Overview

Overview of ctcLink Gateway

On the ctcLink Gateway screen, faculty will use the Faculty Center application for the following instructor tasks:

  • Manage course schedules
  • Review class rosters
  • Enter end-of-quarter final grades

On the ctcLink Gateway screen, faculty will use the HCM (Human Capital Management) and Financial Self-Services applications for the following personnel tasks:

  • Update personal information
  • Confirm salary schedule
  • Review benefits
  • Change tax status
  • Create timesheets
  • Enter leave and absence requests
  • Submit expense reports

Video courtesy of Seattle Colleges provides an introductory video tour of the applications contained in a faculty member’s ctcLink account.


Account Activation

Activate your ctcLink Account

When you activate your account, you will be assigned a ctcLink ID number (called EMPLID in the new system) and you will need to create a password. Be sure to write down your new number when you get it and keep it in a safe place.

You can locate your new EMPLID here:  ctcLink User ID (EMPLID) Lookup 

If you activated your account and did not write down your new ctcLink ID, see the recovery instructions in this section of tutorials.

  • Step 1
    Navigate to the Activate Your Account page from your college’s website.
  • Step 2
    Select the Activate Your Account link.
  • Step 3
    Enter your First Name and Last Name. Please make sure you have entered your name correctly. (If your legal name is a single name—such as Pran, Madonna or Nani – you must enter a hyphen (-) in the First Name field and enter your single name in the Last Name field.)

    Enter your Date of Birth (MM/DD/YYYY) as shown or use the calendar icon.
    Enter either your ctcLink ID or SID.
  • Step 4
    Select the Security Question from the drop-down menu. (At least 6 letters long.  You only need to select one question.)
  • Step 5
    Provide the Answer to your security question.
  • Step 6
    Additional Account Recovery options are located in the Account Recovery box.
    Enter Phone Number for text (SMS) option.
    Enter Phone Number for voice option.
  • Step 7
    Create a password and confirm it. Click “submit.”
  • Step 8
    Write down your new ctcLink ID. The account is now activated. Close your browser. Open your browser again and login with your new ctcLink ID and password.

Account Activation Q&A

Q: How will I get my new ctcLink ID number?

A: For faculty or returning students, you get your new ctcLink ID number (called EMPLID in the system) when you activate your ctcLink account. Be sure to write down your new number when you get it and keep it in a safe place.  You can locate your new EMPLID here:  Find your ctcLink EMPLID

Q: Will the ctcLink ID number replace my SID?

A: Yes, if you previously had a SID your ctcLink ID number replaces your old SID.

 Q: Will my ctcLink password be the same as my Yakima Valley College network login? 

A: While this is a possibility for the future, right now employees and students should anticipate having a unique password for the ctcLink system. To log in, use your ctcLink ID number (EMPLID) and a password. The EMPLID replaces your SID.

Q: What if I already have a ctcLink ID number from another college?

A: If you have already received a ctcLink ID number from another college, you do not need to activate your account or receive a new number. The ctcLink ID number you already have is what you will use.

Q: What if I’m an instructor and also a student or staff member?

A: The “applications” you will see in your ctcLink access correspond to your roles at Yakima Valley College. Important note: the contact information you enter through the “Personal Details” tile in Employee Self Service will override the contact information you enter through the “Profile” tile in Student Self Service.

Q: Will new employees be active in ctcLink before their first day?

A: Human Resources do most of the set-up for new employees before their first day, but employees themselves must enter key pieces of information (including selecting a password and setting security questions) to activate their ctcLink accounts. For most employees, account activation will occur during the first day on the job.


Advisor Center

  • Instructors will use the Advisor Center to do the following in ctcLink:
    • Access instructor-related transactions and view their teaching and exam schedules
    • View information such as an advisee’s service indicators, initiated checklists, personal data, and student groups
    • View information such as an advisee’s course and test credits
    • View information such as an advisee’s career, program, and term summary.
    • Search for classes and browse the course catalog to see a list of courses offered at the institution
    • Locate the teaching schedule for another instructor. 
      • If available, after the instructor’s teaching schedule is displayed, click on the instructor’s name to send an email

Video: Advisor Center

Frequently used links for Advisor Center:


Faculty Center

What is the Faculty Center?

  • Faculty Center is the primary ctcLink application that instructors will use to manage their classes.
  • Faculty Center replaces several legacy systems that instructors have used. This includes Instructor Briefcase and its class and grade rosters functions.
  • Instructors will use the following Faculty Center pages for these tasks:
    • My Schedule to view your quarterly course schedule.
    • Class Roster to review class rosters – including course waitlists.
    • Grade Roster to enter end-of-quarter final grades.
    • Contract Info for part-time faculty to accept their quarterly teaching load contracts and for full-time faculty to accept moonlight contracts.
    • Search Menu to search for classes, the course catalog, and faculty members.

FYI: It’s recommended faculty use other tools (e.g. Outlook and Canvas) rather than the Search Menu.

Below is an introductory video tour and accompanying PDF document of an instructor’s ctcLink Faculty Center application:

Video: Faculty Center

Frequently used links for faculty center:

 

Class Roster and Waitlist

What is the Class Roster?

  • The Class Roster page in the Faculty Center application enables instructors to view student course rosters.
  • A course roster may be accessed by an “Access Class Roster” icon on the My Schedule page or directly by a Class Roster page link located on the left-side Faculty Center navigation bar.
  • Use one of these two handouts for more details.

9.2 View Class Roster

The class rosters in ctcLink DO NOT include student phone numbers or email addresses.

Class Roster Q&A

Q: After looking at a class roster, how do I return to my course list?

A: On the left-side vertical navigation bar, click the “My Schedule” page link. This will take you back to your course list.

Q: Is it possible to print my class roster?

A: Yes. Scroll to the bottom of your class roster screen then scroll to the far right side. Click the “Printer-friendly Version” link.

 Q: Students have withdrawn from my current course but I don’t see a “W” next to their name on my course roster. How do I know if a student withdrew during the quarter?

A: In the Faculty Center application on the My Schedule page, click on the Access Gradebook icon. It is the second icon from the left of the icons list next to each class title name. NOTE: It will become the third icon from the left when Grade Rosters are available.

On the Gradebook page, click on “Requirement Designation” which is the fourth item to the right of “Go To”, just below the class information box. This will show a different view of your roster and should have a “W” shown for any students who have withdrawn.

 Q: When registering for classes, my students are being prompted for entry and/or permission codes. Are these available in ctcLink?

A: No. Contact your division office about instructions for receiving entry codes.

Q: May I add an overload student to my course in ctcLink?

A: No. Contact your division office or the registrar about instructions for adding overload students to your courses.

Q: What happened to my course(s) item numbers? They look very different in ctcLink.

A: The previous course item number is now called “Class Number” and is five digits in length. NOTE: Please always include your Class Number when asking for assistance with a class or grade roster issue.


Communication With Students

Using Canvas

Recommended: It is recommended that faculty continue using Canvas as a primary method for communication with students.

YVC Canvas Login

Using Email

Recommended: It is recommended that faculty continue using their campus email accounts as a primary method for communication with students.

FYI: Students may continue using their private email addresses when communicating with faculty or use their campus-supplied email accounts.

Using ctcLink

Faculty Center

  • Class Roster: Instructors may contact students individually or as a group using the Notify Students buttons listed at the bottom of each course roster.
    • Waitlist: On the Class Roster page, instructors may contact waitlisted students individually or as a group using the Notify Students buttons listed at the bottom of each waitlist.
  • Grade Roster: Instructors may contact students individually or as a group using the Notify Students buttons listed at the bottom of each course grade roster once the grade rosters appear – near the end of each quarter.

ctcLink is the ONLY way to contact waitlisted students. 

Q: Can students send messages from ctcLink to their instructors? 

A: No. Students can receive messages in their Student Message Center tile from other college departments like admissions, registration, and financial aid. However, students are unable to send messages from this tile. NOTE: Faculty may send messages to students from the Faculty Center Course Roster page, but these messages are sent to the student’s email accounts, not their ctcLink account. 

 

Contract Info

What is Contract Info?

  • The Contract Info page in the Faculty Center application allows part-time instructors to view and accept (or reject) their quarterly teaching load contracts.
  • Full-time faculty use the Contract Info page to view and accept (or reject) a quarterly moonlight course contract.
  • The Contract Info page link is located on the left-side Faculty Center navigation bar. 
  • Use this handout for detailed step-by-step contract information.

9.2 Accepting/Rejecting a Contract in the Faculty Center


Grade Roster

What is a Grade Roster?

  • The Grade Roster page in the Faculty Center application enables instructors to submit end-of-quarter final course grades.
  • A grade roster may be accessed by a Grade Roster icon on the My Schedule page or directly by a Grade Roster page link located on the left-side Faculty Center navigation bar.

FYI: The Grade Roster page WILL NOT be activated until the final weeks of a quarter. 

FYI: Unlike Instructor Briefcase, there is NO CONFIRMATION issued after instructors successfully submit course grades. Note: If the roster has been posted, you will see the word “Posted” next to the Approval Status field. This will appear only after the Registrar’s official grade submission date deadline.

 Here is a more complete step by step guide from the ctcLink reference center:

9.2 Faculty Center – Entering Grades

Grade Roster Q&A

Q: I see an “Access Gradebook” icon next to my Class Name. Is this  a Grade Roster?

A: No. Gradebook allows faculty to grade course assignments. YVC is not using this option. Faculty will continue using Canvas to manage course assignments. You will use Grade Roster to enter and submit end-of-quarter grades.

Q: Am I able to enter and save “draft” grades before they are ready for final submission?

A: Yes. After entering your draft grades, you click “Save” then proceed to the “Action Approval Status” field dropdown box & make sure “Not Reviewed” is selected. If it isn’t, select it, then click “Save” again. When ready to submit your grades, you’ll change the “Not Reviewed” option to “Approve”, then “Save” once more. This action will then post your grades to the Registrar.

Q: How do I change a student’s grade after I have entered final grades, approved them for the course, and saved?

A: Faculty are unable to change grades on a roster with an “Approved” status displaying (in the Action Approval Status field) after they have been saved. However, you can change the status to “Not Reviewed” to change grades, then change the status to “Approved” once more and click Save before the grade post-process runs.

 Q: How do I know my grades were successfully approved and submitted?

A: You can verify if grades were successfully approved by navigating to the Grade Roster; the Grade Roster Action Approval Status field will state “Approved. If the roster has been posted, you will see the word “Posted” next to the Approval Status field.

Q: I’m missing students from my Grade Roster. Where are their names?

A: There are only 20 students listed per page. If you have more than 20 students on your Grade Roster, you must click the little arrow in the upper right-hand corner of the grade roster to get to the “next page”.

Q: I see I could post a “Transcript Note”. What information may I enter?

A: DO NOT ENTER ANYTHING IF YOU SEE THIS OPTION. It should already be disabled. It literally posts these notes directly on the student’s official transcript. If allowed to enter anything in this field, the Registrar must manually remove it.

Q: Will I submit a Grade Change request in the Grade Roster?

A: No. This option is currently disabled. Please email registration@yvcc.edu for a grade change.

Q: How can I review any “I” Incomplete grades or “Y” Ongoing grades I issued from previous quarters?

A: In the Faculty Center application on the My Schedule page, click the Change Term button and select a previous quarter. Next to one of your course names, click on the Access Gradebook icon. It is the second icon from the left of the icons list next to each class title name. NOTE: It will be the third icon from the left when Grade Rosters are available.

On the Gradebook page, click on “Requirement Designation” which is the 4th item to the right of the “Go To” row, just below the class information box. This will show a different view of your roster and will have an “I” or “Y” grade for any students who received one.

Q: What happened to my course(s) item numbers? They look very different in ctcLink.

A: The previous course item number is now called “Class Number” and is five digits in length. NOTE: Please always include your Class Number when asking for assistance with a class or grade roster issue.


Instruction - Class Capacity

How do we request an increase in class capacity?

To request an increase in class capacity (to allow students from waitlists) send an email to your Department Chair or Dean.  Once Enrollment Services receives clearance that the course capacity is raised, we manually push the students from the waitlist within one business day.


My Schedule

What is My Schedule?

  • My Schedule is the default page in the Faculty Center. It allows instructors to view their current and historic course schedules.
  • My Schedule lists each instructor’s course with the course section number being a link to a Class Detail page that provides general information about the course.
  • Class Roster and Grade Roster may be accessed via icon links on the My Schedule page or they may be accessed on the left-side navigation bar.

9.2 View My Schedule – Staff (Fluid)

My Schedule Q&A


Q: After viewing the “View My Weekly Teaching Schedule”, how do I edit or update it? 

A: The View Weekly Teaching Schedule page is based on information supplied by your division office scheduler. Faculty are unable to edit the Weekly Teaching Schedule page. However, if a course scheduling change is implemented by your division, your Weekly Teaching Schedule page will be updated.