As you prepare for your implementation of the RMS suite of surveys, you are encouraged to save and/or review each of these documents for your frequent reference. They are:
- Retention Data Center Users Guide = resource to answer almost all questions related to using the Retention Data Center. We also have a One Page Resource that can be helpful as you are getting started.
- Video Tutorial = 10 minute tutorial walking you through the entire Retention Data Center.
- Coordinators Guide = a resource specific to you as a coordinator. This includes a survey setup checklist, timeline to ensure you are keeping on track, implementation guidelines, general overview of the products and what you should be tracking for outcomes.
- NEW! RMS Surveys Suggested Timeline
- New! RMS Survey Setup Checklist
- CSI Implementation Guidelines
- MYSA Implementation Guidelines
- SYSA Implementation Guidelines
Whether you are administering the College Student Inventory (CSI), Mid-Year Student Assessment (MYSA) or Second-Year Student Assessment (SYSA), the process for implementation is the same. You must start by placing your order. If you haven’t placed your order, you can do so at: rnl.com/orderRMS
Your account is setup as part of your order!
If you have others on campus that need access to the Retention Data Center (for report retrieval or implementation purposes), you can create accounts for them! They cannot create their own account. For step by step instructions on setting up accounts for others, review our RDC Users Guide (page 4). Basic steps are: Login to your RDC account –> Configuration (upper right corner) –> User Administration –> Add User
Also, as you consider your account setup, consider if you want a SFTP site setup to access your reports. This can allow for report/data integration into your campus system or potentially ease of report distribution. For more information, review our documentation.
All survey customization is complete within your Retention Data Center account, under Survey Settings. Step by step instructions can be found in the RDC Users Guide (starting on page 9). The customization options are:
- Grouping – students with demographical fields provides additional sorting and filtering opportunities beyond what is collected through the standard items of the surveys. Up to 5 categories can be used; commonly used are Academic Advisor, FYE Instructor, Residence Hall, Indicated Major, etc.
- Securing access of reports – This allows you the ability to designate others on campus for access to specific groups of student records (outlined above) with limited access to areas of the Retention Data Center and reports available for students.
- Survey entry page: Allows you to request specific information for Id and e-mail. Example: “Please enter your 7-character student Id here. (W234567)” or “Enter your university.edu address here”.
- Custom Questions – These are multiple choice questions and require a single selection response from the student. They appear at the end of the survey, after the standard items. Custom questions are also filterable and exportable for further analysis.
- Narrative text on individual reports – Up to 1,000 characters (500 for SYSA) can be inserted as the first paragraph of each of the categories.
- Survey completion email customization – Upon completing the survey, students will receive an automatic email. You can customize the contents of this email message.
Use our template to upload a student file containing email address, first name, last name, DOB, and other optional fields. It isn’t required that you upload a file, but it is suggested. Step by step instructions can be found in the RDC Users Guide (starting on page 15) or video tutorial.
When doing a final review of your file prior to upload, confirm:
- the headers match the template exactly and all headers are present
- the file is saved as Excel (not CSV)
- the fields include the appropriately formatted information (review the Student Access File Details button for more information)
With the RMS Plus™ suite of surveys, you can distribute the surveys almost any way you want. You can:
- Distribute the survey specific URL. This is our most widely used implementation plan. It can be used in printed material, during orientation, as an in-class assignment or in a portal. The survey specific URL can also be turned into a QR code for promotional material.
- Distribute personal URL links. After students have been imported into your account, you can download their personal URL (under Export Data). This can be used in a portal, emailed locally, or sent via email from the Retention Data Center. We offer sample email templates and resources on whitelisting, but we don’t suggest using this as your stand-alone implementation method. Prior to sending emails from the RDC, you will need to complete email/domain verification steps with our team.
You can use any combination of these and the survey can be complete on a desktop or mobile device.
RDC Users Guide (starting on page 14) has resources including how to retrieve your survey URL, exporting data (you can download the personal URL for your students) and emailing students. Your Coordinators Guide walks you through in a bit more detail your implementation options.
Before launching, be sure to preview your survey and ensure all your customization appears as expected. Survey Sample is found on the Survey Summary section of your survey setup.
If you are looking for a copy of the survey or it’s reports, visit our Samples page.
More Items to Consider
As you prepare for your survey implementation, you may want to consider these items:
What CSI survey form should you use?
A majority of our clients use the CSI Form B, however, we have a larger population moving towards the CSI Form C with the online and adult population expanding. For more information see our Differences between forms. Also, don’t forget about the MYSA (used in conjunction with the CSI) and the SYSA for your second-year or transfer students.
Who should you invite?
With the CSI, we suggest you invite your entire incoming first-year class. With the MYSA, we suggest you invite all students that are still enrolled and have completed the CSI. With the SYSA, we suggestion you invite your entire second-year or transfer cohort.
How should you prepare your faculty or staff?
We offer strategies and resources for your colleagues to effectively use the RMS surveys at your institution.
- Getting Campus buy-in to assist with purchasing and data utilization across campus.
- Examiners Instructions to assist faculty and staff in administering the survey to students.
- On-Demand and customized training options are available tailored to fit the needs of you and your colleague. To learn more, please Contact Us.
How should you prepare your students?
Since students are asked to reveal personal information by completing the survey, it is helpful to create a sense of trust by building rapport. This rapport can be accomplished by preparing a few comments that will be directly communicated to students or emailed to students. A few simple tips are:
- Provide an introduction to the purpose and goals of the inventory.
- Remind students that it is important to read all instructions in the CSI carefully.
- Emphasize the value of this inventory for students to “get started right” in their college experience, and remind them how they can receive their results.
- Be clear on the expectation to complete the CSI and inform students of the timeline within which they can do so.
Additional RMS Resources
All RMS activity is done within the Retention Data Center. You will find resources within this page to help you navigate the Retention Data Center and pull individual student reports and summary reports.
Retention Data Center DocumentationAfter your students have completed the survey, you are ready to review your results. Utilize our resources to help you best understand and maximize your results.
Review Your ResultsTo get the highest return on your investment, you must use your data in multiple ways. The resources on this page are a great way to share, present, and take action on your data with others on campus.
Share Your Results