Message Center - Creating a New Message Template for Message Center

Purpose: Use this document as a reference for creating 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:

Communications Setup

  • ZC CC 3Cs Config
  • ZD CC 3Cs Config
  • ZZ CC 3Cs Config

Highpoint Message Center Setup

  • ZD HP Msg Center User
  • ZZ HP Msg Center Config
  • ZZ HP Msg Center User

If you need assistance with the above security roles, please contact your local college supervisor or IT Admin to request role access.

You must also set the following SACR Security permissions:

Communication Setup

Communication Context Table

Navigation: Campus Community > Communications > Set Up Communications > Communication Context Table

A Communication Context describes the type of communication and how it was sent or received. Various methods can be used, including a letter, a telephone call, a fax, an e-mail, and in person. For each context, you can specify more than one communication method. Don't create a new Context for every Letter Code. Also, communication from different administrative functions can be included in the same context.

  1. The Communication Context Table search page displays.
  2. The page defaults to Find an Existing Value. Select Search to view existing values.
  3. Click the Add a New Value tab to create a new Communication Context.
  4. Enter a new Communication Context containing a value of at least six characters and following the naming convention outlined in the QRG 3C Configuration - Campus Solutions 3Cs and Message Center Naming Conventions.
    1. 1-character Department Code
    2. 2-character School Code
    3. 3-character Standard Letter Code
  5. Select Add. 
  6. Effective Date: Defaults to today's date. Use the Effective Date of 01/01/1901 when adding a new value.  
  7. Status: Defaults to Active.
  8. Description: Add "MC" and an institutional description for the code, "MC" will designate a Message Center Context.
  9. Short Desc: Add "MC" and an institutional short description for the code, "MC" will designate a Message Center Context.
  10. Method: Select Message Center from the drop-down options.
  11. Direction: Incoming or Outgoing.
  12. Letter Code: Enter or look up the Letter Code created in the steps above.
  13. Click Save in the lower-left corner of the page.

Video Tutorial

The video below demonstrates the process actions described in the steps listed above. There is no audio included with this video. Select the play button to start the video.

View Tutorial Via Panopto

View the external link to Communication Context Table. This link will open in a new tab/window.

Communication Category Table

Navigation: Campus Community > Communications > Set up Communications > Communication Category Table

If a new Communication Category is created, that category will need to be set up with the Communication 3C Group (Navigation: Campus Community > Communications > Set up Communications > Communication 3C Group). This page connects security to communications. As long as an existing category is used, this step is not required.

  1. Look up the "MSGCTR" category for your institution.
  2. Select Add.
  3. Add the Context code created in the steps above.
  4. Select Save.

Video Tutorial

The video below demonstrates the process actions described in the steps listed above. There is no audio included with this video. Select the play button to start the video.

View Tutorial Via Panopto

View the external link to Communication Category Table. This link will open in a new tab/window.

Query Fields

Navigation: HighPoint > Message Center > Processes > Send Messages

Unlike ctcLink 3C Communications, queries for the 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. Alternatively, submit a CS Support ticket to the Data and Reporting team with the query definition needed for the message.

  1. If using Merge fields in a Message Center message, those fields must be identified in query results or external files with header rows. In the letter template submitted to CS Support, merge fields should be already placed in the document with the proper format.
  2. 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 with that column within the file.
  3. Message Center cannot manage duplicates in the generation process. Therefore, any files or queries must have duplicates removed, or the student will receive the message multiple times.
  4. All queries or files must have a results column with EMPLID or COMMON_ID.
  1. The message can contain any field that is in the Population Selection query. The example is only valid for CTC_SR_MIS_NATID_CAR_POPSEL.
  2. In the message text, wrap the field name with two curly brackets on either side {{B.FIRST_NAME}}.
  3. The Field Name comes from the Select statement in the query SQL (not the column names displayed in the query output). The field name B.CATALOG_NBR in one query may be A.CATALOG_NBR in another, depending on the order tables are added during query build.

Here's how to get query field names:

  1. Click the View Query link on the Send Messages page; the Field Names are between the SELECT and FROM commands.  
  2. In addition, you can ask your local query builder to send you a screenshot of the Fields tab from Query Manager.
  3. View the Field Name and description from Query Manager for the query. Run the query in Query Viewer for sample data if you are unsure of a field definition.

Video Tutorial

The video below demonstrates the process actions described in the steps listed above. There is no audio included with this video. Select the play button to start the video.

View Tutorial Via Panopto

View the external link to Query Fields. This link will open in a new tab/window.

Excel .csv File

Navigation: HighPoint > Message Center > Processes > Send Messages

You can send a message using an Excel spreadsheet to identify your student population and include fields from the spreadsheet in the message.

File requirements:

  1. Save the file as a .csv.
  2. The .csv file must have the column heading EMPLID, or the Send Messages process will end in error.
  3. You can add the names of all other columns in the spreadsheet.
  4. When adding fields to the message, enclose your column name in double curly brackets {{example}}.
  5. Select the Upload File button, select the .csv file, and select Upload.
  6. The attached file name will display. You can view the file by selecting the View File button. To make changes to the file, select the Delete File button. Once you've made the necessary changes, choose Upload File to attach the file. 
  7. Process complete.

Video Tutorial

The video below demonstrates the process actions described in the steps  listed above. There is no audio included with this video. Select the  play button to start the video.

Video Tutorial Via Panopto

View the external link to the Excel .csv File. This link will open in a new tab/window.

Departments, Regardings, and 3C Security

Navigation: HighPoint > Message Center > Setup > Departments

  1. The default option is Find an Existing Value. Select Search to view existing values.
  2. Click the Add a New Value tab to create a new Department ID.
  3. Enter or look up the Academic Institution by selecting the looking glass.
  4. Enter a new Department ID (max ten characters).
  5. Select the Add button.
  6. Select the Department name to verify/update Regardings or the Add A New Value tab to create a new department.
  7. If entering a new Department, add the following:
    1. Description: This description is viewable to students in the Message Center.
    2. Regardings: Enter a topic description that will be viewable by students in the Message Center.
    3. 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.
    4. Select the Add a New Row [+] icon for additional Regardings.
  8. Select Save.

3C Security

  1. 3C Group: Identify the 3C Groups that can use this Department for messages. Only users with the row-level security for this 3C group can use this department when sending messages. Work with your campus security administrators to adjust user row-level security as needed.
  2. Select Save.
  3. The message center template can now be used.  Please see the QRG Message Center - Sending Messages in Batch.
  4.  Process complete.

Video Tutorial

The video below demonstrates the process actions described in the steps listed above. There is no audio included with this video. Select the play button to start the video.

Video Tutorial Via Panopto

View the external link to Departments, Regardings, and 3C Security. This link will open in a new tab/window.

Send Messages

Navigation:  HighPoint > Message Center > Processes > Send Messages

  1. You can now use the Message Center template. Please see the QRG Message Center - Sending Messages in Batch.

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