PeopleSoft Student Records 9.0 PeopleBook

Creating Student Blocks

This chapter provides an overview of student blocks and discusses how to:

Update mass change operator security.
Create a student block mass change definition.

Understanding Student Blocks

A student block is a grouping of student information into blocks based on a number of common academic characteristics. Student blocks can be essential during enrollment because they enable you to mass enroll groups of students into blocks of courses.

You can create student blocks on the Create Student Block Page (STDNT_BLOCK) by manually entering student IDs into a student block, but this becomes inefficient when dealing with large groups of students. For example, you may want to enroll hundreds of first year computer science students into a common, core curriculum based on their academic level and academic plan.

To meet this need for mass enrolling large student blocks, your system includes a mass change type and mass change template called Create Student Block. With these mass change tools, you can create and run mass change definitions that will generate SQL for large student blocks based on your criteria and defaults.

After you create your student block through a mass change definition, you can use the Mass Enrollment process to create a course enrollment block, associate the student block with the course block, and then post the enrollment transactions.

Mass Change

Mass change is a SQL generator that you can use to develop and perform custom applications. Using mass change, a developer can set up a series of INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE SQL statements that the end user can run to perform business functions.

When you use mass change, you are essentially running SQL statements to manipulate the data in the application. The overall structure of mass change is similar to that of PeopleSoft Query, except that Query retrieves data from the database, while mass change actually updates the database.

Updating Mass Change Operator Security

In order for end users to be able to select the Create Student Block template when creating a mass change definition, the template must be added to the user security for the user or class profile to which the end users belong.

This section discusses how to update operator security.

Page Used to Update User Security

Page Name	Definition Name	Navigation	Usage
Security	MC_OPER_SECURITY	PeopleTools, Security, Mass Change Operator Security, Security	Grant access to the Create Student Block mass change template to permission lists so that users can run the Create Student Block mass change process.

Updating Operator Security

Access the Security page (PeopleTools, Security, Mass Change Operator Security, Security).

Mass Change Template ID

Select the Create Student Block template ID.

Creating a Student Block Mass Change Definition

This section provides an overview of mass change definitions and discusses how to:

Create mass change definitions.
Specify Student Administration parameters.
Specify student block criteria and defaults.
Generate mass change SQL text for student blocks.
View mass change execution history.

Understanding Mass Change Definitions

Mass change definitions are built using mass change templates and are generally created and run by end users. Mass change definitions are used to specify the values and operators for each field in the WHERE clause of the SQL statement, to specify the values for default fields, and to generate the actual SQL statements. When you create a definition, all information defaults from the associated mass change type and template, except for the criteria and default field values and operators.

If any changes occur to the mass change template, the system requires that you create a new mass change definition because existing mass change definitions will not recognize the changes.

Pages Used to Create a Student Block Mass Change Definition

Page Name	Definition Name	Navigation	Usage
Description	MC_DEFN_00	Records and Enrollment, Enroll Students, Block Enrollment, Mass Change Definition, Description	Select the template with which you will create the mass change definition.
Student Administration	MC_DEFN_SA	Records and Enrollment, Enroll Students, Block Enrollment, Mass Change Definition, Student Administration	Set parameters such as aid year, academic career, and institution for the mass change definition.
Criteria and Defaults	MC_DEFN_01	Records and Enrollment, Enroll Students, Block Enrollment, Mass Change Definition, Criteria and Defaults	Specify the operators and values for the criteria and default fields so that the mass change properly runs the SQL statements.
Generate SQL	MC_DEFN_02	Records and Enrollment, Enroll Students, Block Enrollment, Mass Change Definition, Generate SQL	Generate and view the SQL statements, based on the Create Student Block type, template, and definition, before actually running the mass change. Select the option of running the SQL when you save the page.
Execution History	MC_DEFN_03	Records and Enrollment, Enroll Students, Block Enrollment, Mass Change Definition, Execution History	View the history of all of your SQL runs for this definition.

Creating Mass Change Definitions

Access the Description page (Records and Enrollment, Enroll Students, Block Enrollment, Mass Change Definition, Description).

Mass Change Definition

Select the Create Student Block template. The system enters the description of the template in the Description field.

Specifying Student Administration Parameters

Access the Student Administration page (Records and Enrollment, Enroll Students, Block Enrollment, Mass Change Definition, Student Administration).

Mass Change Default Status

Select the status that the system will assign to the records created when you generate this mass change.

As Of Date and As Of Date/Time

Enter the date and time for the default status.

Aid Year, Academic Career, SetID, Institution, and Stdnt Fin Business Unit (student financials business unit)

Enter values as needed for the SQL to filter the data that the process retrieves.

Specifying Student Block Criteria and Defaults

Access the Criteria and Defaults page (Records and Enrollment, Enroll Students, Block Enrollment, Mass Change Definition, Criteria and Defaults).

The Criteria and Defaults page is the heart of a Mass Change definition and is the key to running effective SQL statements and creating a student block. The Create Student Block mass change runs two SQL statements to create a student block, inserting these statements into the STDNT_BLOCK_HDR record and the STDNT_BLOCK_DTL record so that you can select to use your student block during the Mass Enrollment process.

Important! To properly run the mass change and generate the student block that you want, it is essential that you know the exact values of the criteria and default fields. For example, if you want to create a student block for all students with the academic plan equal to BA-SO, an academic program equal to BA, and a projected academic level equal to 20 (sophomore), then you must enter these values in the respective criteria fields and leave the remaining criteria fields blank.

Criteria

Field and Field Value

Specify the operators and values of each field as necessary to restrict and unrestrict the data set that mass change selects to generate the student block you want.

Mass change will add this criteria to the end of the insert SQL statements that it generates.

The following criteria fields are delivered with the Create Student Block template:

Academic Program
Academic Plan
Term
Academic Level - Projected
Academic Load
Total Grade Points

Defaults

Mass Change Field Value

Specify values for each default field. Mass change uses the default values in the insert statements.

For example, you must input a value for the Student Enrollment Block code and description in order for your student block to appear as a choice during mass enrollment.

Following are the default fields that the application delivers with the Create Student Block template:

Academic Career: Mass change inserts this value in the STDNT_BLOCK_DTL record.
Academic Institution: Mass change inserts this value in the STDNT_BLOCK_DTL record.
Student Enrollment Block Code: This is the unique identifier for the student enrollment block.

Mass change inserts this value in the STDNT_BLOCK_DTL record. During mass enrollment, this value appears as a choice from the prompt box for the Student Enrollment Block field on the Mass Enrollment page.
Student Enrollment Block Description: Mass change inserts this value in the STDNT_BLOCK_HDR record.

During mass enrollment, this value appears as a choice from the prompt box for the Student Enrollment Block field on the Mass Enrollment page.

Warning! Do not delete Default rows from your definition. This will prevent the mass change definition from running properly.

Generating Mass Change SQL Text for Student Blocks

Access the Generate SQL page (Records and Enrollment, Enroll Students, Block Enrollment, Mass Change Definition, Generate SQL).

The mass change user ID (shown on the Description page) must be the same as the ID of the person running the mass change. Thus, if you created the mass change definition, then only you can run the mass change. Otherwise, you must create a new mass change definition using the appropriate template and save the newly created definition with your ID.

After you run the SQL, the system populates the STDNT_BLOCK_HDR record and the STDNT_BLOCK_DTL record with the student block values that you created. You can then select to use the student block that you create in the Mass Enrollment process. Your student block will appear as a choice in the prompt box for the Student Enrollment Block field on the Mass Enrollment page. You can also view your student block on the Mass Enrollment Student Block page.

Clear Sw (mass change clear switch)	Click when you first open the page and want to generate a new SQL. Also click this button if you are unhappy with the SQL that the mass change generates and need to rewrite the definition to better fulfill your needs.
Execute SQL Upon Saving	Select if you are positive that you want to run the SQL. If you select this option and then click the Generate SQL button, mass change runs the SQL as soon as you click the Save button. If you do not select this check box, you can save the mass change definition, then run it in the background using a run control.
Generate SQL	Click to have mass change generate the SQL statements based on the mass change type, template, and definition.
SQL Statement	Displays the SQL statement text for you to review. Verify that any FROM and WHERE clauses reference the proper tables, fields, and values.
Count	Click to display the total number of rows affected by each statement. If the totals are what you expect, select the Execute SQL Upon Saving check box and save the definition. If the count is not what you expected, redefine the definition.

After you run the SQL statements for your Create Student Block mass change definition, you should look at the STDNT_BLOCK_HDR and STDNT_BLOCK_DTL tables to make sure that the inserts have successfully created the records. You can also view this from the Mass Enrollment Student Block page. If you have successfully run the SQL statements, you can use the Mass Enrollment process to create a course enrollment block, attach the course enrollment block to this student block, and post the enrollment transactions.

Viewing Mass Change Execution History

Access the Execution History page (Records and Enrollment, Enroll Students, Block Enrollment, Mass Change Definition, Execution History).

The fields on this page are the same as the fields on the Criteria and Defaults page.

Mass Change Default Status	Select the status that the system will assign to the records created when you generate this mass change.
As Of Date and As Of Date/Time	Enter the date and time for the default status.
Aid Year, Academic Career, SetID, Institution, and Stdnt Fin Business Unit (student financials business unit)	Enter values as needed for the SQL to filter the data that the process retrieves.