Create Evaluation Tasks with Proposed Equivalencies

This article contains instructions for creating evaluation tasks with proposed equivalencies. Individuals with the CREATE EVAL user right can use this functionality to speed up the evaluation process by providing the evaluator with a suggested equivalent course(s), potentially reducing the number of steps required to complete the review.

In this article:

When creating an evaluation task, the transfer course(s) can be sent with or without a proposed equivalency (or equivalencies). A proposed equivalency may result in an expedited review and help bolster faculty collaboration and support. 

To create an evaluation task with a suggested equivalency:

  1. Go to the Search menu.
  2. Select Course Finder.

Locate the Institution

See Create Evaluation Tasks with User Added Courses if reviewing courses from user-created institutions.

  1. Within the INSTITUTION SEARCH, enter the name of the institution.
    • The U.S. Schools radio button is selected by default.
      • To search for institutions outside of the United States, toggle either the Non U.S. Schools or All radio button.
  2. Select the Search button.
  3. Select the arrow to the left of the institution's name ("Select an institution").
Callout illustrates location of Select an institution button.
Select to see a larger version

Select a Data Set

Once the institution has been located:
  1. Under DATA SET, select the data set containing the course that needs evaluation.
    • Another option is to use the Course Code or Course Title radio buttons to search across all data sets.
  2. Click on or tab to the Select button.
Course Finder 2. The Data Set drop-down and Course Code and Course Title toggles are shown..
Select to see a larger version

If the data set needed is not available, see Catalog Status Tracking: Check the Status of and Request a School's Catalog for further instructions.

  1. Select the checkbox to the left of the course or course(s) for which an evaluation task(s) will be created.
    • A user may create one evaluation task containing one or many courses. Additionally, individual evaluation tasks can be generated for multiple courses using Batch Eval Mode and Sequence Eval Mode (see below).
    • Search by Course Code, Course Title, or use the SELECT DEPARTMENT drop-down to see all courses within a Department.
The checkbox to the left of COMM 1110 has been selected. A single evaluation task will be created. Select the image to see a larger version.
The checkboxes to the left of BIOL 1120 and BIOL 1130 have been selected, indicating that both courses need review. From here, the user can create either (1) a single evaluation task containing both BIOL 1120 and BIOL 1130, (2) separate evaluation tasks for each course using Batch Eval Mode, or (3) separate evaluation tasks for each course - each with a proposed equivalency - using Sequence Eval Mode. Select the image to see a larger version.
  1. Select View.

View Equivalency and Evaluation Histories

Once the course(s) has been selected, the user will be taken to Course Finder 4, where the following can be viewed:

  • The course description(s).
  • Equivalencies previously created to the course(s).
  • Reviews of the course(s) conducted through the Evaluation Tracker Workflow.
Course Finder 4 as described above.
Available icons will vary by user right. Select the image to see a larger version.

A course(s) may have:

  • No equivalency or evaluation history.
    • In this case, it will be indicated that no data records were found.
  • An equivalency history but no evaluation history.
    • This means that an equivalency was created to the transfer course, but the course was not reviewed through the Evaluation Tracker workflow.
  • An evaluation history but no equivalency history.
    • This means that the course was reviewed through the Evaluation Tracker workflow, but no equivalency was created.
  • Multiple equivalency and evaluation histories.

View Equivalency History

To view a course or course's equivalency history, select the arrow ("View course equivalency detail") to the left of the course code(s) within the TRANSFER COURSE(S) field.

Callout illustrates the location of the View course equivalency detail button.
Select the image to see a larger version.

At the top, the user will see up to four fields, depending on user rights.


BEGIN DATE

First day on which the equivalency is effective 

Format: (MM/DD/YYYY) 

If no Begin Date is entered, the equivalency is considered effective from the “beginning of time” (or at least since the course was created) 

END DATE

Last day on which the equivalency is effective  

Format: (MM/DD/YYYY) 

If no End Date is entered, the equivalency is considered effective into the future

PUBLIC NOTE

Note to display in the Public View

PRIVATE NOTE

Note documenting the evaluation process or the rationale behind the evaluation

Only visible to users with the ACCESS EQ or CREATE EQ user right (or TES Administrators)

The transfer course(s) will appear to the left of the page and the equivalent home course(s) to the right.

View Evaluation History

To view a course or course's evaluation history, select the arrow ("View evaluation detail") to the left of the course code(s) within the TRANSFER COURSE(S) field.

Callout illustrates the location of the View evaluation detail button.

At the top, the user will see the following fields:

Field

ASSIGNED TO

Person to whom the evaluation task is currently assigned or was last assigned

CREATE DATE

Date and time the evaluation task was created (time is reported in Pacific time) 

CREATED BY

Name and job title of the person who initiated the evaluation task 

COMMENTS

Notes or additional information supplied by the evaluation task creator

The user will additionally see the evaluation details, such as a proposed or selected equivalency, and the EVALUATION LOG details.

View Peer Equivalencies

If the school's TES Administrator has turned on Peer Sharing, users can additionally view public equivalencies to the selected course(s) from schools the user's Administrator has identified as peer institutions. See Peer Sharing: View Peer Equivalencies for further information.

Select a Proposed Equivalency

There are multiple ways to select a proposed equivalency (or equivalencies) in TES®.

EQ Search

The EQ Search takes keywords from a transfer course title and compares them to the home institution's titles and descriptions to find possible equivalencies. The ACCESS EQ user right is required to use this functionality. If this right is not granted, the button will not appear to the user on Course Finder 4. Follow this link for further instructions.

Callout highlights the location of the EQ Search feature.

Select from Data Sets

If not using the EQ Search, a proposed equivalency can be selected through the footprint icon ("Create evaluation for all courses below").

Footprint icon
Available icons will vary by user right.

Once selected:

  1. Select the appropriate data set from the home institution using the drop-down.
  2. Select the department in which the proposed equivalency resides using the drop-down.
  3. Select the + sign ("Add course") button to the left of the course to be evaluated..

To view the course description of either the transfer or home course, hover over the COURSE CODE field and select the hyperlink.

Callouts highlight the location of the drop-downs and buttons in the instructions above.
Select the image to see a larger version.

The proposed equivalency will appear across from the transfer course(s) under EQUIVALENT COURSE(S).

Callouts highlight the location of the proposed equivalency as described above.
Select the image to see a larger version.

Users may add additional proposed equivalencies as needed. Single Eval Mode is selected by default, so a single evaluation task would be created for the course or courses selected. This means that if two or more courses are selected from the transfer institution, one evaluation task will be created that will contain all these courses.

Users can also create batches or sequences of evaluation tasks. Further documentation is available to guide users through their creation. After review, return to this section of the documentation to route the evaluation task.

Route the Evaluation Task

To route the evaluation task to an evaluator:

  1. From Add Evaluation Task 1, select Preview.
Callouts highlight the location of the Preview button.
Select the image to see a larger version.
  1. Use the Assign drop-down to choose the evaluator to receive the review.
    • A list of all users with the SERVICE EVAL right will be displayed. The user's job title, if entered in User Management, will appear in parentheses.
Callouts highlight the location of Assign drop-down.
Select the image to see a larger version.
  1. If the evaluator should receive an e-mail alert, make sure that the Send email alert? checkbox is enabled.
    • TES Administrators can enable this by default within the Evaluation Tracker. It is recommended practice to send an evaluation task e-mail alert so the recipient is aware a task is awaiting completion.
  2. Add optional comments to the evaluator in the Comments field.
  3. Select Choose File to upload a PDF(s) related to the evaluation.
    • When assigning an evaluation task, users can upload up to two PDFs of the course content to help facilitate its review. 
      • Each file must be less than 10 MB in size and cannot exceed the combined 20MB limit.
      • Select the second Choose File box to upload a second PDF.

Support files can only be attached to evaluations sent through Single Eval Mode.

Support files can be attached after initiating an evaluation task via the My Evaluations and All Open Evaluations queues. Users can upload as many PDFs as needed, two at a time, up to the abovementioned size limits.

The SERVICE EVAL user right is required to access My Evaluations; the SERVICE EVAL and MANAGE EVAL USER rights are required to access All Open Evaluations.

Sample evaluation task. The evaluation is being sent to the Communication and Journalism department chair. The send email alert checkbox is marked. A comment and support file have been provided.
Select the image to see a larger version.
  1. Select Create Evaluation Task.

Next Steps

Once the evaluation task has been sent to the evaluator, the user will have up to five navigation buttons to choose from, depending on user rights.

The callout illustrates the location of the five buttons described below.
Select the image to see a larger version.
  • Select New Course to choose a different course from the same institution, data set, and Department.
  • Select New Institution to choose a course from a different institution.
  • Select My Queue to navigate to the user's My Evaluations queue (My Evaluations - Assigned to me).
    • The SERVICE EVAL user right is required.
  • Select New Evaluation to create a new evaluation task for a course from the same institution, data set, and Department to the same data set and Department from your institution.
    • The user can change either or both data sets or Departments if desired,
  • Select New Equivalency to create an equivalency to a course from the same institution, data set, and Department to the same data set and Department from the home institution in the Equivalency Manager.
    • The CREATE EQ user right is required.
    • The user can change either or both data sets or Departments if desired.
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