The Course Evaluations & Surveys FTP data import as data source feature allows you to FTP files of course information and corresponding student and instructor enrollments directly to Course Evaluations & Surveys, which can then be used to search and select for inclusion in desired Projects. Additionally, the Enrollment Refresh feature can be used to automate the update of student, instructor, and teaching assistant enrollments into courses that have been already imported into a project.
OPERATIONAL STEPS
FTP Folder
- A FTP Folder will be setup by Course Evaluations & Surveys where the customer can deposit files for this process.
- Connection to this folder will be via Secure File Transfer Protocol, SFTP.
Once FTP setup is complete, the following directories will be in your FTP root directory:
- DataSourceFilesToProcess: Drop files in this directory to upload course and corresponding enrollment data.
- DataSourceFilesProcessed: After the course and corresponding enrollment file(s) has processed, it will be moved to this directory.
FTP File
- Format: Required file format is Comma Delimited, with CSV file extension (.csv)
- File Name: Name the file CourseUsers-mmddyyyyhhmm.csv, where MMDDYYYYHHMM is a date/time identifier to further identify the file.
- Header Row: The file must contain a header row which includes the field names described below, separated by commas.
- Contents Rows: Each row represents an enrollment into a course, either performing an Add or Drop process for that enrollment, and aligned contents with the Header Row fields, separated by commas.
FTP Fields and Field Characteristics
* Fields indicated with an asterisk are optional, and can be omitted from the FTP file. When omitting fields from the file do not include the field name in the Header Row and omit data from Contents Rows.
- NodePath: The path value where the course can be assigned to a specific area in the report Hierarchy.*
- Code: The course code as displayed to users (Maximum 512 characters).
- Title: The course title (Maximum 1024 characters).
- UniqueID: The unique identifier for the course (Maximum 32 characters, and this field needs to be unique over time and project).
- SurveyStart: The defined start date for Survey Access for this course.*
- SurveyEnd: The defined end date for Survey Access for this course.*
- AdminStart: The defined start date for administrator reporting access for this course.*
- AdminEnd: The defined end date for administrator reporting for this course.*
- InstructorStart: The defined start date for instructor reporting access for this course.*
- InstructorEnd: The defined end date for instructor reporting access for this course.*
- TAStart: The defined start date for teaching assistant reporting access for this course.*
- TAEnd: The defined end date for teaching assistant reporting access for this course.*
- UserTypeId: The code for user type, Instructor Code = 3, Students = 4, and Teaching Assistant = 6.
- FirstName: The user’s first name (Maximum 128 characters).
- LastName: The user’s last name (Maximum 128 characters).
- Email: The user’s email address (Maximum 256 characters).
- Username: The user’s Course Evaluations & Surveys username (Maximum 60 characters).
- Password: The user’s Course Evaluations & Surveys password (Maximum 16 characters).*
NOTE
You can upload up to 440 characters for a Course Code and Course Unique ID as part of the data source. These values may be truncated throughout your PDF Reporting.FTP Fields and Field Characteristics
- File Header row includes the following fields:
- Code, Title, UniqueId, UserTypeId, Firstname, Lastname, Email, Username.
- Each additional row in the file indicates either a student, instructor or teaching assistant enrollment into a course following the fields indicated in the Header.
FTP File with Optional Fields
- File Header row includes the following fields:
- Code, Title, UniqueId, SurveyStart, SurveyEnd, AdminStart, AdminEnd, InstructorStart, InstructorEnd, TAStart, TAEnd, UserTypeId, Firstname, Lastname, Email, Username, Password.
- Each additional row in file indicates either a student, instructor or teaching assistant enrollment into a course following the fields indicated in the Header.
File Processing
- Once a file is deposited in the FTP folder, the system/service will detect a new file has been added and immediately process the file. The enrollments contained in the file will accordingly get added or dropped from the specified course.
- Dropping enrollments is no different than the process described above, with the exception that the AddDrop code in the row would be set to “0” to drop the enrollment.
- The FTP files should only contain an enrollment needing to be added or dropped. Enrollments contained in the file to be added, which are already in the specified course will be ignored if no changes are detected in any of the row contents for that enrollment.
File Confirmation Email and Error Messaging/Handling
- Once a file is deposited into the FTP folder and processed, a confirmation email will be sent to the email address you designated under Account > FTP.
-
Confirmation Email Subject Line
- Includes – Filename
- Includes – File Status (Successful, Some Failures, Failed)
-
Confirmation Email Contents of Email
- Includes – Filename
- Includes – File Status (Successful, Some Failures, Failed)
- Summary Metrics Organized by Project ID from the file
- Courses Added
- Student Enrollments Added and Dropped
- Instructor or Teaching Assistant Enrollments Added and Dropped
- Failed Enrollments
- Specific Rows in File That Failed
-
Additional Error Handling
- In the event a file is deposited in the FTP folder and the Course Evaluations & Surveys service to process the file is halted for any reason (e.g., System Maintenance, etc.), FTP files will accumulate in the FTP Folder until the service resumes processing, at which time the service will process any/all files in the folder beginning with the oldest file.
- Any files added to the FTP Folder not conforming to the required format will generate a Confirmation Email indicating a Failure to process the file.
FILE REQUIREMENTS AND SAMPLE
- Required file format is Comma Delimited, with CSV file extension (.csv)
- Name file CourseUsers-mmddyyyyhhmm.csv
- File contains a header row and each additional row represents an enrollment into a course.