Overview
This article explains how to navigate Planning & Self Study to access assigned Self-Study reports, enter narrative content, manage supporting evidence, and track narrative revision statuses.
Accessing the Self-Study Report
Users can access assigned Self-Study reports from two main areas on the Planning & Self Study homepage:
- The "Project Tracker" section near the top of the homepage
- The "Service & Committee Involvement" dashboard near the bottom of the homepage
Selecting the report from either section opens the Self-Study workspace where users can begin adding content.
Accessing Assigned Standards
Selecting a Self-Study report opens a page containing the user's assigned Standards. The left-hand menu lists these Standards for individual selection.
For example, if a user is assigned to the "Mission Statement" and "Faculty Qualifications" sections, selecting either section opens two options for adding content:
- "Write Narrative"
- "Manage Evidence"
Writing the Narrative
Selecting "Write Narrative" opens the text-entry editor.
Users can type text directly into the editor or paste text from external sources.
Note: Copying and pasting text directly into the narrative editor can carry unwanted source formatting, leading to unpredictable formatting errors. To paste plain text without source formatting, use the following keyboard shortcuts:
- PC: Ctrl + Shift + V
- Mac: Command + Option + Shift + V
For additional details on safely formatting and adding content, review Best Practices when Entering Content into a Self-Study.
The linked article covers:
- Formatting narrative text
- Adding links to narrative text
- Inserting tables into narrative text
Managing Evidence
Evidence consists of supporting documentation referenced in a narrative. Planning & Self Study supports the following evidence sources:
- Files saved on a local computer
- URL web links
- Planning & Self Study assessment reports
Users can attach evidence directly within an individual narrative or upload it to the Overview section of the Self-Study for reuse across multiple sections.
Note: File titles containing invalid special characters (# ? : " * < > | . / \) will trigger an error message to prevent server issues and export errors.
For complete instructions on uploading and managing files, see Adding and Managing Evidence in a Self-Study.
Updating Narrative Status
Planning & Self Study supports non-destructive version history for narratives. Users can edit text and track changes by updating the working status. Available statuses include:
- Not Started
- Drafting
- Ready for Review
- In Review
- Ready for Revision
- Revising
- Complete
Saving a narrative for the first time automatically sets the status to "Drafting". Users manage all subsequent status changes manually during content entry.
For more details on managing narrative workflows, see Narrative History and Status Changes.
Adding Commentary to the Self-Study
Planning & Self Study includes a Comments tool to support collaboration among multiple contributors. Users can select the text box icon to open the commenting feature.
The panel on the right displays the discussion history and allows contributors to post new comments or mark their own comments as resolved.