Grad Roll Import

Karen Bruce

I'm looking for an import file/format sample from Banner into RE NXT for our recent graduates. Does anyone have one they can share? Please & thank you!!

Miki Martin

@Karen Bruce I'm sorry no one has responded yet. I had seen this previously but am unfamiliar with Banner so I had hoped someone would be able to contribute.

I did several imports at my old org (all girls high school). The key is to be sure you have your data cleaned and ready for RE's specifications. I ended up saving a few templates for importing our new students each summer before school started. I started with the basic constituent information then had one for relationships to quickly add the various family members, past school and parish information. I ended up using the Import ID to tie a lot of things. If you're creating new records you can even name the various import IDs for the different fields rather than having the system do it.

I would recommend reviewing the Import Guide for field names and what is necessary for the various imports you would need. I referred to this almost everytime I did an import just to doublecheck my process. Blackbaud also has an Import Tutorial which I haven't used but looks like it could be really useful.

Good luck! I hope this at least helps a little. I also know there are import tools available, like ImportOMatic and Importacular. I have not had any experience with either but know many people have. At least one of them even has a free option.

Alex Wong

@Karen Bruce
since no one responded, I guess not many uses Banner or they are not on Community.

All import is like this:

• what data you want to bring into RE
• for each piece of data, where is it going on RE
• Does the 2 system (Banner and RE) has a shared “ID” that can allow for easy matching, if not, you have to consider how to find existing record in RE vs creating new

Once you know the above, the rest is getting to do the import that will bring in all the data point to the field in RE.

Karen Bruce

@Alex Wong thank you!

Karen Bruce

@Miki Martin thank you! I went through the import class last week. With that training and the guides I think I can tackle it.

Dariel Dixon

@Karen Bruce I did this several years ago. It really depends on the data file you get from Banner/the Registrar's office. Here's what I can remember from the top of my head.

• Creating my ID fields. AddressImportID, PhoneImportID, etc.
• Reformatting the degrees and majors to what was in RE. This included making sure the majors were correct and uniform, and creating a field for college.
• Adding fields for checkboxes. PrimaryEducation = YES
• Checking the file for double majors. I'd assume that your list will include BANNER IDs, and you can use that to check for duplicates. Those duplicates may have multiple degrees, therefore it's worth developing a plan for that entry or import separately.
• Graduates that already have a degree from the university. These may create exceptions in your import. I always imported them separately.
• TEST, TEST, AND TEST AGAIN. It took me the better part of a week to import graduates the first time. After doing it a couple of years, I was able to get it down to a couple of hours. Patience is key.
  

Keleigh Allen

@Karen Bruce
PLU uses Banner and RENXT. We're a little outside the norm however, as we download the nightly backup from RE, then our IT team has a process to convert it nightly from SQL Server to Oracle. Then I can write SQL to compare data between Banner and RENXT. I then use ImportOmatic to do two separate imports. One that updates/adds constituent codes, biographical info, etc. One that adds education records.

A few random notes as I'm thinking about it:
We add the Banner PIDM as an alias.
We use the Banner ID as our Constituent ID, we only use RE generated ID's for records not in Banner.
We actually import students to RE before graduation so that we can also import their parents and link them to their students in relationships, track some participation information while they're students, etc. I'm working on a process to identify when we can delete students/parents from RE if the students don't show up or leave after only one semester and there is no giving or any other significant interaction.

I'm happy to chat about more specifics if you'd like. You can message me directly.

Thanks,

Keleigh

Dariel Dixon

@Keleigh Allen: We use the Banner ID as our Constituent ID, we only use RE generated ID's for records not in Banner.

I would caution against this if you also append Constituent IDs on appeals. At a former employer, the Banner ID was also used as a student ID, and was considered PII. We attempted to use these fields in the same way, but then realized it hindered adding the ID to any appeal we had for quicker gift entry. Just something to consider.

Stu Manewith

@Karen Bruce I'm sorry that I did not catch this post earlier. Omatic Software has a very large number of Banner clients who use ImportOmatic to import a variety of data from Banner to RE NXT. It's probably one of our most common use cases. Don't hesitate to get in touch with us at info@omaticsoftware.com for further info, or feel free to email me directly at stu.manewith@omaticsoftware.com if you prefer.

Karen Bruce

@Stu Manewith Thank you. Unfortunately, just before I arrived, Omatic was reviewed by our IT, Advancement and Finance departments. It was an added service expense that GWU wasn't able to justify at this juncture.

SmartTHING Developers

@Karen Bruce Just for your information, a very economical alternative is our SmartSYNC (if the price is an issue). Anyway, PM me or google 'SmartSYNC RE' to learn more. Pricing is on our website.

Karen Bruce

@SmartTHING Developers thank you, I'll check it out!