The purpose of this module is to assist staff members in learning the Interactive Degree Audit System (IDA). To accomplish this goal, the module briefly touches upon the different aspects of IDA in the order in which new staff can expect to encounter them. Each of these training resources provided below will either include links to more detailed pages of the training manual or recorded training videos.
Introduction to IDA
To begin, you must be able to read and run audits within IDA.
Authorizations
You will not be able to run and view audits if you are not properly authorized. Your college authorizer can grant you the necessary authorization. If you do not know who your college authorizer is, you can contact us at degreeaudit@autin.utexas.edu . If you are the college authorizer and need more information concerning authorization, please click this link and watch the following video:
Population Audits
Some advisors may be asked to run population audits. You can find more information both here, and here, as well as in the video below:
Student Planner
Advisors can also take advantage of the Student Planner. The student planner allows you (or a student) to add planned coursework to their record prior to registration. If you are authorized to run audits, but you cannot use the planner, please email us at degreeaudit@austin.utexas.edu to have your authorization updated.
For a guide on how to use the planner, please see the video below:
IDA Overrides
Now that you know how to read and run audits, you are ready for more advanced functionality such as overrides. You should know that you operate in the PROD environment, signified by the blue banner at the top of the screen.
Within this banner, there is a “Change Mode” button that will allow us to move between two modes: LIVE and SETUP. SETUP is more advanced than relevant for this section. LIVE is where the students are, and where your overrides need to be created. If you end up in SETUP, please click CHANGE MODE to get back to LIVE.
As an academic advisor, you will often need to override IDA requirements within a student’s audit to allow certain coursework to count. There are two key types of overrides: Quick Overrides and Advanced Overrides.
Quick Overrides
The following video covers quick overrides in more depth here:
Advanced Overrides
The following video covers advanced overrides in more depth:
A more infrequent kind of Advanced Override, involves the Minor Trigger. This happens when a degree plan requires a minor/certificate to be completed, but the college allows the student to create their own minor alternative. To override the minor trigger, please watch the following video:
Course Lists
A course list contains a set of filters that pull in applicable coursework for use within a requirement or restriction. Course lists are designed to be modular and reusable across requirements and restrictions. More information regarding Course Lists can be found here.
Manipulating the Metadata
Each degree plan contains a number of different requirements and restrictions. Editing, updating, and maintaining requirements is often necessary with each new academic catalog. The following video covers requirements, requirement types, and dependent restrictions in more depth:
That concludes this guided training section of the manual. However, you can find additional modules (including material not covered on this page) here. If you have any questions, or are seeking supplemental training, please don't hesitate to contact us at degreeaudit@austin.utexas.edu.