the download follow the naming convention established for these files (see the example below): applicantnumber_session_post_uniqueidentifier_documentname.doc Once on your hard drive, these files can be printed or used for any internal processing systems. To download the package of application documents from the Application Details page, you can click the Download Package link just above the Documents section: After clicking this link, you can follow the instructions above, starting with Step 2.

36 P a g e 36 How Do I... Download Individual Documents for a Single Applicant Downloading an individual document is very similar to downloading the package of documents from the Application Details page. In the list of documents, locate the particular item you need to download, and click the Download icon ( ) to the right of it. You will be asked to Save the document to your hard drive, and you can then follow the same steps you would follow if you were downloading the entire document package (outlined above). Download

37 P a g e Batch Document Downloads 5. System Tools Running the Batch Document Download allows you to automatically save a large number of applicant files to your hard drive for use in your departmental evaluations. It will download all documents for applications in a specified session which meet the following conditions: The Application Status is Under Review. The application has not been previously included in a batch download. The Batch Download will capture all electronically submitted documents and deposit them in a specific file on your computer. The batch of documents to be downloaded is automatically compiled each night at 2am, and all applications which have not yet been downloaded will be added to the batch. Each applicant's documents will only be included in a batch download once, so you should save the file and extract the contents to a secure location on your hard drive. Note: Although each application will only be included once in the Batch Download, you can always download documents for a single applicant through the processes described in section 4.5 of this manual. How Do I... Perform Batch Document Downloads 1. Select ToolsBatch Document Downloads in the Menu Bar. The screen will appear as below.

38 P a g e Choose the session and POSt for which you wish to download recently completed application documents, and click Download. Follow the instructions for saving the ZIP file to your hard drive. The download should complete fairly quickly. 3. The batch download will organize all downloaded documents into folders by Graduate Unit, then by Session, and then by POSt. Each folder contains all documents for applicants with a status of Under Review as of 2am on the day the download was completed. Local practice will determine how you handle your files. In this example, we are going to explore the folder for the EN MA POSt. 4. If you double click the EN MA folder, you will see all of the completed applications for this POSt. Folders for individual applicants are labeled with the Application Number, session, and POSt:

39 P a g e You can click on an individual folder to view all documents for that applicant: 6. All electronically submitted documents will appear in the batch download for an individual. Every applicant folder will include a Graduate Unit Application Summary (such as the one shown below); other files in the folders will correspond to the application documents requested by graduate units. 7. All downloaded documents should be stored on a secure server and may then be used for processing. 5.2 Mailing and Contact Information The remaining functions found on the Tools tab allow you to manage information and requirement settings that are to be applied to all programs in a given graduate unit. Establishing appropriate settings and document management is one of the first actions that should be taken within the online application. Contact information for your graduate unit is updated in a single location and then shared with different sections of the online application (e.g., applicant instructions, FAQs, and correspondence sent to both applicants and referees). Keeping your Contact

40 P a g e 40 Information up-to-date is essential or it is possible for applicants to receive out of date or faulty instructions. This information is shared across all POSts, and is divided into two sections: (A) Mailing Information, and (B) Contact Information. A B

41 P a g e 41 How Do I... Edit My Graduate Unit Mailing Address In the menu bar, select ToolsMailing and Contact Information. The screen will display your graduate unit s mailing address at the top and other contact information at the bottom. Please confirm that the information on this screen is correct on an annual basis (at least), as it will be used in the information sent to referees, as well as in the Applicant s Mailing Sheet. To update your mailing address, type any new information in the text boxes, and click Save. The system will display a message confirming that your change was updated successfully. Note: If your graduate unit has a separate mailing address and physical location, please note this on your graduate unit website. Note 2: Mailing address information is maintained by the graduate unit. For units with multiple programs, a mailing address common to all programs should be entered. How Do I... Edit My Graduate Unit Contact Information When updating your graduate unit contact information, please note that all fields except Phone are mandatory. Contact Name/Office: This can be either the name of your office (e.g., Admissions Office ), or a specific person s name. Phone: This is the only optional field; please include a telephone number at which applicants or referees can contact you with questions. This can be either a regularly monitored departmental address, or a personal address, at which applicants or referees may contact you with questions. Web: Enter the graduate unit s website at which applicants and/or referees can find information. Confirm the URL on a regular basis to ensure it is valid. To edit your graduate unit contact information, enter any new information in the text boxes and click Save. The system will display a message confirming that your change was updated successfully.

42 P a g e Master Documents This section allows you to set up documents such as Reference Forms, Personal Statement/Essay Questions that can be shared among individual degree POSts as Supporting Documents. Some examples of Master Documents that can be shared across all POSts are: the Curriculum Vitae, Letter of Intent, Portfolio, Statement of Reason for application as Special Student and Transcripts. Add New Edit Delete How Do I... Edit Existing Master Documents To change Applicant Instructions for an existing document, or to alter the Template Type or Submission Method, select the document you wish to change from the list and click the Edit icon. The Edit Master Document screen will appear, as below: A B C

43 P a g e 43 A. Application Instructions: Type or cut-and-paste any new instructions regarding the document into the text block. B. Template Type: Confirm the Template Type None is the default, File is a form you have created in Word or.rtf format and will save to the application system, and Url is a web address where you have posted the form on your own web pages. C. Submission Method: Upload is the default, Online is used only by units in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering and the Department of Computer Science, and Mail-In is for documents which need to be delivered in hard copy. Note: Master document information is passed to the program document when the program document requirement is created; there is no further link. Because the program document exists on its own and can be customized, edits to Master Documents will not be passed to program documents. How Do I... Create New Master Documents Creating a new Master Document is very similar to editing an existing document: Type in a name, instructions to the applicant, and select a template type (if any) and a submission method. New Master Documents may be shared among POSts.

44 P a g e Transcript Instruction Settings The Transcript Settings function allows you to update your transcript information in one location and have it populate different sections of the application. Applying your Transcript Settings on this tab will ensure it is shared throughout all POSts. From the Application Detail page, applicants will be able to download a Mailing Sheet that explains where and how they should submit their transcripts. The Mailing Sheet content is derived from the Transcript Settings information that you can update in the online application from the Tools tab. The University requires official copies of all transcripts, which must be submitted offline in hard-copy format. It is recommended that graduate units have applicants collect their own transcripts and submit them to the graduate unit. How Do I... Edit Transcript Instructions for Applicants Select ToolsTranscript Settings from the Menu Bar. The Transcript Setting page will appear, as below: B C A D A. Place your cursor on the text that needs replacing or updating, and enter in your changes. If you have other text you want to add in without typing, cut-and-paste

45 P a g e 45 this content into the text box provided. B. Apply any settings (e.g., text formatting, bulleted lists, hyperlinks) that are needed. C. If you enter department specific text and then decide that the default text is more appropriate, you can click the Default check box to return the original text. D. Click Save to save your changes. You will receive a confirmation at the top of the screen that your changes were saved successfully. You can choose to use the institutional default text (see below), or customize the text for your own Graduate Unit. Please remember that this text is shared across all POSts. The Default Text is: The University of Toronto requires an official transcript from each post secondary institution that you have attended. It is your responsibility to submit transcripts PRIOR to the application deadline. Remember your application is not considered complete until all components have been received by the graduate unit to which you are applying. Transcripts can be submitted in one of two ways: 1. Arrange to have an official transcript (issued directly to the University of Toronto) mailed to the graduate unit at the address provided below. Documents must be sealed in a signed envelope by the issuing institution. Previously opened envelopes, photocopied and faxed documents are not considered originals. All non-english language documents must be officially translated into English and submitted to the University of Toronto together with the originals. If, because of circumstances beyond your control, you are unable to submit official documents, please contact the graduate unit directly. 2. Arrange to have an official transcript issued to student, that you then submit directly (unopened and in the originally sealed envelope) to your graduate unit at the address provided below. Documents must be sealed in a signed envelope by the issuing institution. Previously opened envelopes, photocopied and faxed documents are not considered originals. All non-english language documents must be officially translated into English and submitted to the University of Toronto together with the originals. If, because of circumstances beyond your control, you are unable to submit official documents, please contact the graduate unit directly. [UNIT_ADDRESS] Note: [UNIT_ADDRESS] is a merge field which will insert the unit s mailing address already entered in the system (see section 5.2 of this manual). Remove this merge field only if you are inserting an alternate address in full.

46 P a g e 46 For Graduate Units Participating in the Electronic Transcript Pilot Project: Graduate units opting to accept electronic or scanned transcripts may move applications to Under Review status without entering an official (paper) transcript as Received. The status of the paper transcript has been disconnected from the overall application status. You will be able to proceed with the evaluation of the application and mark the paper transcripts as Received afterward, whenever your process requires it. o Please ensure, however, that all other required documents have been received before clicking the Confirm Documents link on the Application Details screen. The item Electronic or Scanned Transcript will automatically appear in each applicant s list of required supporting documents you do not need to add this manually to the list of supporting documents for each POSt. Text will be displayed to the applicant on the Supporting Documents screen advising that the application will be assessed using their electronic transcript. On the Transcript Settings page, you may click the box to Enable submission of electronic or scanned transcripts to view further Transcript Setting options, as displayed in the screenshot below: There are two options for setting up the official transcript submission requirement: A. Submission Required Immediately: If your graduate unit requires applicants to submit official (paper) transcripts immediately (even if you will be evaluating the application based on the electronic or scanned transcript), click Submission required immediately. B. Submission required upon manual notification: If you wish to evaluate the application based on the electronic transcript and notify the applicant later that their official transcript is required (e.g., before finalizing an admissions decision, or before allowing the student to register), click Submission required upon manual notification.

47 P a g e 47 If you would like more information about the Electronic Transcript pilot project, please contact Rodney Branch at [email protected]. 5.5 Reports How Do I Create Reports of Various Types of Application Data You can download application data to your hard drive in Excel format using the Reports function, found by selecting ToolsReports in the Menu Bar. The following reports are available: 1. Applications By Session This report download retrieves a list of applications for a specified session and application status, sorted in ascending order on the following fields: Surname, Given Name, Application Status, and Degree POSt. The following information is included in this report: Applicant Name, Application, and Applicant ID Numbers Application Session, POSt, Degree, Fields, Collaborative/Combined Programs Referee Names Payment Date Application Status Applicant-Entered Proposed Area of Study Applicant-Entered Present Employment Applicant-Entered Awards/Scholarships/Fellowships Legal Status Mailing/ Address 2. Applicant Profiles By Session This report download retrieves a list of applicants who have applied for a specified session, sorted in ascending order on Surname and Given Name. The following information is included in this report: Applicant Name, Application, and Applicant ID Numbers Legal Status Arrival Date Social Insurance Number First Language

48 P a g e 48 Gender Marital Status Birth Date Phone Numbers Permanent/Mailing/ Address 3. Academic History By Session This report download retrieves the academic history submitted by applicants who have applied for a specified session. Each academic institution provided by the student in the application is listed in a separate row in the report, sorted in ascending order on the following fields: Surname, Given Name, and Institution Start Date. The following information is included in this report: Applicant Name, Application, and Applicant ID Numbers Address Institution Name, Start Date, End Date, and Country Program Length Degree Degree Completed (Y/N) GPA in Final Year Language of Instruction Concentration Area Courses Currently Taken

49 P a g e Additional Information 6.1 Using Electronic References and Other Documents The process for analysing files and making admissions decision is ultimately a local decision in the graduate unit. SGS does set minimum admission requirements and as well as standards for documentation (referring to both the documents themselves and documentation of the process). SGS will continue to provide training and share best practices as appropriate. Having reference letters and other documents available in electronic format presents opportunities for units to re-imagine their decision making processes. It could better facilitate communication and file sharing for graduate units or programs in which decision makers are physically separated from one another (e.g., multi campus programs). When adequate security is employed with an electronic system, it can be more secure than the distribution of paper application files. Graduate units will need to make decisions about the use of the electronic reference and supporting document files in their decision making processes. The following information is provided as suggestions of best practice. 6.2 Confidentiality and Protection of Privacy In all cases, confidentiality of applicant records must be maintained. Physical files should not leave University premises or be left in public or unsecured areas. Committee members who choose to print documents must be instructed to secure the copies and destroy (shred) them immediately after use. Electronic files may be housed on departmental files servers or secure web servers. Access to these files must be limited to faculty and staff members who need to process or assess the files. Staff and faculty must be advised to maintain good practice in safeguarding the confidentiality of the files (e.g., do not save copies to personal computers or laptops; do not view files in public places; do not leave a computer unattended while it is connected to the server). Electronic files stored on removable or portable media (laptop computers, disks, thumb/flash drives, CD-ROMs) must always be encrypted. Password protection is insufficient. An important element of privacy protection is the general security of the electronic systems used: All users of the electronic files should have current and active virus and malware

50 P a g e 50 protection. This means office computers, network systems and home computers (if faculty or staff members are working from home). Servers, networks and computers should be properly protected behind firewalls. 6.3 Secure Website (or Intranet) When creating secure websites, graduate units need to pay particular attention to security in order to avoid unauthorized access. Graduate units should seek the advice of their Faculty s IT, communications and Freedom of Information offices before setting these pages up. The SGS Information Systems Office recommends the following: Files should be stored on a secure server. This means that the server has no direct access from the Internet and very limited access to it from computers on the internal network (most commonly other secure servers). A robust firewall with a strict set of access rules can accomplish this setup, along with restricted user rights on the server. In developing a secure website, certain guidelines apply: i. Ensure web traffic to and from the site is encrypted by using the 128-bit (at least) SSL protocol. ii. Ensure access to each page requires the user to be logged in (except for the login page, of course) and provide only one point of entry iii. Authenticate users using a password that is at least 8-characters and requires mixed-case letters and numbers. iv. Do not allow users to access confidential files directly. Provide a web page instead that permits the download based on the user's authorized rights. v. If possible, limit traffic to the website to internal users only. In general, a site of this nature should only be developed and implemented by an IT developer with some previous experience. Note: If transcripts and third party documents are scanned, the originals should be retained as part of the physical file. 6.4 Server-Based Files Many Faculties and graduate units already employ file servers and remote access protocols. In place of secure web sites, graduate units might store applicant folders of received and scanned documents on the server together with any collaborative decision files (e.g., Excel sheets; recommendation forms) for the use authorized faculty and staff. Graduate administrators should consult their local area network administrators to

51 P a g e 51 ensure that appropriate access rights are given to authorized staff and faculty and that secure offsite access is available. Staff and faculty must be reminded not to print documents, transfer or copy them to local computers or view them in public places (public transport, coffee shops, libraries etc.). 6.5 Portable Media (Disks, USB Drives, Etc.) If graduate units are unable to create secure websites or server access, files of received and scanned documents might be provided to faculty on portable media. Particular care needs to be paid under this option. All files must be properly encrypted. Password protection is not sufficient. There are a number of encryption applications available both under licence and available as freeware. Graduate administrators should consult with their unit or Faculty IT office for information. The use of portable media should only be considered as the last of all possible options given the inherent risks. The news media and the publications of government privacy commissioners are filled with stories of lost or stolen laptops and storage media containing personal information. The expected level of care is much higher than in the past. The following suggestions, while not exhaustive, should be considered: The same or stronger safeguards should be applied as they would for paper copies of the application files. Paper files would not normally leave the graduate unit office. If secure websites, intranets or file servers are not available then consideration should be given to having files accessible only in the unit office. If portable media are used, faculty and staff should sign for them and indicate their compliance with protection of privacy The data should not be printed or copied to personal computers or viewed in public places. The data must be securely encrypted. 6.6 Paper Graduate units may still print off application summary sheets, references and the other electronic documents for use in paper based processes. The paper copies may be retained in the file as the file and archive copy of the document. The standard of care with respect to confidentiality and protection of privacy remains high. Paper copies of the application must not leave the graduate unit office, and must be securely stored when not in use.

52 P a g e File Retention The SGS online admissions application is currently considered to be a tool and not a repository or official file for the application. In some ways it is simply a virtual mailroom. ROSI, along with supporting files in the Graduate Unit, will continue to comprise the official record. The graduate unit will be responsible for maintaining a physical version of the application and supporting documents, or for ensuring that an electronic copy is maintained. If an electronic copy is maintained, the graduate unit will take responsibility for maintaining it in a format that continues to be accessible and reliable. Whether the documents are maintained in physical or electronic form, the graduate unit must follow the standards and retention schedules established by the University of Toronto Archives and the School of Graduate Studies. The current retention requirements are as follows: Documents that are received in physical format may be scanned for administrative use, but the original must be retained and should be treated as the official document. Electronic documents may be printed for administrative or archival use but if printed, all content must be displayed and retained. Files for applicants refused admission and for applicants admitted but who fail to register are retained for one calendar year after use (effectively two years). Admitted applicants who do not formally request a deferral must re-apply if they wish to be considered in a subsequent session. Files for registered masters, diploma and special students must be retained for seven years after the last registration. They may be maintained in electronic format but must be maintained over the period in a readable format. Specific documents in the files of registered PhD students must be retained in perpetuity. Please consult the official retention schedule for specifics. Electronic documents may be maintained in electronic format but must be readable. PDF(a) is the recommended format but the University of Toronto archives advises that paper is still the best way of maintaining the archival information. Reference letters and forms as well as documents related to deliberations by the admissions committee and supervisors (e.g., collaborative assessment forms or spreadsheets) should be maintained as would other documents in the file. However, these documents are considered to be confidential and excluded under policy and legislation from those a student may ask to view.

53 P a g e Appendices 7.1 Appendix A: Icons Icons are used throughout the online application to represent various action options. These icons are as follows: Edit Document Add Document Document Delete Application Details Document Download Applicant Details Send (or Re-Send) a Reference Request to a Referee 7.2 Appendix B: Formatting Template Forms Many graduate units have forms for references or for applicant documents. To submit electronic documents to the online application, referees and applicants have to first fill out the form and save it to their computer. When preparing a template it is important to think from the perspective of the user. Always test the template before applying it to the system. Here are some recommendations for best practice: 1. Format: Applicants and referees are instructed to save their documents in Word,.rtf or.pdf. However, when you create the template it is recommended that you not use a fillable.pdf format. Adobe Acrobat will not allow the user to save a filled in form in.pdf unless they have purchased the Acrobat licence (PDF Writer or PDF Creator). The free licence is not sufficient even if you formatted the form using your own high level licence. Word and.rtf are recommended. 2. Charts: Consider creating your Templates using charts rather than ruled lines. This format give referees a section to complete that is expandable as they type text and works well in Word and PDF formats. 3. Circling choices or filling in blanks: This option does not function well in Word, but it is our natural tendency to create a form in this manner. Remember, this form is being completed online and not printed out; therefore there is no need to provide lines on which to type answers or blanks for Y/N answers. For these types of text, please use a chart or grid.

54 P a g e General Comments Section consider inserting a general comments section at the end of your document that would allow the referee to add any further comments. This can be done with a text box that the referee can simply type in. This option works best in Word. N.B. Referees can only submit one electronic file. If you require both a form and a letter, the letter needs to be incorporated in the form to create a single electronic file. 5. Fill-out your form as if you were a referee once you ve completed your form fill it out as you want the referees to do. See where you may encounter challenges and what needs to be changed. 6. Post your forms on the Web. Give access to your forms in more than one place (e.g., in the online application and on your departmental web site). This allows for easy download for applicants or referees who are submitting off-line and gives the applicants the opportunity to see what is being requested of the references.