Technology

Below are a few downloadable documents that you may find useful when using Datatel:

Datatel - Colleague Access Request Form

Commonly Used Keyboard Shortcuts for Datatel

Q:  I am a new employee or have a new employee in my department that will be a Datatel (Colleague) user.  How to I get them the proper Datatel access?

A:  Please download the form below, making sure you fill out as much infomation as you can supply, including the signature of a supervisor or person authorized in your area to permit Datatel access.  If you have questions or difficulty with the form, please contact Ben Fishman at x2192 or via email at ben.fishman@simmons.edu.

Datatel - Colleague Access Request Form

Q:  I am new to Datatel and/or I am new to the User Interface (UI) version and have questions about short cut keys.  Is there a way I can save time with my data entry?

A:  Please download the form below which you can post near your keyboard.  You will find there is more than one way to complete certain functions. 

Commonly Used Keyboard Shortcuts for Datatel

Q:  I transfer files from Datatel to other software (Word, Excel, etc..) and use FTP to move the file.  Is there another way to do this? 

A:  If you are downloading a file and use (or used to use) FTP, it probably isn't necessary anymore.  Only those individuals that are sending the Datatel file off-site to a third party vendor may have to continue using FTP.  Datatel users that use the data internally within Simmons can use the XSFB mnemonic to do the function of moving the file from Datatel to a location of your choice (your hard drive, a network drive, etc...)  See steps below:

1. Run your desired process as normal in Datatel, making sure to give it a name you can remember.  If you don't have the ability to name the file, make sure to find out what it is called to locate it later.
2. Once completed, go to the XSFB screen.  If you are accessing a file in the HOLD directory, you can either type in HOLD in all caps or type ... to find the directory in question, such as an SEQ directory for your department.
3. Type in ... in the File Name field.  Once you do this, you can find the file in question if you do not know the exact file name. Alternately, you can type in ...the partial name... to limit your search.
4. Select the file by typing in the file number or checking the check box and selecting Save or Save All.
5. The data should now be on a Report Browser screen.  You can now select the Import Button (second in fron the left).  You can pick the destination and give the file a useful name as opposed to the one that Datatel may create.
6. You can either open Word or Excel and and search for the file, or double-click on the file and save it in the format you would like to use it as.
7. Once saved, you can close the Report Browser window in Colleague.

Q:  I work in an admissions office and need to reprint my student email confirmation letters.  Is there a way to do this?

A:  Yes, you can rerun a letter or series of letters using the XSAC mnemonic. 

1. Make sure you are in the ST application within Colleague.
2. Make the appropriate selections as needed:  If you know the date (roughly) of the Student Account Creation, you can put in that date.  If you are not sure or do not know the date, you can either leave the date blank or put in a date that is known to be earlier than the account creation date.
3. Under Notification Group, select the school/program from the drop-down menu.
4. If selecting a student or a few students, type in each student ID number in the Notify Specific Students area.
5. You can then select Save.  You will have choices for your output, probably best to print it out to your Datatel printer.  Continue to select Save until the Finish button appears.

Q:  Can I copy tables from AARC into a spreadsheet using a Windows computer?

A:  Yes, see directions below.

1. Use internet explorer and select/highlight the table and copy it (Edit-Copy)
2. Open Excel and Paste special into your worksheet (edit-paste special) and choose "Html"
3. To get rid of the formatting/hyperlinks/colors save as CSV(MS DOS)
4. Close Excel and re-open the file to see the raw data
5. Edit as you see fit…

Q:  I want to get a print screen of my Colleague window, how do I do that?

A:  You can use SnagIt to capture the screen information from Datatel.

1. Simply select the Print Screen button the the right-hand side of your keyboard and SnagIt should print the Colleague window as long as it is the Active Window.
2. If it does not print the Colleague window but prints another open window, go to the task bar at the bottom of your screen and select the Datatel program  and retry step one above.
3. If you still cannot print, go to Start>All Programs> and make sure SnagIt is installed on your computer.  If it is not installed or it is installed and is still not working, please call x2192 or email ben.fishman@simmons.edu. 
4. To make the screen shot clearer, you can hide the menu tree in Colleague by selecting the Hide/Show Menu Tree Button   from the Colleague tool bar. 

  Before -- Not Hidden                    

  After -- Hidden

Q.  The Datatel font and image are too small, how do I fix that?

A.  If you would like to make the Colleague font bigger, you can select Options>Font from the drop-down menu and change all of the selections from the 8pt default to 10pt. (see below)  After selecting OK, you will be prompted to restart Colleague for the changes to take effect.  Immediately upon logging back into Colleague, you will see the change.  If you pick a font larger than 10pt., you may end up with scroll bars to see the entire screen, depending on your screen resolution.

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