Maintaining the Academic Calendar

Purpose: This document is a reference for maintaining the Academic Calendar in ctcLink.

Audience: Instruction and Student Services Staff

You must have at least one of these local college-managed security roles:

  • ZD SACR Found Tbl Config Inq
  • ZD SACR Term Config
  • ZD SR Super User
  • ZZ SACR Term Config

You must also set these SACR Security permissions:

Please contact your local college supervisor or IT Admin to request role access if you need assistance with the above security roles or SACR Security permissions.

Term/Session Table dates must be established before maintaining the Academic Calendar. Refer to the Maintaining the Term/Session Table QRG. Complete these steps for both Academic Careers each term.

  1. Get into the habit of setting your UGRD and CNED Academic Calendars in tandem!
  2. Ensure the Session Calendar 1 and Session Calendar 2 tabs are defined for the Regular “1” and DYN session. Defining the OEE session is not recommended because OEE enrollments and class dates will not default to the Academic Calendar, even if a value of ‘9999’ is used on the dynamic rule.  DYN session classes and enrollments will only use the Academic Calendar dates if a dynamic rule is missing from a DYN class. When Dynamic rules are added to classes, the Academic Calendar dates are not used, even if a value of ‘9999’ is used on the dynamic rule. A value of ‘9999’ in a dynamic rule will not default to the Academic Calendar dates for DYN or OEE classes.
  3. Carefully double-check all the dates on the Term/Session Table and the Academic Calendar. Many processes refer back to the Term/Session Table and rely on the Academic Calendar, so the data must be correct. These are called foundation tables for a reason! One wrong date can have a cascade of unfortunate effects that are difficult to correct. Triple-check those areas that cause frequent tickets:
    1. Self-Service dates (i.e., when enrollment, shopping cart, planners, and WIFs are available) and Enrollment Time Periods (when adding and dropping can occur) on the Term/Session Table.
    2. Also, on the Term/Session Table, make sure that the Academic Year field lists the year the term takes place (so, Summer 2021 and Fall 2021 will have "2021" in the Academic Year field). This may not equal the institution's internal definition of an "academic year" or your institution's FA year.
    3. Enrollment landmark dates (confer date, census date, fully graded date) on the Academic Calendar.

Academic Calendar

Navigation: Set Up SACR > Foundation Tables > Term Setup > Academic Calendar

  1. The default option is Find an Existing Value.
  2. Enter or look up the Academic Institution by selecting the looking glass.
  3. Enter or look up Academic Career.
  4. Select Search to view existing values.
Term Calendar 1 Tab
  1. The Term Calendar 1 tab displays.
  2. A code represents this academic calendar. If you have multiple academic careers that use the same academic calendar, set up the academic calendar for each, entering the same academic calendar code for each academic career.
  3. Select the Term Calendar 2 tab.
Term Calendar 2 Tab
  1. The Term Calendar 2 tab displays.
  2. Term Calendar 2 dates are informational only but are required to perform Term Cancellation & Withdrawal. Use the Add a New Row [+] icon to add a new term. Use the [>]button to find an existing term.
    1. Term: Select the applicable value. *Note - terms must be established in the Term/Session Table before selection on this page.
    2. Cancel: 
      1. Deadline: Enter the last date on which student enrollment can be canceled from the term in the enrollment cancellation process (drop for non payment)
      2. Reason: Select the applicable cancel reason
    3. Withdraw without Penalty: 
      1. Deadline: Enter the last date on which students can withdraw from the term without receiving a “W” penalty grade
      2. Reason: Select Student Drop Request
    4. Withdraw with Penalty:
      1. Deadline: Enter the last date on which students can withdraw from the term with a “W” penalty grade
      2. Grd Basis: Select GRD
      3. Grade: W
  3. Select the Term Calendar 3 tab.
Academic Calendar -
Term Calendar 3 Tab

Term control dates established on the Academic Calendar (Term Calendar 3 tab) are carried down to a student's term record when the term is activated. Suppose you change one of the following dates on the Academic Calendar:

  • Fully Enrolled Date
  • Show Enrollment on Transcript Date
  • Show Statistics on Transcript Date
  • Fully Graded Date

A student's term record is "locked" to the original date(s) before the change. You must refresh the term control dates to update the student's term record with the new date(s). Follow the steps in the QRG Refresh Term Control Dates. 

  1. The Term Calendar 3 tab displays.
  2. Term Calendar 3 establishes important landmark dates related to reporting, enrollment, graduation, transcripts, and FA processing.
    1. Confer Date: The official award date posted on students' transcripts for completions conferred that term. The date is not needed in CNED unless the institution awards completions in that career.
    2. Census Date: Must adhere to SBCTC census date policy.
      1. 10+ instructional weeks: 10th instructional day
      2. 9 instructional weeks: 9th instructional day
      3. 8 instructional weeks: 8th instructional day
    3. Fully Enrolled Date: Students are considered fully enrolled in a given term. As of this date, the coursework appears on student transcripts if using the Obey Enrollment on Transcript Date check box on the Enrollment/Statistics page of the Transcript Type component.
    4. Show Enrollment on Transcript: Date on which in-progress enrollment for the term begins to appear on transcripts for active students in the specified term for the specified academic career. When you define transcript types, you can indicate on the Transcript Type – Basic Data page whether the transcript processes should obey this date and display in-progress enrollment information.
      • We recommend that the Show Enrollment on Transcript date matches the Fully Enrolled and Census dates.
    5. Show Statistics on Transcript: The date students' academic statistics appear on a transcript for the specific term and career.
      • This value will default to the Show Enrollment on the Transcript date. 
    6. Fully Graded Date: Students are considered thoroughly graded for the term, and grades will appear on their transcript. They are used in FA SAP and grade lapse processing.
  3. Select the Term Calendar 4 tab.
Academic Calendar Term Calendar 3 Tab
Term Calendar 4 Tab
  1. The Term Calendar 4 tab displays.
  2. Dates entered on this page define the terms a student can apply for graduation online and are optional. For more information, refer to the QRG Using Graduation Processing to Update Checkout Status. Leave these fields blank if your college will not use an online graduation application.
    1. Range Start Date: First date students can apply to graduate for that term.
    2. Range End Date: The last date students can apply to graduate for that term.
    3. The Allow Self-Service Update Until option allows students to edit the application in this field before the date. Unfortunately, this feature is not available at the moment.
    4. Graduation Instructions: Free-form text, nearly unlimited character count. Instructions will only appear in the Student Center if range dates are set.
  3. Select the Session Calendar1 tab.
Academic Calendar Term Calendar 4 tab
Session Calendar1 Tab
  1. The Session Calendar1 tab displays.
  2. Session Calendar 1 deadline dates are required to perform Term or Session Cancellation & Withdrawal. The enrollment engine uses Session Calendar 1 dates to enforce drop and withdrawal deadlines when students and staff drop classes. Include a row and enter dates for each session within a Career. Sessions with dynamic date rules have calculated dates. Visit the QRG Generate Dynamic Class Dates.
    • UGRD:  1-Regular, DYN-Dynamic
    • CNED: DYN-Dynamic
  3. Use the second level [>] button to navigate between sessions.
  4. Session: Select the applicable value. Use the Add a New Row [+] icon to add a new row for the DYN sessions. Note: Sessions must be established in the Term/Session Table before selection on this page.
  5. Cancel: 
    1. Deadline: Enter the last date students can be canceled from a session.
    2. Reason: Select the applicable cancel reason.
  6. Withdraw without Penalty: 
    1. Deadline: Enter the last date students can withdraw from a session without receiving a “W” penalty grade.
    2. Reason: Select Student Drop Request.
  7. Withdraw with Penalty:
    1. Deadline: Enter the last date students can withdraw from a session with a “W” penalty grade.
    2. Grd Basis: Select GRD.
    3. Grade: W
  8. Select the Session Calendar2 tab.
Academic Calendar Session Calendar 1
Session Calendar2 Tab
  1. The Session Calendar2 tab displays.
  2. The enrollment engine uses Session Calendar2 dates to enforce drop and withdrawal deadlines when students and staff drop classes. Include a row and enter dates for each session within a Career. Sessions with dynamic date rules have calculated dates. Visit the QRG Generate Dynamic Class Dates.
    • UGRD:  1-Regular and DYN-Dynamic
    • CNED: DYN-Dynamic.
  3. Use the second level [>] button to navigate between sessions.
  4. Fully Enrolled Date: Enter the date students are considered fully enrolled for the session.
  5. Drop (Delete Record): DO NOT ENTER A DATE IN THIS FIELD.
  6. Drop (Retain Record):
    1. Deadline: Enter the last date students can drop a class without receiving a “W” penalty grade.
    2. Reason: Select Student Drop Request.
  7. Drop with Penalty:
    1. Deadline: Enter the last date students can withdraw from a class with a “W” penalty grade.
    2. Grd Basis: Select GRD.
    3. Grade: W.
  8. Select the Save button.
  9. Process complete.
Academic Calendar Session Calendar 2 Tab

Refund impact is determined based on refund dates and periods defined in Student Financials.

2 Comments

Isabel

Link at top of page does not work for Maintaining the Term/Session Table QRG.

Gretchen Fulmer

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. The link has been updated and is now accessible.

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