By Mike Margitich, Liaison’s Vice President of Centralized Application Services (CAS™) Products
Liaison is committed to providing our clients with the greatest possible transparency regarding recent (and planned) Centralized Application Service (CAS™) updates. Therefore, going forward, I’ll be contributing a new version of this “CAS News and Notes” column to our blog each month to let you know what we’ve just completed and what’s next on our priority list. In this edition, you’ll find a summary of our January accomplishments and expectations.
Added WebAdMIT support for email attachments
We’ve heard from many schools and partners that adding support for sending email attachments in communication with applicants would be of great benefit, and I’m pleased to announce that we now have this functionality in WebAdMIT™.
Here’s how it works: When you drag a file into the new attachments area of your WebAdMIT email template, the attachment is inserted as a link at the end of the message you’re sending to the applicant. Because the physical file is not attached to the email, we’re able to work around size limitations and other filtering problems that sometimes arise when you send raw files. Instead, the file is stored in a secure location, which the applicant can access by clicking on the link(s) in the message.
Automated re-use of letters of recommendation (LORs)
This enhancement saves time for those who are asked to write LORs for students applying to multiple schools or programs within a single CAS, all of which require the same LOR form. For example, let’s say a student in EngineeringCAS™ is applying to four schools and they each use the same standard CAS LOR form. When LOR writers are completing the first form, the system will now ask that recommender if he or she wants to use autofill to automatically complete the additional forms. The system will also provide recommenders with a weekly summary of all the LORs filled out automatically on their behalf.
Simplified post-submission visa status change updates
This new feature, which is available to any CAS that uses the citizenship screen, empowers schools with up-to-date information on visa status changes throughout the application process — including after students submit their applications. The feature allows applicants to add or change information about visa validity dates, issuance and sponsorship during the period between application and admission/matriculation.
Integrated GMAC Common LOR
A year or so ago, the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) developed a common “best practices” letter of recommendation for business schools, which Liaison has now integrated into BusinessCAS. According to Dee Steinle, executive director of MBA and MSB programs at the University of Kansas School of Business and vice chair of the BusinessCAS advisory board, “Bringing together the Common LOR and BusinessCAS will truly take us to the next level of evaluating leadership potential, character and quality of candidates, helping us to build a diverse workforce of innovative, forward-thinking leaders.”
Updated Applicant Portal VPAT (508 compliance)
A VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) is the documentation describing how accessible a product or technology is, based on Section 508 compliance standards. We can now say with confidence that we have mediated the majority of accessibility issues in the CAS Application, making our applicant portal highly accessible to all potential applicants.
Coming Soon
In the months ahead, we expect to continue building on the momentum generated in January. Some of the other priorities and accomplishments I expect to discuss in 2019 include:
- Improved clarity in WebAdMIT regarding “official” vs. “unofficial” (i.e., student-uploaded) transcripts.
- Upgraded applicant portal email templating and formatting capabilities.
- More flexible support in configuration of both school-level and program-level questions in the Program Materials section of the application.
Thanks for reading, and please continue to watch this space for my future monthly updates. We’re looking forward to another exciting and productive year with you!