The following is an account of what occurs to synced fields when an organization has synced fields FROM their institution/organization INTO Via TRM and then subsequently decides to turn sync OFF for one or more fields.
As background, fields in Via are initially synced into the TRAVELER INFO tab of the Traveler Profile. These fields are synced from the organization upon login and/or updated nightly depending on whether the client syncs via API or SFTP. Sync’d fields appear in Via as locked and read-only with a gray bar across the field data or the blank field and a lock icon. Synced fields appear as such to both administrators and travelers. Sync’d fields have ONE source of truth (in this case the organization’s Student Information System) and can never be edited in Via. In addition, neither travelers nor administrators can ADD data to sync’d fields that are ‘blank’. And, finally, neither the traveler nor the administrator can delete data coming from the Student Information System into Via. To change any synced data in Via, the traveler or administrator must go to the source of the data (the Student Information System) and make the change there. Then, upon login, those new data will ‘override’ any data in the TRAVELER INFO tab of the Traveler Profile, including replacing filled out fields with ‘blanks’ given the information had been removed from the student information system. TRAVELER INFO, in other words, is dynamic based on changing data in the organization’s system/s and logging into Via.
An APPLICATION for a client for whom sync is active, ‘turns on sync’d fields’ and ‘retrieves’ that data from TRAVELER INFO upon CREATING the application. The application continues to retrieve that data from the profile upon opening the application in the following statuses: Incomplete, Submitted, In Review, Waitlisted, Conditionally Accepted. This occurs whether the application is viewed by an administrator or a traveler. The application does NOT continue to retrieve that data upon viewing the application in the following statuses: Accepted, Approved, Conditionally Approved, Nominated, Committed, Deferred, Withdrawn,Transferred, Not Accepted.
A FORM for a client for whom sync is active, ‘turns on sync’d fields’ and ‘retrieves’ that data from TRAVELER INFO upon OPENING the form for the first time. The form continues to retrieve that data upon opening the form in the following statuses: Not Started, Started, Submitted and Accepted. This occurs whether the form is opened by an administrator or a traveler.
If sync for one or more of those fields is turned OFF (aka Via is no longer receiving data for that field/s), those fields will immediately become editable by travelers in Incomplete status and are editable by administrators in any application status.
USER STORY EXAMPLE:
- Client is syncing Major
- Traveler logs in through SSO and their GPA syncs on Traveler Profile (GPA = 3.8) GPA on Traveler Profile is locked and read only for admin and traveler)
- Traveler starts an Application and GPA pulls 3.8 from Traveler profile (GPA is locked and read only for admin and traveler.)
- Client decides to turn OFF GPA
- Traveler profile still has 3.8 GPA but GPA field is now editable by admin and traveler
- Traveler Application still has 3.8 GPA but GPA field is now editable by traveler in Incomplete status and editable by admins in any status
- Traveler opens new form or application that requests GPA and GPA pulls 3.8 from profile but is editable. Had the traveler or admin changed the GPA in profile to 3.6, then 3.6 would pull into the application or form upon updating it.
- Once sync is turned off, applications and forms only pull from profile upon creating the application or form. The data from profile does not continue to update application and form fields that are not synced.