Planned Release 5.5.0 - 09.30.16

This page is now obsolete. See Release 5.5.0 Summary Notes - 09.30.16 for the official summary of Release 5.5.

Release Date

DescriptionDate
Release No.5.5.0
Production Release Date09.30.16
Pilot Preview Date09.01.16
Time6:00PM - 11:00PM PST
TypeMid-Year Release
Maintenance Window
Changes to Download ClientYes
Changes to Residency LogicYes

Release Scope

DescriptionScope
ApplicationsCCCApply Standard Application
CCCApply International Application
OpenCCC Student Account System
Shibboleth V3 Upgrade 
Changes to Download ClientYes
Changes to Residency LogicYes

Release Plan


College Preview Webinar

Recorded September 8, 2016. Check out the CCCApply project team discuss and demonstrate the changes and enhancements being released in OpenCCCApply Release 5.5. Two sessions were held and recorded. Both sessions covered the same material.

Click here > OpenCCCApply Release 5.5 College Preview Webinar - 4:00PM Session - YouTube video; | Slide Deck - PDF


30-Day Pilot Site Preview

In order to give colleges time to review and implement the changes and enhancements being released to students on September 30, we will release the code to the Pilot environment for 30 days in advance, on September 1, 2016 at 6:00PM.  Technical specifications will appear in Pilot versions of the Data Dictionaries & User Guides, along with the notes and links in this document. 

REMINDER: The production release is scheduled for September 30, 2016 at 6:00PM PST. The 30-day Pilot site preview begins on September 1st at 6:00PM.

Update the Download Client Jar Files


Pre-Release Notes Summary

Below is a high-level summary of the enhancements that are planned as part of the 5.5 release.  

OpenCCC Account

The following enhancements are planned for the OpenCCC Account system. There are no actions required by colleges.


Change Specification / Technical NotesSummaryNew Data Fields / Changes to the Download ClientChanges to Logic
Update OpenCCC Shibboleth 2.4.0 to Version 3.1 

CCCTC is upgrading the OpenCCC student gateway IdP (Shibboleth v.2.4.1, to version 3.1) on September 30 as part of the planned mid-year release (5.5). 

Shibboleth Identity Provider (IdP) Version 2.X reached end-of-life status on July 31, 2016.

See End of Life for Shibboleth 2 for details.

N/AN/A
Enhancement to OpenCCC Account Recovery:Password Reset by Email Link 

In an effort to reduce the number of incoming support requests from students to the OpenCCC Helpdesk for Account Recovery, we are implementing a new 24/7, self-serve option for students to reset their passwords through a secure URL link sent to the user’s email address.

N/AN/A

Upgrade to Shibboleth Version 3

Colleges using Shibboleth Identity Provider (IdP) software will need to verify which version they are using and, if using Shibboleth Version 2, should consider upgrading to the latest version 3. Shibboleth v2 will become an unsupported version, and while upgrading to v3.1 is not required, it is strongly recommended. Colleges that have not yet upgraded and would like information and assistance, please contact Patty Donohue, Product Manager, pdonohue@ccctechcenter.org.

See announcement, End of Life for Shibboleth 2, for recommendation for colleges to upgrade to Shibboleth V3 today!

CCCApply Standard Application

The following enhancements are planned for the CCCApply applications.   

Click on the Change Specification / Technical Notes hyperlinks in the table below to see the detailed change specifications planned for each item. A "Pilot" version of the CCCApply Standard Application Data Dictionary will accompany the release to Pilot on 9.01.16, and will be published in the Production Data Dictionary on September 30, 2016.

Change Specification / Technical NotesSummaryNew Data Fields /
Change to the Download File
Change to
Logic
New Data Fields to Support Multiple Measures for Assessment Placement

**OPTIONAL IMPLEMENTATION** 

This new featured section in the Education page will not appear unless the college chooses to opt-in to participate. This applies to downloads, reporting, and rules as well.

 Click here to expand...

Click the hyperlink in the left column to see the detailed specifications for question text, data field specs, validations and conditions for each question.

Default setting: DO NOT DISPLAY this section unless college opts-in. (Common Assessment Pilot colleges may be required to implement as part of the project requirements. Please contact the CCCAssess Program Managers for details).

Conditions: Display "High School Transcript Information" section and questions on the Education page if the high school completion date is within 10 years of the RDD. (hs_comp_date < RDD minus 10 years). 

None of the questions affect residency. For participating colleges, all fields are downloadable and added to the Download Client, application Rules, and appear for reporting in the Report Center.  

Yes. See "Changes to Download Client" below.No
Add Missing Step to Area B Residency Logic for Classification of Non-Residents (B0)

A critical missing step is being added to the Area B residency logic to correct issues identified regarding California residents who report an out-of-state activity on the standard application.

 Click here to expand...

This issue was reported by colleges who noticed an increase in the number of students who - for all other intents and purposes - appear to be California residents but they have indicated some activity out-of-state within the past two years, such as paying taxes outside the state or attended a college outside the state.

The error in step 1 of Area B logic was automatically tagging these students as "Non-residents" but was not fixing that classification in steps 2 or 3 when the logic identifies that the student has lived in CA for 2 years. This fix will ensure that these students are correctly re-classified as “B2 - possible residents” in the final calculation (steps 12 & 13).

Yes. See "New Data Fields & Changes to the Download Client" section below.

Area B. See "Changes to Logic" section bellow. 
Revised High School/College Finder WidgetsThe High School Finder (and College Finder) advanced search widgets which appear on the Education page in the Standard and International Applications were refactored for per accessibility requirements. The technical changes will allow students using screen readers and/or other assistive technologies to look up high schools and colleges using keyboard without difficulty.N/AN/A


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New Data Fields & Changes to the Download Client

The following data fields will be added to the Download Client. To download these fields, your college IT staff must add them to the Download Format Definitions XML file for the application(s) they pertain to. This process is described in the CCCApply Download Client User Guide.
 

New Download Client Jar Files for Release 5.5

Here is the latest Release 5.5.0 Transfer Client Jar: transfer-client.jar

Description

Data Field

Format

DownloadReport Center?Admin Rules?Application(s)

Notes

No SSNssn_nobooleanYesYesYesAll Applications
Completed 11th Gradecompleted_eleventh_gradebooleanYes Opt-inOpt-inOpt-inCCCApply OnlyMultiple Measures

Grade Point Average

grade_point_average

varchar 5

Yes Opt-inOpt-inOpt-inCCCApply Only

Multiple Measures

Highest English Course Taken

highest_english_course

integer

Yes Opt-inOpt-inOpt-inCCCApply Only

Multiple Measures

Highest English Course Taken Grade

highest_english_grade

varchar 2

Yes Opt-inOpt-inOpt-inCCCApply Only

Multiple Measures

Highest Math Course Taken

highest_math_course_taken

integer

Yes Opt-inOpt-inOpt-inCCCApply Only

Multiple Measures

Highest Math Course Taken Grade

highest_math_taken_grade

varchar 2

Yes Opt-inOpt-inOpt-inCCCApply Only

Multiple Measures

Highest Math Course Passed

highest_math_course_passed

integer

Yes Opt-inOpt-inOpt-inCCCApply Only

Multiple Measures

Highest Math Course Passed Grade

highest_math_passed_grade

varchar 2

Yes Opt-inOpt-inOpt-inCCCApply Only

Multiple Measures

Integrity Flag 30

integrity_fg_30

varchar 2

YesYesYesCCCApply Only

Residency

Term Start Dateterm_start_datedateYesYesYesInternational Only
Term End Dateterm_end_datedateYesYesYesInternational Only
Term Descriptionenroll_term_descriptionvarchar 100YesYesYesInternational Only
Major Descriptionmajor_descriptionvarchar 64YesYesYesInternational Only

Opt-In to Download the Multiple Measures Data Fields

The new Multiple Measures for Assessment Placement data fields are being added to the Download Client for the Standard Application, but you will only be able to download them if you opt-in to implementation this feature. To find out more, please contact the CCCAssess Product Manager, John Hadad, jhadad@ccctechcenter.org.


Changes to Residency Logic


Update to Area B Residency Logic

The Area B residency logic is being updated to fix a problem identified around California residents who answered "Yes" to one or more of the "out-of-state activity" questions within the past year. The majority of the problems identified pertain to California residents that reported that they paid taxes outside California last year, yet they've also lived in the state for the past two years.

 Click here to expand...

The solution is to change Step 1 from: "Set Class B0 - Non-resident > Go to Step 4"  to  "Set Class B2 > Set flag (30 > Go to Step 2" which is the point where California residency for 2years is identified. If the answer is "No" at step 2, the "B0" classification is then set, and the logic advances to step 3 and 4. At step 4, unless the student with the "B0" classification is determined to be a current or former Foster Youth, they keep the "B0" classification and skip to the end for final B0 classification. If the user is a Foster Youth, the class is set back to "B2", a flag is set, and they advance through the rest of the logic with that classification.  

Please review the Change Specification for detailed information and a Use Case Matrix to ensure all scenarios are tested against the new logic.    

What action does the college need to take?
No change is required by the college (unless you have custom residency calculation forms that need to be updated with the new step and change to Step 1). Otherwise, the residency algorithm will continue to do its job calculating the "Preliminary Residency Status". Admissions staff should be aware that there is a new integrity flag for "Out-of-State Activities" to help identify these cases and collect proof when needed.

Questions? Please add questions and comments in the support site: CCCTechnology.info.


Bug Fixes

The following bug fixes are planned for this release. No action is required by the colleges.

If you have any questions or would like more information about any of these bug fixes, please post a request in the CCCTechnology.info in the CCCApply category page.



SummaryApplication
Restricted Users from Creating or Duplicating Domains & Data Sources in the Report CenterReport Center
Error page if the tstmp_submit timestamp is null for submitted apps.CCCApply
Fixed issues with the Visa/Alien Registration Number Issue & Expiration DatesCCCApply
Typos on State/College Employee question when applicant is a dependent minorCCCApply
Fix Client-Side Validation: Main Phone Number cannot be empty if Second Phone is EnteredCCCApply
Education tab client side validation appears without clicking on the Continue buttonCCCApply
Missing Client-side Validation on Education Page: No college attended when college count is not emptyCCCApply
Question mark typo found on Privacy Policy pageCCCApply
Skip navigation link not displayed in SafariCCCApply
Enhanced focus indicator to button elements and form inputsCCCApply
Replaced ASCII art with semantic markup and CSSCCCApply
Text Alternative added to Notification messagesCCCApply
Corrected the format for all date fields for Rules and Rule Messages and fixed the response display if the field is empty - Every Date Field


 Click here to expand...

Technical Requirements: When using a date field variable in Rules messages, the date should be formatted for Apply and BOG as follows: month-dd-yyyy; and for International, it should be formatted mmm-dd-yyyy.

  • Add code into the system that will format the dates in "month-dd-yyyy" for Apply and BOG. For International, it should be formatted mmm-dd-yyyy instead of printing out the raw java timestamp value for OpenCCC, Apply, BOGFW, and International.
  • If a college creates a rule that includes a "date" field, but the value of the field is empty per the response (or lack of response) by the student, the value that should appear in the email message should be "N/A" or "Null" instead of code garble.
CCCApply

URL encode campaign tracking code values

 Click here to expand...
Technical Requirements: The campaign tracking code utilizes cookies to actually pass the campaign tracking values. Due to that, we have to make sure that the campaign tracking values can be safely stored in a cookie. To accomplish that, we need to make sure to URL encode the value before we store it in the cookie and then URL decode it before reading the cookie value in the app. This change has been applied to Apply, BOG and International.
CCCApply
Users with no First Name are Seeing Null in their Account Creation EmailsOpenCCC Account

Added Missing Security Question to Dropdown List:

 Click here to expand...
Technical Requirements: Make the question, "What is the nickname of your youngest sibling?", available as a Security Question in Account Creation, and Account Recovery.
OpenCCC Account
Corrected the Foster Youth Status question text on Review Application page to match the CCCApply Standard Application Data Dictionary V.2016.1CCCApply
Corrected typos on the Review Application page and View Submitted Application pagesCCCApply
Fixed error submitting International Application when Term description too longInternational 
Fixed Typo in Hover Help for the Year Field When Date Taken or Completed Displays on Proficiency Test/QualificationInternational 
Removed the "SEVIS ID number" validation from being displayed when Sevis Information box is uncheckedInternational 
Added character limit (50) to Colleges Attended: Major field in International Application. Data field: <col1_major>; Length: 50; Format: ASCII Alphanumeric text inputInternational 
Corrected a typo (removed extra space) for International addresses in the Review Account/Mailing pageInternational 
Fixed issue with the USPS Checkbox Remaining when User changes addressInternational 
Removed "foster_youths" field from Administrator Rules. This field is not in use. Replaced with Foster Youth Status in 2013CCCApply
New Degree Types AA-T and AS-T were not displaying in the Majors Summary View in the AdministratorCCCApply
When the "parent/guardian is a veteran" option is selected, bad hover-help text for discharge date was replacedCCCApply
Prevented Preferred Names field from clearing when 'Cancel' link clicked on Edit Personal Information pageOpenCCC Account
Hover help no longer appears for links on account logged out success pageOpenCCC Account
Users with no First Name are no longer seeing Null in their Account Creation EmailsOpenCCC Account




Accessibility Fixes

One of the objectives of this release is to fix a series of accessibility issues in the CCCApply applications which were identified in a third-party accessibility review conducted in February 2016. Issues that can be fixed in the current version of CCCApply will be fixed; however, issues that require significant re-writes to the application code or user interface are being deferred to the next version of CCCApply (3.0). Development for V.3.0 is slated to begin in Fall 2017.

The issues below were determined to be mandatory or feasible fixes for the current version of CCCApply.
 

DescriptionApplication
Update High School & College Finder in Apply & IA - Education Tab (See CCCApply summary of requirements above.) CCCApply & International Applications ONLY
Skip navigation link not displayed in SafariCCCApply, BOG, International
Skip Navigation links and browser focusCCCApply, BOG, International
Enhance focus indicator to button elements and form inputsCCCApply, BOG, International
Replace ASCII art with semantic markup and CSSCCCApply, BOG, International
Notification messages do not provide text alternativeCCCApply, BOG, International

The PILOT Site

During the 30 Day Pilot Preview period, we encourage college Admissions staff to review the changes and alert your IT department staff to add the new data fields to your Download files. (See New Data Fields & Changes to the Download Client section for new fields being added and the application they are being added to). NOTE: All other changes, including the new step added to the Area B residency logic, require no action by the college. 

Preview on Pilot Site for 30 Days
Beginning September 1 at 6:00PM, all release changes and enhancements will be added to the Pilot environment for colleges to preview and test for 30 days. Update Data Dictionaries and User Guides will be available on the CCCApply Project Site on that date. Questions? Please post all questions on CCCTechnology.info.

Getting to the Pilot Applications

Remember to include your college's MIS code to the end of each application URL


PILOT ApplicationNEW PILOT Application URL

PILOT CCCApply Standard Application URL

https://pilot.opencccapply.net/cccapply-welcome?cccMisCode=XXX

*Replace the XXX with your college MIS code.

PILOT BOG Application URL

https://pilot.bog.opencccapply.net/gateway/bog?cccMisCode=XXX

*Replace the XXX with your college MIS code.

PILOT International Application URL

https://pilot.intl.opencccapply.net/gateway/intl?cccMisCode=XXX

*Replace the XXX with your college MIS code. 

Pilot Application Downloads-URL Attributes

Include the following URL attributes in your PILOT Job XML files. For more information, refer to the Download Client User Guide for details.


Application

PILOT DOWNLOAD URL
PILOT CCCApply Standard Applicationhttps://pilot.admin.openccc.net:8443/ccctransfer
PILOT BOG Applicationhttps://pilot.admin.openccc.net:8443/ccctransferbog
PILOT International Application

https://pilot.admin.openccc.net:8443/ccctransferintl 


Pilot Administrator & Report Center URLs

The URLs below are "templates" - so the examples shown are not your URLs. These are here to give you an idea of what they look like. Please contact your IT department if you do not have access to your Pilot Site URLs for the Pilot Administrator and Pilot Report Center.


Documentation

A Pilot version of the CCCApply Standard Application and User Guides will be posted and announced with the Pilot release on September 1, 2016.