Core Data Exchange
Introduction
This document explains the multiple ways that your campus can send core data to the Campus Labs® platform. Before data is exchanged, your campus must be authenticated, ensuring that your users can log in with their campus username and password to the web application. Also, this will help ensure that you have identified a unique, and not changing, identifier for each user on campus.
Core data
The Core Data Exchange allows campuses to send basic academic and course data to the Campus Labs platform. There are three methods (sFTP, APIs, uploading) to send data to the platform. Each method allows the campus to send the fields indicated in our Core Data Exchange data dictionary, however the method of delivery that you choose will dictate the format and order that the data should be transferred.
Accounts
Account data is the most basic information that the platform requires in order to identify a user and tie information to them. This information is used to customize the user experience of the web application and enable communication directly to the user in specific conditions. Account data will likely be contained within the SIS or ERP systems at the institution and include the following fields:
- Unique user identification
- First name of the user
- Last name of the user
- Email address of the user
- Preferred first name of the user (optional)
Demographics
In order to present interesting data visualizations, generate logical filtering, and create rules-based actions within the platform, several pieces of demographic and academic data points are required to be sent to Campus Labs. Demographic and academic data will likely be contained within the SIS or ERP systems at the institution.
Courses
The academic history of a student is one of the most valuable data associations at an institution. To allow insightful application of assessment data for teaching and learning and outcomes-based program improvement, the platform requires course catalog and enrollment data. Course data will likely be contained within the SIS or academic catalog management systems at the institution. See Appendix D: Course Data Dictionary for information on specific data definitions.
Core data exchange methods
Due to the importance of the core data elements for the platform and the highly varied technical capabilities of each higher education institution, Campus Labs supports the following methods to transmit the core data sets. A single method should be determined for all three elements of the core data exchange (i.e., do not mix methods). These methods are: sFTP, API, and manual.