Reference Table Options and Procedures
The Professional Development System contains many fields that are validated against user-defined reference table codes. Some of these fields are required for completing records, while others are not.
Reference Table Options
The following listings describe each table option, its purpose, and whether the table is required by Professional Development:
Professional Development Table Options
Human Resources > Reference Tables > Professional Development > select an option
Option | Purpose | Required? |
|---|---|---|
Cost Codes | Define the types of additional costs which may be associated with a course. | Optional |
Course Types | Define a type for a course, which will be used in employee mapping. | Optional |
Employee Type Mapping | Used to match employees with course types. An employee's type is defined on the Personnel Tab of the Employee Information detail page. | Optional |
Evaluation Questions | Define a list of questions which can be associated with a specific course, to be used by the participant to evaluate the course. | Required if using evaluations |
Grade Types | Define custom grading types and scales, and which grades constitute successful completion of a course. | Required if using grading |
Location Codes | Define locations where courses can be held. | Required |
Miscellaneous Types | Define miscellaneous type and code combinations to associate information with a course for which there is no standard type or code. | Optional |
Participants/Instructors | Stores a list of your organization's employees who are authorized to be course instructors as well as a list of Professional Development users who are not employees and can be a course instructor, a course participant, or both. | Required |
Room Codes | Define rooms to be associated with each location code. | Required if using location/room checking |
Education Table Options
Human Resources > Reference Tables > Education > select an option
Option | Purpose | Required? |
|---|---|---|
Continuing Ed Class Types | Define types of classes used in Continuing Education. | Required if using Continuing Education |
Continuing Ed Cost Types | Breakdown of costs associated with a course used in Continuing Education. | Optional |
Continuing Ed Course Status Codes | Define a course's status in Continuing Education. | Required if using Continuing Education |
Continuing Ed Course User-Defined Labels | User-defined codes which store additional information for which there is no standard Continuing Education field. | Optional |
Course Category Codes | Define levels of certification or other organization-related development goals. | Optional |
Course Credit Types | Define the type of credit a participant earns in a given course. | Required if using credits |
Course Proficiency Codes | Define specific levels of certification or organization-related development goals. | Optional |
Course Term Codes | Define the instructional term or duration of courses. | Optional |
Course Topic Areas | Define the area of study for a course. | Optional |
Assigning Codes to Table Records
Table records are identified by the codes you assign. You can also use codes as selection criteria in generating reports. As a result, it is important to plan your codes before setting up tables. Following are some things to consider:
The length and type of the codes are important in developing a coding system. The codes include letters, numbers, or a combination of the two. Identifying codes in the Professional Development reference tables vary from 4-20 characters in length.
If you use numbers in your codes, be aware that the system treats them as characters. To ensure proper sorting for reports and displays, use leading zeros where necessary to maintain a consistent length. For example, if you want to use 1 through 200 for a series of codes, enter 3 as 003 and 75 as 075. Otherwise, all codes from 100 through 200 will sort ahead of them, since the system sorts alphabetically beginning with the first character.
If you use letters in codes, length is not as important as it is with a numbered system. However, as best as possible, you should try to abbreviate the information referenced so others can understand and remember the codes. For example, use acronyms common to your organization or abbreviations that are easy to decipher.
Table pages provide a print function for generating reports of table records and search options for looking up codes.
Searching for and listing table records
Follow the menu path for displaying the table's page.
In the Search section, enter criteria identifying the records to list, and then click Find. To run an advanced search, use the Advanced button.
The records found in your search display in the List section.
Adding table records
Follow the menu path for displaying the table's page.
Click Add New.
In the Detail section, enter a unique code in the Code field, and then complete the remaining fields.
Click OK to save the record.
If the Continuous checkbox is selected, you return to the detail section's Code field. To add another record, repeat Steps 4-5. When you finish adding records, click Back.
If the Continuous checkbox is blank, you return to the Search section.
Updating table records
Follow the menu path for displaying the table's page.
In the Search section, enter criteria identifying the records to list, and then click Find. To run an advanced search, use the Advanced button.
The records found in your search display in the List section.In the List section, select the record to update, and then click OK.
In the Detail section, change the desired fields. You cannot change the Code field, since this field identifies the record.
Click OK to save the record.
Deleting table records
Follow the menu path for displaying the table's page.
In the Search section, enter criteria identifying the records to list, and then click Find. To run an advanced search, use the Advanced button.
The records found in your search display in the List section.In the List section, select the record to delete.
Click Delete.
In the Confirmation dialog, click Yes.
Printing table records
Follow the menu path for displaying the table's page.
In the Search section, enter criteria identifying the records to list, and then click Find. To run an advanced search, use the Advanced button.
The records found in your search display in the List section.Click Print.
In the Print window, specify how you want to generate the report, and then click OK.
Some tables allow you to display a report on screen or save it to a file, while others enable you to send a report to a PDF file or Excel spreadsheet.