Custom Fields: People and Organizations

Custom fields let you track information that isn't already built in to Populi. You can set up general custom fields for people and organizations in Contacts > Custom Fields, as well as specialized fields in various places:

• Academics > Settings: student fields, both general and term-based.
• Admissions > Settings: these fields can be attached to leads.
• Financial: Custom fields are available for student billing, financial aid, and donations purposes.
• Reporting: Person, student, and admissions fields are available in most XLS exports and, if attached to a student or alumnus, the Data Slicer.

Don't add custom fields that duplicate information that Populi already tracks! This results in duplicate, inconsistent, and/or missing information. Only create a custom field once you're sure that Populi's built-in fields can't store the information you need!

If your school reports to NCES, do not create custom fields for race/ethnicity or gender. Populi uses its built-in fields when compiling the data used in the preset IPEDS reports; these fields reflect the official reporting categories. Some U.S. States (California, for example) ask for all kinds of gender data, and we make provision for that in Account > Customizations in the Additional Gender Options setting. If you have to add more genders, do so there!

How to create a new field

Here's how to create a new custom field. You can create custom fields in any of the locations mentioned above.

1. Click Add Field.
2. Select the input type. Your options are:
   • Integer or Decimal: Integer creates a number-entry field. Decimal creates a number-entry field that accepts decimals. These inputs reject regular text—letters and punctuation.
   • Text: Creates a 255-character text-entry field that accepts letters, numbers, and punctuation.
   • Select: Creates a list of options to choose from a drop-down menu. Type the options in the Value field and click Add to list them.
   • Date, Date/Time: Time creates Populi's standard month, day, and year fields. Date and Time includes an additional standard time field.
   • Checkbox: Creates a list of options. Checkbox lists let you select one or more options from a list. Type the options in the Value field and click Add to list them.
   • Radio: Creates a list of options. Radio lists let you select only one option from a list. Type the options in the Value field and click Add to list them.
   • File/Multiple Files: Creates a custom file upload space. Choose whether to allow one file upload or several.
   • Text Area: Creates a 5,000-character text-entry field that accepts letters, numbers, and punctuation.
   • Identifier: Such fields are meant to record the unique ID for the person that comes from another system (up to 300 characters). For example, you might have a cafeteria point of sale that gives each student a unique barcode number. You can enter the numerical value of that barcode in an identifier field; later, you can add a variable for that field on the Student ID Card HTML layout so that you can produce one, single ID card from Populi that will work on the cafeteria point of sale.
   • For inputs that let you enter options, the options will appear in the order in which you enter them; you can also click to order the options in alphabetical order.
3. Give the field a name and description. These will both be visible when anyone updates this field.
4. Choose the data permissions for this field.
   • Default means that only people with the appropriate roles can view or edit the field. F'rexample, Staff users can see and edit a person field; academics fields are visible to Academic users; financial aid fields for Financial Aid users (and so on and so forth...).
   • You can also choose whether to make it visible and/or editable by the profile owner (the person represented on the profile).
5. Click Save.

Now that you've created this field:

• Click the field's name to edit or delete it.
  • You can remove or retire individual answer options for certain field types (select, radio, and checkbox).
  • If no data has been entered for the field, you can change the field's type to any other type.
  • Even if data has been entered in the field, you can change these field types at any time: Integer > Decimal; Date > Date/Time; Text > Text Area; File > Multiple Files.
• You can start recording it for people in various places on their profiles.