For details on how to create a Conference cycle, please refer to the 'Creating a Conference Cycle' article from our Knowledge Base.

When a Conference cycle is set as 'Open to Staff', staff will have some functions that they can complete for the cycle:

Setting Unavailable Timeslots

If your school is allowing you to select some timeslots within a Conference cycle that you are unavailable for, you can add these by going to the Community menu (two people icon) and clicking 'Conferences'.

Locate the applicable cycle from the list available and click 'My Bookings'.

     

You can set the timeslots individually or in bulk.

Individually
Click on the timeslot you want to set as 'Unavailable'.

     

Click the 'Mark as Unavailable' option.

          

This will update the timeslot and prevent bookings from being made with you at that time.

     

You can click the timeslot again to change it back to 'Available' if you need.

In Bulk
Click 'Mark Timeslots'.

     

Click all the timeslots you want to mark.  Then choose either 'Mark as Unavailable' or 'Mark as Available' depending on what you require.

     

The number of timeslots you are able to set as 'Unavailable' is determined by the Conference administrator at your school.

Manage Your Bookings

If the cycle has been set to allow staff to manage their own bookings OR you have the PstPower permission, you will be able to manage your bookings. This can be used for instances where the cycle is perhaps aimed at students and they are to be allocated a time, or on occasions where the parent/student may have emailed the teacher requesting a specific time and the teacher wants to get that request in place etc.

You can do so by going to the Community menu (two people icon) and clicking 'Conferences'.

Locate the applicable cycle from the list available and click 'My Bookings'.

     

To add a booking, click the applicable class or group from your list on the right-hand.

     

The class/group will expand and you can scroll through the list.  Those highlighted in green will already have an existing booking with you.

     

Locate the person you need to make the booking with and click them.  The timeslots that you can possibly book for them will then show on the left (the available timeslots will be based on your existing bookings and those of the person you have selected).

     

Click the applicable timeslot and the booking details will show.  The information will include the selected date/time and the person you are making the booking for.

     

To finalise the booking, click 'OK'; to not proceed, click 'Cancel'.
When the booking is made it will show on your booking sheet.

     

To cancel a booking, click the applicable timeslot and then click 'Delete this Booking'.

     

Manage Interview Requirements

If your school is allowing you to manage interview requirements, you can do this by going to the Community menu (two people icon) and clicking 'Conferences'.

Locate the applicable cycle from the list available and click 'My Bookings'.

Click 'Manage Interview Requirements'.

     

By default when a Conference cycle is created, students are set with the status of 'Interview Welcome'.  This may since have been adjusted by the cycle administrator.

     

If you want to update a student, or multiple students, to a difference status, you can do so by selecting the students then clicking the 'Selected Students' option and choosing the applicable status you want to set for the students.

     

You will then see the list update based on your selected status.

     

The status set for a student does not prevent them from booking with you, or require them to make a booking, it is simply a way for you to indicate to students/parents your recommendation.  
When they attempt to make a booking, they will see the set status.

      

Running Sheet

When a Conference cycle is set to either 'Open' or 'Read-only' for staff, you will be able to access the cycle to view your running sheet.
You can view the list of your current bookings on screen or download and print.
To access, go to the Community menu (two people icon) and click 'Conferences'.

Locate the applicable cycle from the list available and click 'My Bookings'.

Click 'Running Sheet'.

     

You will see a list of your bookings load on screen.  If you want to download a printable version of the Running Sheet, click 'Print Bookings'.

     

Conference Attendance

You can record which bookings were attended and this data can then be exported by the cycle administrator if needed for reference.

To record attendance, go to the Community menu (two people icon) and click 'Conferences'.

Locate the applicable cycle from the list available and click 'My Bookings'.

Click 'Running Sheet'. 

     

For any bookings where the attendee does not attend, click 'NP' for that booking.

     

Staff with the 'PstAdmin' permission are able to book on behalf of any attendee within the cycle.  Having this functionality is beneficial for staff who are likely to receive multiple requests from a range of attendees (parents/students) that are unable or unlikely to be able to make the booking themselves or who need to change a booking once the cycle has been set to 'Read Only'. 

To book on behalf of any user, navigate to the Conferences module by hovering over the Community menu (people icon) and clicking 'Conferences'. From this page click the 'Admin' button next to the relevant cycle.

     

Navigate to the 'Enrolments' tab and use the search option to find the student the booking is in regards to. Click 'Manage Bookings' (the book icon).

     

This will take you to the bookings screen, which works exactly the same for you as it does from the parent or student side.

     

There are two ways to make bookings - either by timeslot or by teacher.

By Timeslot

To book by timeslot click the timeslot and then select the teacher from the right who you would like to book with for this specific time. The teachers who are not available during this timeslot will be greyed out. To select one of the available teachers to book with click their name at the right.

Teachers who the individual has already booked with but are available during the selected timeslot will be highlighted in green. If you would like to move the existing booking to this new timeslot you can click their name at the right.

Teachers who are already booked out with another individual during the selected timeslot will be greyed out in the list on the right.

     

By Teacher

To book by teacher click the teacher's name in the list at the far right. The schedule to the left will display only the timeslots that the teacher is still available to be booked with. All timeslots that the teacher is already booked out for will be greyed out. Just click an available timeslot on the left to make a booking.

     

Using either method of booking you will receive a confirmation pop-up to confirm the details of the booking - the time and date, the student's name, the staff member's name, the reason for the interview, and if an interpreter is required.  Click 'Ok' to confirm the booking.