Direct messaging

As from Student Portal version 17.3.0.0 - A student has expanded options for messaging.  In addition to reviewing sent email and sms messages.  A student may now communicate with training staff and vice versa via direct messaging.

A student will be notified of incoming messages via the portal notification system and new unread messages will appear on the student's dashboard in the "Recent messages" panel.

Student Portal "Recent messages" panel.

Messages menu changes

Selecting the main menu for Messages will take the student to an updated messages page.  The page now shows additional tabs for received, archived and sent direct messages, a tab for sending new direct messages and the previously shown email, sms received are now in their own respective tabs.  Selecting the relevant tab will display a new paged layout of messages.

Desktop view of messages tabs

Mobile friendly view of tabs

Received messages may be marked as read, archived or if sender has permitted, replied to from the actions column.

Actions available on received messages.

Clicking on the message row will bring up a modal view of the entire message thread, showing a chain of messages that reflect the original and replied messages.

VETtrak Changes:

student portal security setup

New messaging security entities "Client message" and "Class message" are now available in the Student portal.  This will control the student's ability to view and send(create) direct messages to staff. Note: Students are not able to message a class, only receive class messages.

VETtrak messaging preferences

A new messages tab preference has been added to the Student Portal Global preferences section to control configuration of portal messaging.

"Messaging permissions" panel

• Can view messages when ticked allows students to view messaging in the portal.
• Can send messages when ticked allows the student to send messages to the staff types ticked in the next panel

"Staff types to allow students to send messages to" panel

• Control the staff types whom the student may message.  These staff types must be tied to the student's enrolment in some way.