People Finder Concepts
There are six People Finders (filters) available for searching. These include Admissions Inquiry/Applicant, Student, Alumni/Development, Faculty, Parent, and All People. All display grids will show some common information such as first and last name to help identify the record. The other information on the display grid within each search page will vary and display information that is relevant to the group within each search. For example, on an admissions search, you would see progress code, entering semester, and inquiry date. On an alumni search, you might see class year, constituency, and solicitor.
The query tool provided will allow you to search for groups of people using standard query logic. For example, if you select State (is one of) and list three states, then the result set will include only people with that state in their address field within the database.
The People Finder returns a defined number of results specified by the user. Campus Café recommends only retrieving the number of records needed for the current task. Increasing the search results to large number will affect system performance.
The various filters on the People Finder will allow you to segment and find various constituencies. For example, if you need an alumni gave last year but not this year report, you could use the last year and current year giving parameter to get the report. You could further limit the report to alumni in the last 10 class years.
Access Finders
Click the Filters button at the top of the screen
Click the desired filter
Defining Criteria
To return the desired results, the finder allows you to select criteria based on the desired data fields. Once on the finder, click Expand Filters to show the criteria options. Note that specific search criteria boxes may be shown or hidden by clicking the Hide/Show Fields in the upper right.
Enter the desired criteria in each box. Some boxes contain a three-bar menu to the right that will allow the specific options for that criteria to be selected.
As an alternative to defining criteria, Campus Cafe accepts an imported list of Campus Cafe ID numbers. The source might be from an export of activity tracking items or any list of ID numbers gathered outside of the system. The ID numbers may appear more than once in the source spreadsheet, but they will be unduplicated when fed into the People Finder. The ID number input list may then be further filtered using the filter fields on the finder.
Create a spreadsheet with ID numbers listed in the first column. The system will ignore data in other columns.
Save the spreadsheet as a .csv file
Important: The file name cannot contain any periods. The only period should be prior to file extension csvOn the finder, click Add Ids to Filter
Click Browse and select your file
Click Add IDs to filer
Saving Criteria
Criteria may be saved and the finder rerun in the future with the same criteria. A saved filter does not save the resulting population itself, it saves the criteria. The results will be dynamic.
To save the criteria, in the box to the right of the Save Filter As button, enter a name for the saved filter. To allow all users to use the saved filter, check Available For All Users? Click Save Filter As.
To run a saved filter, on the finder page, under All User's Filters or Your Filters choose the saved filter.
Using Date Variable Criteria
Finders allow the specification of specific dates. For example a saved finder could display all inquiries with an inquiry date specified between January 1, 2020 and June 30, 2020. Campus Cafe also permits saving a filter with a variable time frame. For example, all inquiries with an inquiry date of today. In this way, the results would constantly shift with each day.
For this function to work, the filters must be saved and then run from the All Users' Filters or Your Filters drop downs.
In a date filter box enter any of the below
Text to enter in date field | What it will show |
---|---|
~Today | The date will always translate to today's date (the date the query is submitted) |
~PrvDay | The date will always be yesterday's date |
~PrvWeek | The date will always be a week ago from today |
~PrvMnth | The date will always be a month ago from today |
~PrvYear | The date will always be a year ago from today |
In the Save Filter As box enter a filter name
Click Submit
Next time the filter is run, the date with the variable will automatically fill in with the correct date.
Defining Result Limit
To ensure quality system performance, Campus Cafe by default limits results to 100 total and 100 per page. This limit may be increased by changing the numbers in the # of Results and # Per Page boxes.
Number of Results boxes
Add/Hide Columns to Results
This function allows the user to view additional information in the results by adding or hiding columns. This can be used to better organize data and isolate columns needed for the current task. An export will only contain columns that included on the grid.
Click the Column Visibility button
Clicking a column name will show or hide the column
Rearrange columns by clicking and dragging the column to its new location.
Sort by column by clicking the column header.
Some data elements on the finder results - namely student credits and GPA data - update overnight. The GPA processor may be triggered manually if the data must be refreshed on demand.
Save Column Arrangement
The results grid, including the visible columns and the column order, may be saved.
With the results loaded and the columns visible and arranged as desired, click the disk icon
In the Name of Table Configuration box enter a name for the column arrangement
Tip: To make this the default arrangement, save it as *MY DEFAULTOptionally check the box Make Available For All Users to make arrangement visible to all users
Click Save
To launch this column arrangement in the future, after loading results, select it from the drop down
Launch Person from Result
Clicking the Launch Person link (assuming this column is visible) will bring the user to the person’s Contact Information screen that shows information about the individual and allows navigation to additional information and functions related to that individual dependent on the user’s security.
Export Results
This function allows the export of the displayed results to an Excel spreadsheet or PDF. Only rows and columns that are selected on the grid will be exported.
Click the Excel or PDF button
Depending on the user’s computer settings the file will either open, download or prompt the user for guidance on whether to open or save the file.
Download Results
The download option allows downloading the results with additional data elements not shown in the results grid.
Click the Download icon
Check the data elements to download
Click Apply
Click the Download button
Choose For All to download all results or For Page to download the results on the shown page
Please note the file will download as a .tab file. This type of file may be opened in Excel:
Open Excel
Navigate to File > Open
Click Browse
To the right of the File name box, select All Files (*.*) from the drop down
Select your file
Under Original data type, select Delimited
Click Next
Under Delimiters, check only Tab
Click Next
Click Finish
Send Text Message
This feature requires the customer to procure a third-party contract with Message Media. Once enabled and configured a user with appropriate security may send a text message from the finder. Refer to the separate text messaging documentation for setup and detailed directions. It is recommended that the text include the name of the institution and/or sender to help the recipient identify the source of the text.
Click Text
User will be brought to the texting screen
In the Member: Template Name, select an activity tracking template
Optionally set additional criteria
In the message box, compose the text message
Click Submit
Wait until the system completes sending the message. Only users with valid mobile (MBL) phone numbers can receive a text message.
Send Email
A user may email the selected results on the People Finder either by feeding the emails into a local email software client (e.g. Outlook) or by using the Campus Café email client. The client relies on the customer configuring an email relay. In both cases, the system will return and email the email set as preferred.
Email vendors often set governor limits (caps) on the number of recipients per email or the total number of emails sent within 24 hours. Campus Café relies on the customer’s email provider so questions should be directed to the email provider.
Emailing using local client (email software on your computer)
Select by checking the Selected checkbox the results you wish to email
Click the Email button
Click For Page Default or For All Default
Your locally installed email client will open and the emails will appear in the BCC line.
Compose and send the email as normal
Emailing using Campus Café
Ensure pop ups are allowed for Campus Café.
Select by checking the Selected checkbox the results you wish to email
Click the Email button
Click For Page Client or For All Client
A pop up will appear
Compose the email
Click send
Add tracking items-sending personalized emails/letters
Activities that contain text message workflows should not be initiated though this button. While the activity will be associated with the individuals, the text message will not send. To send texts, use the Text action button.
This function allows the user to add a batch of items to the activity tracking system based on the people selected in the grid. For example, the user may wish to add a phone reminder to call the 10 people on list in 10 days.
This process relies on an administrator configuring activity items. For example, a school may pre-configure a form called PHONE10 that will contain a phone reminder that will be due in 10 days.
Leverage pre-existing activity or workflow
Follow these directions if the activity does not involve sending an email or if the activity is pre-configured with an associated workflow that sends an email.
Select by checking the Selected checkbox the results you wish to add activity to
Click Add Activity
Choose Add for All or Add for Page
In the Member: Template Name, select an activity tracking template
Optionally tie the activity to a specific semester. This might be useful if the activity relates to a specific class in a specific semester or financial aid for a specific semester.
In the Add Only For These People box you can choose whether to send the message to everyone selected, only those that do not have the activity tracking item or only those that do not have the item for the set semester.
Optionally add a comment
Optionally assign a user
Optionally add a long comment
Click Submit
Find Related People
The finders can be employed to find people related to the individuals returned as results. For example, you may wish to find all parents of a group of students.
Navigate to the desired filter
Click Expand Filters
In the Relationship Type filter choose one or more types of relationships
Tip: If the Relationship Type box does not appear, in the upper left click Hide/Show FieldsClick Submit
Click Column Visibility; fields that start with "Relationship" provide additional information. The below are frequently used columns.
Relationship Type
Relationship Person
Relationship Email
Relationship Phone
Relationship Mobile Phone
Download Related People
To download related people, click Download > Relationships for Page or Relationships for All