Default Display Styles for Activity Screens

Overview

Default display styles determine how activity records are presented in My Profile and Self-Service Reports in Faculty Success. Each activity screen includes a system defined display style that controls how selected data fields are compiled and displayed as a single entry.

These styles are configured at the institutional level and apply consistently across all users. This article explains how default display styles function, how to reference the system defaults, and how to request changes.   

Important Notes About Display Styles

Default Style Behavior

• My Profile always uses the default display style.
• Custom display styles may be available for Self-Service Reports that are not available for display styles in My Profile. 
• Changes to default display styles apply to all users at the institution.

Publication Citation Styles 

•  Publication citation styles are managed separately through the citation style library and are not editable.

How Default Display Styles are Compiled from Activity Fields

Each activity screen contains multiple fields that capture data. These fields capture information such as titles, organizations, dates, descriptions, and roles. The default display style determines which of those fields are included in the final output and how they are arranged to display within My Profile and Self-Service Reports. 

The manner in which it is determined which fields are used for the display style occurs when a record is created. After a record is created, the system evaluates the display style configuration for that screen. It then retrieves the designated fields and assembles them into a single line or structured entry according to a predefined style for the activity screen. This controls:

• Field inclusion
• Field sequence
• Punctuation and separators
• Date formatting

The result is a standardized display style that ensures consistency across all users and records.

Note: My Profile always uses the default display style assigned to the activity screen. Even if additional styles exist in Self-Service Reports, My Profile will not use those alternate styles.

Example: Professional Activity Screen

The following example illustrates how specific fields in an activity screen are compiled to create the display style for that screen. 

Field values entered in the following specific fields on the Professional activity screen:

• Position/Role: Committee Member.
• Organization/Committee/Journal: American Arts Association.
• Start Date: January 1, 2025.
• End Date: January 1, 2026. 

Result in the display style output:

Committee Chair, American Arts Association. (January 1, 2025 - January 1, 2026).

The following are screenshots showing how this example of the default display style for the record in the Professional Activity screen appears in My Profile and a Self-Service Report:

• My Profile: 
  
• Self-Service Report: 
  

In this example, the display style specifies that the role appears first, followed by the organization name, and then the date range. The system automatically applies punctuation and spacing. 

Important: Users cannot manually rearrange these elements or apply text styling within the compiled output.

Viewing Default Display Styles for My Profile

A quick way to see your display styles in action is by Creating a Report from your Activities. By viewing your activities and accomplishments in this format, you can identify how the system compiles selected activity fields into a display style for all activity screens. Additionally, a complete reference for the default display styles offered by Faculty Success has been included as an attachment at the end of this article.

The attachment serves as a technical reference and includes the screen name, internal screen code, and the default display structure associated with each activity screen. This reference reflects the out-of-the-box system configuration. 

Institutions may have customized activity screens by renaming fields or adjusting the structure of activity screens. However, the underlying screen codes remain consistent. When reviewing the attachment, compare the listed screen codes with your Configuration Report to confirm alignment with your local system setup.

Reviewing the attachment can help administrators determine whether the current output matches institutional expectations before submitting a revision request for a display style. The process for requesting changes to display styles in My Profile is discussed in the "Requesting a Change to a Default Display Style" section of this article, while revisions to styles in Self-Service Reports are discussed in the following article, Requesting a New Report Citation. 

For additional context, refer to:

• Creating a Report from Your Activities
• Configuration Report

Requesting a Change to a Default Display Style 

Since default display styles are system-defined and cannot be edited directly, any revisions to display styles are managed by administrators for Faculty Success through the Work Request utility. Since display styles are handled at an institutional level, any changes to the default style will apply to all users tracking activities.

Formatting Limitations

Default display styles do not support rich text formatting such as:

• Bold
• Italics
• Underlining
• Custom fonts
• Manual spacing adjustments

The formatting of display styles is system-controlled and cannot be modified at the individual record level.

What to Include in the Work Request

To request a revision to a default display style, submit a Report Revision work request that includes: 

1. The name of the activity screen.
2. Confirmation that the request applies to the default display style.
3. A mock-up of the desired output using your system’s field labels.
4. The intended field order and punctuation structure.

Once the work request is completed, the updated default display style will apply in My Profile and anywhere the default style is used. Additional styles created through this process may be available for selection in Self-Service Reports.