Email Templates

The letter templates are designed to be a cover letter (in email format) for attaching invoices, CANs, enrolment letters, etc to be emailed to the students and stored as proof of communication. Copies of both the letter and attachments are then saved to the student's record within the communication event section. These can then be interrogated for delivery, bouncing, and opening. The letter can be formatted within the provider section for ease of use and minimal updating when used.

Contained within each email sent with the communication module is a one-pixel tracker. This is one 1x1 pixel that is hidden within the body of the email that allows the email client to track the email. It can determine if the email has bounced, been delivered, has been opened and read and if any attachments have been clicked into. This can be particularly useful when students are questioning if an important email/communication was sent to them and if they received it.

Below is a list of required fields to build a bulk student report for Communication events. This report can be built in the report builder and saved for future use. The fields below are required for such a report (i.e. Bulk student report) but additional ones can be added.

Table 1: Email Template Form Fields

Table 2: Merge Fields in Communication

STEP 1 Create the Bulk List of Students as Recipients to the Communication Event

There are three ways to create the bulk list of students that you want to be the recipients of the communication event, you have the option to choose either of these three possible ways in creating your bulk list:

(1) Search Course screen (Student > Search Course)

You can search for students via this screen by Course Name, Enrolment Status, Institution, Funding Type, Start and End Date, Contact Mode and Hours, Order By, and Agent.

Refer to the instructions on this workflow How to ADD a List of Students to a Bulk List.

(2) Upload Bulk List screen (Student > Upload Bulk List)

Upload a list from a CSV Source File. You can use this option if you have an existing (valid with all the required fields matching to Paradigm) CSV file with a list of students that you want to send the communication event to.

Refer to the instructions on this workflow Student > Upload Bulk List.

(3) Report Builder screen (Report > Report Builder)

If you want to build a list of students to send your communication event using your existing saved report or generate a new report with your own criteria / conditions, then this is the best way for you to create the bulk list.

Refer to the instructions on this workflow Report Builder > Bulk Student Select.

After creating your bulk list, proceed to the STEP 2 Send Bulk Communications WITH Attachments instructions below if you want your communication event to have attachments, else jump to STEP 3 Send Bulk Communications WITHOUT Attachments.

STEP 2 Send Bulk Communications WITH Attachments

1. Click on the Student tab from the menu.

2. Click on the Communication Event option in the menu (or click on the Hat icon at the top left hand corner of the screen and then click on the Communication option)

3. Enter the Communication Name, which will become the subject of the email, e.g. CAN - Semester 1 2018.

4. Select the Communication Type, e.g. Email.

5. Select a Communication Template Message for the body of the email

6. Edit the Communication Description/Email Body field to add in any additional information or updates to the body of the message. You may choose to include options from Table 2 above (each wrapped inside curly braces eg. {email_first_name} {email_last_name} ), or add text that is to appear in the main body of your email.

7. Set the Communication Status to Sent from the drop down menu.

8. Click the Save New Communications for Loaded Students button.

9. Click the Reports tab from the menu

10. Click on the Letters option from the menu

11. Scroll to the Commonwealth Assistance Notice report and click the Get Report button

12. Check the parameters in the report section and click the Create Report for Communication Events button. This will take some time to complete, while each report is generated individually. The progress bar provides an indication of the rate of progress.

13. Click on the Page icon to check the CAN notices are for the correct period and are attached for the correct person for a few of the records.

14. Click on the tick boxes for the ones that are to be sent. 

15. Click on the Email Selected Recipients with Attachments button. This will take time to complete.

16. The emails have now been sent. 

17. Check the status of the sent emails to verify whether any have not been successfully sent. These will need to be either resent or posted.

STEP 3 Send Bulk Communications WITHOUT Attachments

1. Click on the Student tab from the side menu.

2. Click on the Communication Event option in the side menu (Or click on the Hat icon at the top left hand corner then select the Communication option 

3. Enter the Communication Name, this becomes the subject of the email, e.g. CAN - Semester 1 2018.

4. Select the Communication Type, e.g. Email.

5. Select a Template Message for the body of the email or options to type in the main body of your email.

6. Add in any additional information or updates to the body of the message.

7. Set the Communication Status to Sent from the drop down menu.

8. Click the Save New Communication for Loaded students button

9. Click the tick boxes next to the students to send the communication event to (alternatively click the select all box)

10. Click the Email Selected Recipients button.

11. The Emails have now been sent. 

12. Check the Statuses of the sent emails to check if any failed sending. These will need to be either resent or posted.