Working with Retention Alerts

Various alerts or visualizations can be configured on a student record layout to bring important indicators of success or risk to the forefront for counselors and advisors in Retention. These visualizations drive important and timely communications, business processes, or student initiatives and programs.

These are built through formula fields, so they can reference different fields and values indicating whether the student is in green or red flag territory. Consider the markers that are valuable for your advisors to see and what would be possible with your data.

Alerts can be configured as visualizations on a student record layout to bring important indicators of success or risk to the forefront for counselors and advisors.

Visualizing an Alert in Retention

Salesforce includes a variety of icons available for use in alerts, including:


For more information, see Salesforce's Help and Training article Sample Image Link Formulas.

You can create your own Custom images to be used in formulas as well - such as: 

For more information, see Salesforce's Help and Training article Using images in Formula Fields.
 
An example of a formula that converts a field to a standard image available by default in Salesforce:

IF(MidTerm_Grades_Below_Avg_RollUp__c > 1, 
IMAGE("/img/samples/flag_red.gif", "Red-Flag"),IMAGE("/img/samples/flag_green.gif", "Green-Flag"))

Actionable Alerts

The ability to track, record, and set indicators is fundamental to an institution's success strategy. The key to achieving the goals of a student success & retention strategy on campus is the ability to provide follow-up and support to a student in need. Student information on Academic Profiles and Academic Snapshots makes it easy to report on a current student's role and quickly identify "at-risk" students and other relevant information.

Alert or Status indicators 

Various Alerts or Status Indicators are available to quickly identify 'at-risk' students and other relevant information.

  • Current Term coursework and academic performance:
    • Attendance Status
    • Enrollment Eligibility
  • Grades & Transcripts, GPA, credit totals: summary of credits attempted, credits earned, quality points, GPA by term, and overall cumulative GPA.
    • Academic Status
    • Class Level
  • Total Alerts, Referrals, Accolades
    • Configure' filtered' alerts, referrals, and accolades based on institution needs.

Configuring Retention Alerts and Status Indicators

Academic Status 

A custom field, such as Academic_Status__c, can display color-coded indicators related to Academic factors - red, yellow, or green- based on each institution's definition.

For example:

IF(GPA__c <= 2.0, IMAGE("/img/samples/light_red.gif", "Red"), 
IF(GPA__c > 2.0 && GPA__c < 3.0, IMAGE("/img/samples/light_yellow.gif","Yellow"),
IF(GPA__c >= 3.0, IMAGE("/img/samples/light_green.gif","Green"),NULL)))

Attendance Status 

A custom field, such as Attendance_Status__c, can be configured to display color-coded indicators related to Attendance - red, yellow, or green based on each institution's definition.

For example: 

IF( Total_Absences_SUM__c >= 10.0, IMAGE("/img/samples/light_red.gif", "Red"),
IF( Total_Absences_SUM__c >= 3.0 && Total_Absences_SUM__c < 10.0 , IMAGE("/img/samples/light_yellow.gif","Yellow"),
IF( Total_Absences_SUM__c < 3.0, IMAGE("/img/samples/light_green.gif","Green"),NULL)))

Enrollment Eligibility 

A custom field, such as Enrollment_Eligibility__c, can be configured to display color-coded indicators related to Enrollment factors - red, yellow, or green- based on each institution's definition.

For example: 

IF( Number_of_Holds_Recent__c > 0 || Cumulative_GPA_Formula__c < 2.4, IMAGE("/img/samples/light_red.gif", "Red"),
IF( Number_of_Alerts_Recent__c > 1 || Cumulative_GPA_Formula__c < 3.0, IMAGE("/img/samples/light_yellow.gif","Yellow"),
IF( Cumulative_GPA_Formula__c >= 3.5, IMAGE("/img/samples/light_green.gif","Green"),NULL)))

Class Level (Formula) 

A custom field, such as Class_Level_Formula__c, can display a student's class level based on the institution's definition.

For example: 

IF( Total_Credit_Hours_Earned__c > 0 && Total_Credit_Hours_Earned__c < 28, 'Freshman',

IF( Total_Credit_Hours_Earned__c >= 28 && Total_Credit_Hours_Earned__c < 58, 'Sophomore',
IF( Total_Credit_Hours_Earned__c >= 58 && Total_Credit_Hours_Earned__c < 90, 'Junior',
IF( Total_Credit_Hours_Earned__c >= 90, 'Senior',
NULL))))

Success Team Object Validation Rules 

  • Primary_But_Contact_Conflict validates that the Success Team Member is a User if it is marked as primary (Primary Success Team Members must be Users).
  • STM_OTM_Absent validates that the 'Success Team Member' field or the 'Other Team Member' field is filled in.
  • STM_OTM_Field_Conflict validates that the 'Success Team Member' and 'Other Team Member' fields are not both filled in.

Creating a Formula field on the Contact object to visualize an 'Alert'

  1. Create a Roll-Up Summary field on the Academic Profile object. See Creating a Roll-Up Summary field on the Academic Profile object​.
  2. ​​Create a Roll-Up Summary field on the Contact object. See Creating a Roll-Up Summary field on the Contact object.
  3. Select Setup > Customize > Contacts > Fields.
  4. Under Contact Custom Fields & Relationships, select New.
  5. For the Data Type, choose Formula.
  6. Select Next.
  7. Enter a Field Label and Field Name.
  8. For Formula Return Type,  Choose Text.
  9. Select Next.
  10. On the Advanced Formula tab, enter your formula.

Sample formula:

IF(<Name of Rollup field created on Contact Object>__c > 0,
IMAGE("/img/samples/flag_red.gif", "Red-Flag"),IMAGE("/img/samples/flag_green.gif", "Green-Flag"))
  1. Select Next.
  2. Configure the Field-Level Security that should apply to the field.
  3. Indicate the Page Layout(s) that should include the field.
  4. Select Save.

Note: Salesforce includes a variety of icons available for use in alerts. For more information, see Sample Image Link Formulas. You can create your Custom images to be used in formulas as well. For more information, see Using images in Formula Fields.

Visualization of Alerts and Statuses 

Alerts and Statuses can be configured to display as a visual badge or icon related to student details. For example, a Red flag could appear on a student's record if their attendance record does not meet institution attendance policies.

Step 1: Define the alert 

Define the Business Requirements for the 'Alerts' you want to track.

For each 'Alert,' capture the following information:

  1. What is the rule that should raise this 'Alert'?
  2. What visual icon should represent this 'Alert'?

Recommended visual icons include:

  • Traffic Lights (Red, Yellow, Green)

traffic lights icon

  • Flags (Red, Yellow, Green)

red flag.pngyellow flag.pnggreen flag.png

  • Custom

  1. What communications should occur when this Alert is raised?

For example, should an email alert or text be sent to the Advisor, the Student, or both?

  1. Meet with your Systems Administrator to clarify the Business Requirements and review the options for implementing the ideal technical solution.

Step 2: Create the Alert 

Once Step 1 is complete, implement the Alert.

Example

Raise a 'Red Flag Alert' for first-year students enrolled in Foundation English (ENG 100) or Foundation Math (MTH 100) - when their midterm grade is C or below.
This flag should be cleared if the student's grade is C+ or above at the end of the semester.

  1. Capture Mid-Term and Final Grades - either manually or via file import.
  2. Create a Roll-Up Summary field on the Academic Profile object.
  3. Create a Roll-Up Summary field on the Contact object.
  4. Create a Formula field on the Contact object to visualize the 'Alert.'
IF(Alert_Foundation_Course_RollUp__c > 0,
IMAGE("/img/samples/flag_red.gif", "Red-Flag"),IMAGE("/img/samples/flag_green.gif", "Green-Flag"))

  1. Display the 'Alert' on the Layout.

    • Note: The RollUp-Summary field is supporting.  It can be added to the page layout if desired, i.e., Contact page, by adding the new formula field from Step #4 to your Contact Page, but typically will not be displayed.

Create a Workflow Email Alert, Broadcast Email, or SMS Text Message Campaign to communicate the 'Alert' - when desired.

Configuring custom Retention flags, alerts, badges, or other visualizations

Example

Raise a Red Flag for first-year students who receive a midterm grade of C or below in Foundation English (i.e., ENG 100) or Foundation Math (i.e., MTH 100).
This Red Flag should be cleared if the student receives a Final Grade of C+ or above at the end of the semester.
 

Configuring custom flags, alerts, and badges (based on the example above): Edit section

  1. Add Roll-Up Summary field on Academic Profile object - to COUNT the number of Foundation (Math or English) Courses where Mid-Term Grades are C or below.
    1. ​See the example field, MidTerm Grades - Below Avg (RollUp), delivered by Retention Toolkit on the Academic Profile object. 
  2. Add Roll-Up Summary field on Student/Contact object - to SUM total of related Roll-Up Summary field on Academic Profile object.
    1. See the example field, MidTerm Grades - Below Avg (RollUp), delivered by Retention Toolkit on the Contact/Student object.

Note: For more information on configuring Roll-Up Summary fields, see Implementing Roll-Up Summary Fields.

  1. Add Formula field to Student/Contact object and page layout - to provide a visualization when this flag is raised:​
IF(MidTerm_Grades_Below_Avg_RollUp__c > 1, 
IMAGE("/img/samples/flag_red.gif", "Red-Flag"),IMAGE("/img/samples/flag_green.gif", "Green-Flag"))
  1. Create an automated, CRM-driven communication when the flag is raised - such as Workflow Email Alert, Broadcast Email, or SMS Text Message Campaign

Additional Example

Raise a Red Flag for any student who demonstrates poor attendance 
(based on institutionally-defined attendance policies).

This example is similar to Scenario #1 but would additionally require a RollUp-Summary field added to the Courses object (to summarize Course Attendance object records).

  1. As a pre-requisite, must capture mid-term and final grades - typically imported from a Student Information System (SIS).
  2. See the example field, Course Absences (RollUp), delivered by Retention Toolkit on the Academic Profile object.