9.2 Message Center - Creating a New Message Template for Message Center
Purpose: Use this document as a reference for how create a new Message Center message template in ctcLink.
Audience: Staff using Message Center to send communications using a letter template
You must have at least one of these local college managed security roles:
- ZC CC 3Cs Config
- ZD CC 3Cs Config
- ZZ CC 3Cs Config
If you need assistance with the above security roles, please contact your local college supervisor or IT Admin to request role access.
3C Letter codes and Message Center letter codes are global. Submit a ticket to ERP Support for letter code setup. Colleges can request a specific code based on 3C naming conventions, if this is not provided the ERP support team will assign a letter code sequentially based on details provided. In the ERP support ticket include:
- Any text and links for the letter template
- Any images (including alternative text for each images)
- The Administrative Function to be used for the letter code
- The default expiration for the message
- The message text attached as a Word Document or in the body of the ticket
Some additional help is provided by HighPoint on message center pages. An example of this help is regarding Message Text when using hyperlinks or merge fields. When creating your message template, review this help for formatting, by selecting the "?" icons on various message center pages.

Unlike ctcLink 3C Communications, queries for message center do not require a bind record to be selectable for mass messaging. Any Public or Private queries can be used for Message Center messaging. Identify the population for the message to be sent and work with your on-campus query developers or submit an CS Support ticket to the Data and Reporting team with the query definition that is needed for the message.
- If using Merge fields in a Message Center message, those fields must be identified in query results or external file with header rows. In the letter template submitted to CS Support, merge fields should be already placed in the document with the proper format. Example:
File Results Use the column header names with curly brackets "{{" and "}}" as bind variables within the message text.
Example: {{EMPLID}} will be replaced with the value associated to that column within the file.
- Message Center does not have the ability to manage duplicates in the generation process. Therefore, any files or queries must have duplicates removed or the student will receive the message multiple times.
- All queries or files must have a results column with the heading EMPLID or COMMON_ID.
- Unless using the administrative function "GEN", the query results or external file must contain the variable data fields as column headers. On the send message page, the system will identify the required columns for the selected letter so that users can validate their query or external file has these fields prior to messages being sent.
A full list of administrative functions and the variable data fields required can be reviewed on the Configuration - Administrative Functions QRG
Navigation: NavBar > Navigator > Campus Community > Communications > Set up Communications > Communication Context Table
- Select the Add a New Value tab.
- Institution: Input or look up
- Communication Context: Input new Context code

- Effective Date: Input effective date for new code.
- Description: Add "MC" and a institutional description for the code, "MC" will designate a Message Center Context.
- Short Description: Add "MC" and a institutional short description for the code, "MC" will designate a Message Center Context.
- Method: Select Message Center from the drop down options.
- Direction: Select Outgoing Communication from the drop down options.
- Letter Code: Input Letter code created in Step 1 above.
- Select Save.

Navigation: NavBar > Navigator > Campus Community > Communications > Set up Communications > Communication Category Table
- Look up the "MSGCTR" category for your institution.

- Select Add.
- Add the Context code created in Step 2.
- Select Save.

If a new Communication Category is created, that category will need to be set up with the Communication 3C Group. This page connects security to communications. As long as an existing category is used, this step is not required.
Navigation: NavBar > Navigator >Campus Community > Communications >Set up Communications > Communication 3C Group
You must have at least one of these local college managed security roles:
- ZZ HP Msg Center Config
If you need assistance with the above security roles, please contact your local college supervisor or IT Admin to request role access.
Navigation: NavBar > Navigator > HighPoint > Message Center > Setup > Departments and Regardings
- Input Institution code and select the Search button to view available Departments.

- Select the Department name to verify/update Regardings or select the Add A New Value tab to create a new department.
- If entering a new Department add the following:
- Description: This description is what is viewable to students in the Message Center.
- Regardings: Enter a topic description that will be viewable by students in the Message Center.
- Show Sender on Student's View of Message: For each Regarding identify if the sender is viewable by the student. This will show the student the name of the person who sent the message, this is based on the user ID of the sender and the name available in PeopleSoft.
- Select the Add a New Row [+] icon to add additional Regardings.
- Select Save.
- 3C Group: Identify the 3C Groups that can use this Department for messages. Only users with the row level security for this 3C's group can use this department when sending messages. Work with your campus security administrator's to adjust user row level security as needed.
- Select Save.
- The message center template can now be used. Please see the QRG 9.2 Message Center - Sending Messages in Batch.
- Process complete.
Security Information:
The ability to create and define departments and regarding for message center requires ZZ HP Msg Center Analyst and ZZ HP Msg Center Config security roles.
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