Academic Settings: Student Fields

Student fields are custom information fields that let you track additional information about your students. They can be attached to active students in the Student Info panel in the Profile > Student view. You can also include them as extra columns when you export a report (from, say, the Students report in Academic Term) or when you put together a custom report in the Data Slicer.

Student fields come in two types. Regular student fields store information that doesn't change (or change often); term student fields store information that changes from one term to the next.

Whatever you do, 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!

How to create a new field

Here's how to create a new custom field.

1. Go to Academics > Settings > Student Fields (or Term Student Fields).
2. Click Add Field.
3. 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.
4. Give the field a name and description. These will both be visible when anyone updates this field.
5. Term Student Fields only: Choose whether to show this field on student transcripts.
6. Choose the permissions for this field. Anyone with the Staff role can see and edit a person field. You can also make it visible and/or editable by the profile owner (the person represented on the profile).
7. 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 adding regular fields to students on Profile > Student > Student Info and term fields under Profile > Student > Term Info.
• Your entries will be available for export throughout Populi and for use in custom Data Slicer reports.