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

Expand or collapse content Communication Context Table

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

A Communication Context defines the type of communication and how it is sent or received. Each context can support multiple communication methods. Do not create a new context for every Letter Code—communications from different administrative functions can share the same context.

Before adding a new context, make sure you know:

  • The administrative function and Letter Code(s) you will use.
  • The communication methods to support (letter, Message Center, email, phone, etc.).
  • The categories and the 3C security model the context should belong to.
  1. today'sThe 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 to create a new Communication Context.
  4. Click the Add a New Row (+) icon to update an existing Communication Context.
  5. Effective Date: Defaults to today’s date. Use 01/01/1901 when adding a new value.
  6. Status: Defaults to Active.
  7. Enter a Description and Short Description when adding a new value.
  8. In the Communication Context Method section, select Add.
  9. Method: Select Message Center from the drop-down list.
  10. Direction: Select Outgoing Communication from the drop-down list.
  11. Letter Code: Enter or look up (🔍) the Letter Code created in the step above or select an existing Letter Code.
Communication Context page showing effective date, active status, description, and two outgoing methods: Email and Message Center, both using letter code R47.
Expand or collapse content Communication Category Table

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

  1. If a new Communication Category is created, that Category must 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: Campus Community > Communications >Set up Communications > Communication 3C Group.
  2. If the Communication Generation Letter code was set up using an Administrative Function other than GEN, you must update the Category connected to that Administrative Function. Visit the QRG 3C Communications: Administrative Functions for details. 
  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 to create a new Communication Category.
  4. Click the Add a New Row (+) icon to update an existing Communication Category.
  5. Effective Date: Defaults to today’s date. Use 01/01/1901 when adding a new value.
  6. Status: Defaults to Active.
  7. Enter a Description and Short Description when adding a new value.
  8. In the Communication Context section, select Add.
  9. Look up (🔍) the Context code created in the steps above or an existing context code.
  10. Select Save.
Communication Categories page showing Enrollment Communication Category with a list of associated communication contexts, including Apply for Graduation and Degree Awarded.
Expand or collapse content 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 already be 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 include any field from the Population Selection query.
  2. In the message text, wrap the field name with two curly brackets on either side. Example: {{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 in which 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.

Expand or collapse content 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.

Expand or collapse content 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, indicate whether the sender is viewable by the student. This will display the name of the person who sent the message, based on the sender's 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 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 is now being 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.

Expand or collapse content 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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