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New! Additions to the CCCApply Release 6.2.0 Scope

On July 20, the CCC Chancellor's Office approved a series of changes to the OpenCCCApply application and requested they be added to the scope of Release 6.2.0. Adding these late changes to the original deployment schedule necessitated an additional Pilot release (Update 1.0.4), which will be available for colleges to preview beginning September 15.  

Deferred: Removed from Scope

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Release Summary

The CCCApply Release 6.2.0 combines the efforts of three project teams, closely coordinated to support the CCCApply 2018 annual update traditional fall release, which primarily consists of the development and integration of the new version of the CCCApply Administrator 2.0 and the launch of a new shared SSO-based staff and faculty "user and access management" system called the CCC Administrator. 

• The new CCCApply Administrator 2.0 upgrade will completely replace the current version of the CCCApply Administrator (Admin 1.0), which means that all 110 colleges that have adopted the CCCApply applications will be affected by the cut-over of users and data to the new system as part of this deployment.  
• Therefore, implementation support and online materials are available to help colleges with pre-migration data review, IT and operations tasks, implementation and training. To schedule a one-on-one support session for the purposes of walking you through the migration and implementation process, please Schedule A Support Session as soon as possible.
  
  

Overall, Minimal Changes to CCCApply Applications - No New Required Data Fields

The good news is there are very few changes to the CCCApply applications themselves in this release. There are no new required questions or data fields that need to be added to data downloads. We took advantage of this release to fix a long list of bugs and technical debt issues across Apply, Promise Grant, and International which are listed below (by Application).   

New Spam Filter Web Service 

However, one new service being added to the CCCApply Standard application - the Spam Filter Web Service - is being implemented to combat the large number of fraudulent applications coming in through the Standard application. This service does have a required user component that colleges will need to monitor regularly in order to ensure the machine-learning prediction model behind the service continues to grow, learn and identify fraud as the spammers change their tactics to avoid being detected. This service sits in the post-submission application pipeline and will not affect the user experience; however colleges will be given training on how to monitor and process spam applications through the new CCCApply Administrator 2.0 as part of their implementation & UAT session.

Release Strategy

On June 28, 2018, the Pilot versions of the CCCApply Administrator v.2.0 - along with the new core CCC Administrator platform - was released to the Pilot environment. All college pilot data was migrated over to the new Admin 2.0 system, which is now fully integrated with the Pilot CCCApply applications, database(s), download servers, and Report Center.

Pilot Release & Recurring Updates

Due to the scope of this release, a series of Pilot environment updates are planned between now and the Production release on September 28. These zero-down time deployments should not affect college implementation and testing:  .

• June 28 (Pilot 1.0):  This was the initial deployment of the full CCCApply 6.2.0 code to the Pilot environment. College Support Services begins working with UAT colleges.
• July 12 (Pilot 1.0.1):  This scheduled Pilot update may override data changes in Pilot due to a  by a data refresh scheduled for July 12. 
• July 19 (Pilot 1.0.2):  This Pilot update fixed several bugs reported during Pilot UAT process. 
• September 6 (Pilot 1.0.3):  This update fixed a major User Authorization issue, as well as several major bugs, identified during Pilot UAT that necessitated the Pilot site to come down while to be fixed.  
• September 14 (Pilot 1.0.4): This update deploys the code for the approved CCCApply changes requested by the Chancellor's Office. 
• September 28 (Production 1.0)  

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Pilot Implementation Activities & Support

The new CCCApply Administrator 2.0 tool will completely replace the current CCCApply admin system (Admin 1.0), which means that all 110 colleges who have adopted the CCCApply application will be affected by this product release. The purpose of this pilot release plan is to ensure that every college and district has been informed about the scope and timeline for this release; and have completed the technical requirements and operational tasks necessary to ensure a successful transition to the new system - before we migrate off the production server and turn on the new common admin service to all colleges across the system.  A successful migration and implementation in the pilot environment will be the indicator of whether we are ready to make the switch in production, and when. 

Similar to all previous CCCApply releases, Release 6.2.0 will deploy one or more iterative code releases to the Pilot (sandbox) environment for preview prior to the Production release on September 28; thus allowing colleges time to review all coming changes and work with College Support Services and Enabling Services to complete pre-migration,  IT setup and operational implementation activities.  College Support Services worked with six colleges to complete a Pilot User Acceptance Testing process to validate the new college URLs and verify the accuracy of the data migration process. 

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Pilot Environment: CCCApply Administrator & Applications

The CCCApply Pilot Environment is the testing site used by CCCApply colleges to set up and test their CCCApply applications (custom supplemental questions, rules, etc.) and corresponding CCCApply Administrator.  Prior to releases, the Pilot environment will isolate new features and code changes for preview and testing, allowing colleges

Getting to Your Pilot Tools

Please see the Pilot Environment section in the CCCApply Public Documentation space for more information on getting to the Pilot CCCApply Applications, pointing your download files to the Pilot download server, and identifying the Pilot Administrator & Report Center URLs.

NOTE:  The Pilot Application URLs are not changing with the release of the new CCCApply Administrator 2.0.  Colleges should continue to use the application URL templates listed below.

NEW Production & Pilot URLs

The URLs below are templates, so the examples shown below are not your URLs. These are provided to give you an example of what yours look like. Please contact your IT department if you do not have access to your Pilot Administrator and Pilot Report Center.  (New - Click here to find your new college URLs to the CCCApply Administrator 2.0 & Report Center.)

Data Dictionaries & Release Documentation

The following links point to the most current versions of the CCCApply Data Dictionaries and User Guides.

Changes to the OpenCCC Account

The following changes were implemented in the 6.2.0 release. 

Changes to the CCCApply Standard Application

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Changes to the Promise Grant Application (BOG)

The following changes were implemented in the 6.2.0 release code.

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The only change that colleges need to be aware of relative to the CCC Report Center in this release are the two new custom college-URLs they need to use to get there.

Pilot Report Center:  http://{college domain}.pilot.openccc.net/reports

Production Report Center:  http://{college domain}.openccc.net/reports

Changes to the Download Client

The following fields have been added to the Download Client. To add them to your download file, update your Download Format XML files, as indicated.

Data Field Notes

The following are notes pertaining pertain to OpenCCCApply OpenCCC & CCCApply data fields.  

Additional Information:  New Features & Services

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New! CCCApply Spam Filter Web Service

The purpose of the Spam Filter web service is to identify fraudulent applications coming into our system through CCCApply and prevent them from being passed to and processed by our colleges as legitimate applications. A full series of articles detailing the new Spam Filter Web Service, include: Issue: Rise in Fraudulent Applications Coming in Through CCCApply Ways We Are Addressing Fraud in CCCApply Machine Learning Research Study Development: Spam Filter Web Service Development: Spam Filter User Interface More resources will be available to support the implementation and regular monitoring of the Spam Filter Web Service, including the new updated CCCApply Administrator 2.0 User Guide documentation, video tutorials, and live training sessions during the Pilot implementation period.

Post-Submission Web Service 

Every application submitted to your college is passed through the Spam Filter Web Service at time of submission and contains a fraud status flag with the status of "Pending". If the prediction service believes that the application does meet the criteria for fraud, it will update the fraud status flag from "Pending" to "Checked Fraud" and sends it to the suspension folder (User Interface) to be confirmed by the college. Applications that do not meet the criteria for spam in the prediction service are flagged with "Not Checked Fraud" and immediately pushed forward to the college's Download Client for download.

The new data field, "fraud status", is not required to be a downloadable field; however if the college wants to add this field to their Standard Application Format Definition XML file, the data field element is included in the CCCApply Standard Application Data Dictionary v.2018.1.

SPAM Filter User Interface

The Spam Filter User Interface is the suspension folder where the prediction service sends and stores applications that meet the criteria for spam. The user interface consists of a summary table that displays the applications that have been identified with a high probability or percentage of confidence, a search field to bring in applications to the folder, and action buttons that the college uses to "Confirm Spam" or "Mark as Valid", each application individually or multiple selected applications at the same time. The summary table functions similarly to the other tables in the Administrator, with sortable column headers and a search field that allows the college to bring an application into the filter to be processed.

Summary Table

Each application suspended in the Spam Filter Summary table can be selected individually or multiple applications can be selected. Once an application is selected the action buttons become active; including the "Confirm Spam" button and the "Mark as Valid" button. 

• Confirm Spam button:  The college should select this action to confirm that the application meets the criteria for spam and should NOT be downloaded by the college's Download Client 
• Mark as Valid button: The college should select this action to remove the application from the spam suspension folder and push the application on to be downloaded by the college's Download Client
  
  

SuperGlue for CCCApply (College Adapter 2.5)

With the CCC Technology Platform (SuperGlue) College Adaptor version 2.5, Colleges can receive a full dataset of a student’s CCCApply data directly to a staging table in their college ERP/SIS. A student’s Apply data will be delivered as soon as their application is complete. The Apply dataset includes unencrypted LGBTQ data that can be used for mandatory reporting to the Chancellor’s office. Delivery of College Promise and International data is not supported in this version of the adaptor, but will be added in the next release. College ERPs supported with the College Adaptor 2.5 Release: Colleague, Banner and PeopleSoft Campus Solutions.

The intent of the SuperGlue Support for CCCApply project is to securely deliver in real time CCCApply records into a staging table in the College SIS via the Glue College Adaptor. Records will include the entire CCCApply dataset, including the college's custom Supplemental Questions, and unencrypted AB620 data fields: Sexual Orientation and Transgender. Implementation of this delivery will require data to be stored in an encrypted database table at the college.

We foresee colleges using this dataset in two possible scenarios:

Scenario 1: College Continues to Use the CCCApply Download Client as well as the College Adaptor

In this scenario, your college can continue to use your existing CCCApply Download Client (DL Client) workflow to download and process new applications without disruption to existing business processes. The college then uses the new College Adaptor dataset to join AB620 data fields via the Application ID (app_id) to applications downloaded through the Download Client, for storage in your SIS for MIS reporting purposes.

Scenario 2: College Discontinues using the CCCApply Download Client and adopts the College Adaptor (SuperGlue) 2.5 for real-time integration with your SIS

In this scenario, your college would discontinue using the CCCApply Download Client and work with the CCC Technology Center to implement the College Adaptor (SuperGlue) 2.5 for real-time integration of your CCCApply dataset with your college SIS. The college would work with the CCC Technology Center to point their post processing scripts at the new secure staging table and adjust their CCCApply scripts to consume the newly delivered CCCApply dataset, storing the data in the college SIS or preparing the necessary files for upload.

What is SuperGlue?

The CCC Technology Platform (SuperGlue) is the integrations framework for the products of the California Community Colleges Technology Center (CCCTC). SuperGlue integrations facilitate data exchange between the system-wide products built by or purchased by the CCCTC for the California Community Colleges system. This includes the following applications:

• Canvas Webapp
• My Path Enterprise Student Portal
• Career Planning Systems
• Multiple Measures Student Placement Platform
• CCCApply
• California Promise Grant Application (BOG)

Accessing Your CCCApply AB620 Data for MIS Reporting

Colleges can obtain their students’ unencrypted AB620 data for MIS reporting in real-time through the CCC Technology Platform’s (SuperGlue) College Adaptor. The College Adaptor Release 2.5 supports the Glue for Apply project to securely deliver in real time CCCApply records into a staging table in the College SIS via the Glue College Adaptor. Records will include the entire CCCApply dataset, including the college's custom Supplemental Questions, and unencrypted AB620 data fields: Sexual Orientation and Transgender. Implementation of this delivery will require data to be stored in an encrypted database table at the college.

Colleges interested in upgrading or installing the College Adaptor 2.5 version in order to receive the unencrypted AB620 data can contact Keith Franco of the CCCTC Enabling Services team: kfranco@ccctechcenter.org

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New! CCC Administrator

The CCC Administrator is the new centralized admin service for California Community Colleges faculty and staff - providing SSO-based authentication and user management for all CCC Tech Center and systemwide administrator tools and services.  This new service is designed to scale as products and services are developed and integrated with this central system.

See the Introduction to the New CCC Administrator for more information about:  Overview of purpose and system/technical requirements Proxy integration requirement Overview of features and functionality "Getting There" information New Single Point-of-Entry New custom URL for college and district users Authentication & Authorization Summary Launching integrated administrator tools, including the CCCApply Administrator 2.0 User Management - Basic & Admin User Authorization Warning NOTE: Getting to the CCCApply Administrator 2.0 now requires all users to login to the new CCC Administrator with the new college-specific URL.  Your Admin 1.0 user account will recognize your college or district IdP and will store your permissions to launch the CCCApply Administrator 2.0

Features & Benefits

User & Access Management for all integrated CCCTC admin tools are now maintained in the new, centralized System Administrator application in the CCC Administrator.  One of the benefits to users in the new system is the consolidation of all their previous individual user accounts into one account, which allows for multiple applications, roles, and permissions in one account (one username & password) for each user, for each environment (Pilot vs. Production). 

• ALL USERS must first have a user account set up for them (new or migrated from Admin 1.0) before they can login (authenticate) to the new CCCApply Administrator 2.0.

• ALL USER ACCOUNTS are created and managed in the “User Manager” system in the CCC Administrator.  

• ALL EXISTING USER ACCOUNTS in the CCCApply Admin 1.0 and the CCC Report Center systems will be migrated over to the new Admin 2.0 system prior to Pilot and Production releases.

• ALL USERS will have a "Basic User" role for each Application they are authorized to access in the CCCApply Administrator 2.0 system (including the Report Center). 

• USERS who are authorized to manage other users for their college or district, must be assigned the appropriate "CCCAdmin" role by an authorize CCC Tech Center support engineer or another authorized CCCAdmin users with equal or greater scope of authorities.
  

For more information about User Management in the CCCApply Administrator 2.0 or CCC Report Center, please see the /wiki/spaces/PD/pages/758546724.

New! Canvas Administrator

Another new staff and faculty admin configuration tool - now available for colleges who have adopted the College Adaptor (SuperGlue) - is also being deployed in this release and is accessible from the new CCC Administrator system. Colleges that have adopted the Canvas LMS and the College Adapter (v.2.5) are encouraged to pilot the new admin tool for automating the synchronization of student enrollments, terms, and courses.

Using the Canvas Administrator tool, college Canvas administrators can automate course shell creation for the Canvas LMS using the College ERP/SIS term and section data. The Canvas Administrator also allows Canvas admins to schedule and automate student section enrollments so that they are synchronized between the ERP/SIS and Canvas. 

Automatic synchronization of student enrollments allows students to access their content in Canvas without delay, helping them stay on path to their educational goals. Automatically creating Canvas course shells and synchronizing section and enrollment data between the ERP/SIS and Canvas also eliminates the need for faculty to manually update their student rosters, or Canvas course details, giving them more time to focus on instruction. For more information on the Canvas-SIS Integration, see the SuperGlue Public Documentation page.

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Support Services

Support for the new CCC Administrator, and all current and future integrated web applications - including the CCCApply Administrator 2.0, Canvas Web App, and the CCC Report Center - is provided by the CCCTC College Support Services.  Colleges can contact support in a number of ways:

• Post a question or comment related to CCC Technology Center products and services on the College Support Site (CCCTechnology.info)
• Submit a request for technical or operational support through the College Support Site (See Using the College Support Site for more information)
• Contact College Support Services directly by email at staffsupportccctc@openccc.zendesk.com

Information is available online at:  CSUP

CCCTechnology.info

CCCTechnology.info - the College Support Site for the CCC Technology Center - is the starting place for requesting support for all OpenCCCApply applications and services, including the new CCCApply Spam Filter web service and user interface, the new CCCApply Administrator 2.0 tool, and all current and future OpenCCCApply projects and services.  

California Community Colleges faculty and staff are encouraged to register for an account on the CCCTechnology.info site to stay informed on outgoing information, as well as to start or join a discussion about products, programs and other services supported by the CCC Technology Center.