Add a New Section
Home > (Select - Application Name) > Application Settings > Sections and Questions > Create Section
Once you have created your application you will need to create the individual sections and questions within the application. The questions are categorized into various sections for the applicant to navigate easily through the process. Each section will be identified with a separate icon on the applicant’s dashboard. There is no limit to the number of sections you can create.
To create a new section:
1. From the Application Settings tab, click on the Sections and Questions menu option, then click on the menu bar. Select Create Section.
As you complete the section form, items marked with an * (asterisk) are required and must contain a valid value.
Section Field Descriptions
Section Name: The Section Name is used for reporting purposes and will not be visible to the applicant. Spaces or special characters other than alphanumeric are not allowed. If you enter a Section Name with spaces or special characters, those will be removed when you tab to the next field.
*Section Display Name: This is the title name that is displayed to the applicant on the Applicant Dashboard.
Section XML Name: When importing/exporting data from the CommunityForce system and integrating this same data with another database system, the Section XML Name is the most important factor in accomplishing this task successfully. In order to be able to map the data effectively, the value must be the same as the XML name of your integrated database item. Once an XML name is created and mapped to your database, it is important to never change this name. Doing so will break the mapping of data between the two systems.
Section Type: Sections are organized by Section Types that help determine the part of the process in which this section is used. Some types are necessary in order to cause other triggers in the system. The options are Admin, Application, Acceptance, Post Acceptance, and Request.
- Admin - Admin sections are created for use by back end administrators only. If this section type is selected, you will also set the Staff Section setting to Yes which hides the section from applicants. (Please see the Create an Admin/Staff Section article for more details.)
- Application - This is the main section of the application and is what applicants see when they first begin to apply. An applicant must complete all of the Application sections prior to submitting their initial application.
- Acceptance - Sections that an applicant, who has been offered an award, can see and complete to acknowledge their acceptance or denial of an award, collect payment information, etc. (Please see the Create an Acceptance Section article for more details.)
- Post Acceptance - This section is completed by an applicant after they have accepted the original award, to capture additional information such as payment method, travel arrangements for a formal awarding event, reporting on semester grades, etc. (Please see the Create a Post Acceptance Section article for more details.)
- Request - This section must be completed by an outside source, not the applicant, via an online form. The applicant nominates an individual to complete the form and only the person who receives the request via email (and the authorized staff) sees the questions in these sections (i.e., Letters of Recommendation, Request for Transcripts from Guidance Counselors, etc.). When using this section type you will also set the Request Section setting to Yes. (Please see the Create a Request Section article for more details.)
Staff Section: If this section should be only be viewed by staff or reviewers select Yes, otherwise, select No. Staff sections are only viewable by authorized staff, not the applicant, and can be used to create questions to be completed for internal purposes, including uploading additional information to the applicant’s application used for internal review, tracking colleges that applicants select, staff interview notes, site visit notes, etc. (Please see the Create an Admin/Staff Section article for more details.)
Request Section: Request Sections require the applicant to assign (nominate) a designated person to complete a specific section on their behalf. This section is private and not viewable by the applicants, but the applicant can see when the designee has completed this section or if the designee has rejected their request. (Please see the Create a Request Section article for more details.)
Select Yes to designate this section as a Request section, otherwise, select No.
Hide from Reviewer: The Hide from Reviewer setting allows an entire section to be hidden from all Reviewers so they cannot see the section in their review process. (Please see the Hide Sections from Reviewers article for more details.)
Select Yes to hide this section from reviewers, otherwise, select No.
Display Order: This option will only display if editing an existing section. Once you save a new section and return to edit it the option will display. Enter a number to represent the order in which you want this section to display in the applicant's dashboard (i.e., 1=the first icon in the line of sections, 2=the second icon, etc.) (Please see the Change the Display Order of a Section article for more details.)
Section Display Image: Click on the Click here to select Icon link to scroll through the listing of available images and select an image for this section. The image you select will display in the box. The image labels are only suggestions and do not display to the applicant, so any image can be used.
Statuses: Set a status on the section so that applicants will not see that section until they have been moved to a specific status in the process. (Please see the Set a Section Status article for more details.)
Deadline: Select the Deadline Type, as well as the Date and Time, if applicable. If you want the same deadline information as the application, select the Inherit from Application option. (Please see the Set Section Deadline Options article for more details.)
Show Submit Button: This allows you to include a Submit button at the end of a section page to allow the applicant to submit just that one section. (Please see the Show Submit on a Section article for more details.)
- Yes – Allows the Submit button to be present within the section.
- No – Will only display Submit on the applicant dashboard and the applicant will need to click out of the section to submit.
Lock After Submit: This prevents the applicant from making changes to the individual section after the applicant clicks Submit. Select the appropriate setting for your section:
- Inherit from Application - When creating a new application, you have the option to Enable Editing after Submitting Application. Select this option if you want the same rule as you created for the application. Otherwise, if you want this section to have a different rule from the application's lock setting, then set according to the specific section.
- Yes – Locks the section so the applicant cannot change it after they have submitted.
- No – Allows the applicant to make changes to this specific section even after submitting.
Note: If the Global Admin has set the Disable Section Locks in Administration > Manage Site Settings to No, then even the administrator will not be able to edit this section. If this is the case and the administrator needs to edit this section, then select No if the lock in the actual application was set to Yes.
Show for Fund: This function allows you to show questions answered by the applicant to your reviewers in the review process that only pertain to the fund they are reviewing. Its key role is for the review process. When using, it will affect how you create the section, question, and how you create the actual scoring task in the Reviewer Task Setup section. (Please see the Show Sections to Reviewers by Fund article for more details.)
Section Specific Instructions: Section Specific Instructions display below the Section heading in the Applicant Dashboard when the applicant clicks on that section. These instructions describe how to appropriately complete the section. Type your instructions in the Instructions box, which has an HTML editor, or you can use the Design Mode to edit and format the instruction features similar to Microsoft Word. If this is a Request section, the instructions will be directed to the designated individual completing the section for the applicant.
Once you have created your sections, click the Save and Exit button to save your information and you will be returned to the Sections listing for the selected application.
Save – Click this button to save changes but remain on the form.
Exit without Save – Click this button to exit the form and not save any changes made.
Reset Form – Allows you to cancel and reset the form to start over. All information you have entered will be deleted from the form.