Table of Contents:

   General Questions:

1. Where can I find Colleague Documentation ?
2. How do I download a File ?
3. How do I use the LookUp feature to search for lists of qualifying data ?
4. What do the Function Keys do ?
5. What other short-cut key-strokes can I use ?
6. How do I create a Service Request ?
7. How do I decide the Priority of my Service Request ?
8. My Report isn't printing on my Printer ?
9. My Report is not sorted in the order I want it ?
10. What screens are frequently used ?
11. I don't have access to Colleague / to a certain screen ?

   Module-Related Questions:   (a)   STUDENT

1. When inputting new students, what can I do to prevent duplicate records ?
2. How do I find a Students Address Information ?
3. How do I find a Students Dorm Room and its Phone Number ?
4. What Divisions are defined in Colleague ?

    (b)  FINANCIALS

1. How can I get a list of Outstanding Vouchers ?
2. How do the document-statuses reflect the progression of a
   purchasing transaction ?

Answers:

1. Where can I find Colleague Documentation ?

Go to http://www.niagara.edu/it and look at the selections under the section for
"Administrative Services". Selecting the option "Colleague Document Library" will take you
to a selection of folders containing the Datatel publications for the various Colleague modules.

Most of the documents are published in .pdf format. You will need to have a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader on your PC. If you do not already have a copy, it can be safely downloaded, free of charge.
There are a few .ppt documents also. You will need Microsoft Power Point to view these.

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2. How do I download a File?

After you have run your custom-report (query), which creates a file for downloading, in order to use that file on your PC:

 On your PC:

            Click                 the green  start    button on your Taskbar (bottom left on your
                                    display).
            Click on            Run…

            Type                 ftp datatel 

            Click on            OK – this will bring up a UNIX window 

Login                enter your Colleague login id and password 

Type                 cd  /outgoing (lower case) 

Type                 lcd c:\My Documents (this is your default folder and all of your Microsoft applications will be able to easily locate the file)

Type                 get    MYFILENAME.SUFFIX. (Ensure the entire filename is in uppercase.)

                        e.g.  get MYSTTRMS.CSV

 When done, to exit ftp-process in the UNIX window, 

 Type                 bye

 Go to the Microsoft application – Excel, Access or Outlook - to open / import / 
 e-mail the file.

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3. How do I use the LookUp feature to search for lists of qualifying data ?

Searches can be performed on any field in a file to find specific data-conditions. You can find out what file is populating any given screen, by typing ; (semi-colon) at the LookUp prompt.
This will present the list of dictionary field-names associated with that screen.

Use the syntax ;<field-name> <operand>  <value> to search for a list of qualifying data.

e.g. on the SPRO screen, to search for a list of students from Ohio, type ;STATE = "OH",
where the field-name is STATE, the operand is "equal to"  and "OH" is the value being searched for.

or on the PINQ screen, to search for a list of Unfinished Purchase Orders, type ;s = "U"
(where 's' is an abbreviation for the field PO.CURRENT.STATUS.)

Be aware that searches on large files, such as PERSON, could take a long time.

You can string searches together, (logical ANDs), (separating them with a semi-colon), to
further qualify the search-criteria.

Operands to Use with LookUp Shortcuts

LIKE is particularly useful when using with a partially-known value together with ... (ellipses)
to find matches. e.g. on the SPRO screen, to search for a list of students from states beginning with "O", type ;STATE LIKE "O..."

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4. What do the Function Keys do ?

¹ Press F1 (Field Help) twice for a list of valid field-values, where applicable
² Any field which is displayed with an asterisk * can be 'detailed' using the F2 key. This will
  drill down to a detail screen for the field.

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5. What other short-cut key-strokes can I use ?

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6. How do I create a Service Request ?

Go to http://www.niagara.edu/it and look at the selections under the section for
"Administrative Services". "Submit a Colleague work request online".
This Request database helps us prioritize and track requirements.
Complete the header information 'Contact', 'Phone', 'E-Mail' and 'Department'. (Note: this is information about you as the Requestor or Contact. It should not contain names of IT personnel.)
Enter a brief description of your problem or request. Try and be as specific as possible. If
you are reporting a problem, does it seem to be Colleague-specific or could it be network-related ?
If requesting new development, please be realistic with your time-frame and provide us with
as much notice as possible.
After submitting, you will get an e-mail confirming that your request has been submitted. Please make a note of the Request number created. You can call extension 8040 if you need to get an update on the progress of your request.
 

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7. How do I decide the Priority of my Service Request ?

In general terms, Priority 1 means that you (and maybe others in your department) are
unable to proceed with your daily activities, because there is a major problem with
Colleague.

If you have a request with an upcoming deadline, Priority 2 would probably be appropriate.

Priorities 3 & 4 are requests that will go in the queue to be worked.

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8. My Report isn't printing on my Printer ?

(a) Any report which is NOT designated to a specific printer, is defaulted to a _HOLD_ queue which IT periodically purges. Please contact Admin Services if you have a specific report that you wanted printed.

(b) If you are running a 'custom' report (from an X..menu), your report will go to the default printer shown on your UTSP screen. Go to UTSP and verify that there is a value in "Form Name".  (Make sure the entry is in Field 3 "Form Name" not Field 2 "Printer".)

(c) If you are running a Colleague-Process, there may be a 2nd-level screen where you can override your default printer and direct the report to a different printer. (this screen looks just like UTSP but it is specifically for THIS process.) Verify that there is a value in this field.

(d) Jump to Field 3 "Form Name" and use ...(ellipses) to select from a list of valid printer names.

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9. My Report is not sorted in the order I want it ?

If you are running a Colleague-Process, there may be a 2nd-level screen which presents field-sorting options. In the Criteria:
(a) Field Name, use ...(ellipses) to select other fields to include in the Sort.
(b) The sequence can be ascending (default) or descending (BY.DSND). Use F1 twice in this field to see the list of valid values.

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10. What screens are frequently used ?

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11. I don't have access to Colleague / to a certain screen or procedure ?

Access-Requests to Colleague or to specific screens or procedures need to be approved by your Supervisor. Ask your Supervisor to fill in a Service Request requesting this.
(See: How do I create a Service Request )

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(a)   STUDENT

a1. When inputting new students, what can I do to prevent duplicate records ?

Use Person LookUp pre-searches to prevent loading a duplicate:

(1) Search on Social Security Number or Social Insurance Number (Canada)
enter the SSN or SIN with or without the dashes (the abbreviation for this field is 'ss')

(2) Search on NAME
enter the name in any of these ways (LookUp is not case-sensitive):

* last (e.g. shea)
* last, first (e.g. shea, john)
* last, first, middle (e.g. shea, john joseph)
* first last (e.g. john shea)

To search for multi-part names, either enter the spaces using the underscore character
or leave out the space altogether.
e.g. enter van_buren or vanburen to retrieve a record for Van Buren

(3) Limit the name search by further qualifying it -

• c = city e.g. ;c = Buffalo

• st = state e.g. ;st = VA

• z = foreign country e.g. ;z = Mexico  

• y = social class e.g. ;y = 2002

String together these qualifiers, separated by a semi-colon as in the following example:
jim van_buren ; st ME ;ss LIKE "114..."

to search for all  Jim Van Burens, whose preferred address is in Maine and whose SSN
starts with the numbers "114-".

(4) If you are still unsure whether this is a 'duplicate', review their
     address-information via ADSU.

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a2. How do I find a Student's Address Information ?

In STUDENT, use the screens ADSU (Address Summary) and ADR (Person Addresses).
At the ADSU prompt, type in the name or student number you want to search on and the
screen will return all of the addresses for that person, both current and former. Tab to the
address-number you want to view in more detail and press F2 to detail on to it.

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a3. How do I find a Student's Dorm Room and its Phone Number  ?

In STUDENT, use the RMAS screen, searching on name or student number. When the
record is found, field jump (F4) to Field #6 (Building/Room). Press ENTER key to move to second element (Room) of this field and press the Detail key (F2). This moves you to the RMSM screen and the Phone Number is displayed in field #7.

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a4. What Divisions are defined in Colleague ?

Access the screen named DIV. At the prompt, key in the ...(ellipses) and press <ENTER>. This will display a list of all of the Divisions. Selecting any one will display the list of Departments within that Division.

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  (b)  FINANCIALS

b1. How can I get a list of Outstanding Vouchers ?

At one of the screens for Voucher Inquiry or Voucher maintenance, e.g. VOUI, type
 at the LookUp Prompt:

         ;s = "O"       (s is a short-cut for the VOU.CURRENT.STATUS field; "O" is the
 status-code indicating Outstanding.)

         ;s = "O" ;da LE "05/31/03"  - this will provide a list of Vouchers created earlier
 than May 31st, 2003 which are still outstanding.

Select each voucher from the list for review. After review, the next one can be
displayed by keying @@ at the LookUp prompt.

(see also: '3. How do I use the LookUp feature to search for lists of qualifying data ?')

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b2. How do the document-statuses reflect the progression of a purchasing transaction ?

The following chart illustrates the changing in document-status as a typical purchasing
transaction progresses from Purchase Order creation through Check-processing.

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