Handle Profile changes - Parent access to record

Larry Bucher

Can anyone share their setup of how access for parents to update their records and how it effects the data integrity from doing the handle profile changes in Core to then update RE through Connect RE process.

Are Parents given all access to update, some or none?


Thanks

Susan Ott

We use the Profile update form. We show on the form the parent's first, last, preferred names and suffix but they cannot edit those. They also see and can edit their email, phone, address and business info. I then check all the changes through Handle Profile changes (and fix formatting issues) before we process Connect RE. We've done it this way for the last two years (also the amount of time we've used Connect RE) and it works well overall.

Tina Pappas

We do the same as Susan Ott‍. We ask our families to complete a Profile Update form. Once they have we review those updates for formatting as we're handing their profile changes.

Larry Bucher

Hi there and thanks for your response. To follow-up on this is the forms up all year then? And within Core and Security - Profile access for Parents what settings are 'editable' by parents when logged into system?

Tina Pappas

Our forms are accessible all year or until they submit. We then reactivate them in the fall to capture any changes. Parents can edit

• preferred, maiden and middle names, prefix and suffix
• DOB
• gender and pronouns
• photo
• relationships and living status
• address, phone and email
• emergency contact
• business information
• education

Carolyn Stevens

Hi Susan Ott‍

Hope you are well! I have a bunch of questions for you.

• How do you handle the publishing of this form (i.e. do you publish to everyone and leave it open all year, or do you publish on demand)?
• Where do you have messaging/communication regarding the existence of this form - assuming edit via Profile is disabled..
  • How do parents know where/from whom they should request this be activated for them if not published to all?
  • Sidebar: I really wish we had the ability to add a message at the top of a profile page.
• In Security > Profile access, I assume you have contact info set to View only (not edit) for parents?

Thanks so much,

Carolyn Stevens

Cranbrook Schools

Susan Ott

Hi Carolyn Stevens‍ -

We open the form around this time of year and close it around the end of July - we have new students added during the summer so we want to catch those if we can. We announce to parents in our weekly pushpage newsletter to log in and fill it out. Because we use forms for other things and post contracts, they are familiar with the yellow banner that displays announcing the forms are there. The banner will continue to display until they submit the forms or we close them. I don't change the edit access to any of the Profile fields - I use the same settings for the form as they have to edit their profile any other time. If you don't normally give access to edit, you would need to change that for them to edit the forms.


I do want to make sure it's clear that I'm using School Forms to update the parent and student profile info rather than the Profile Validation tool that is also available. I have wanted to test the Profile Validation method with faculty/staff but have not gotten around to it. I tested it on myself to see what it would look like. The biggest drawback I can find using it vs. the forms is that each person has to log in and validate their own information. The forms allow one parent to update everyone in the family at one time.

Carolyn Stevens

Thank you, Susan Ott‍!


We are new to profile editing in Blackbaud EM and are having problems with parents deleting (trash can) their address vs. editing (pencil) it. Because we link the home address for all family members, that action wipes it out for everyone. So, the form seemed somewhat appealing if I could disable the edit and have the changes still flow from the form. Thank you for clarifying that detail.


I will be really interested to hear what you find out on Profile Validation - that's a sign in message right, so maybe still Podium? We are easily 10 steps behind on this stuff and scrambling to catch up.


Hope to "see" you at the UC.


Thanks again,

Carolyn

Larry Bucher

The main issue is with the details continuing to be formatted properly. Our RE department sets naming conventions and when parents update they randomly input data. Examples like phone number, addresses (zip/postal code) and business names. So everytime looking to handle changes begins the work of correction should a parent update new changes. We will be opening the form up again soon and have parent confirm details but in the meantime we have set to view only the following areas for parents.
Business Name
Business Phone
Business Address
Employment History
Profession