Importing Student GPA Data from Text Files: A Comprehensive Guide

Importing student GPA data from text files is a common task in educational institutions and organizations that manage student records. This article provides a comprehensive guide to efficiently importing and managing this data, covering essential aspects such as data preparation, import procedures, and potential challenges.

Understanding the Data

Before importing any data, it's crucial to understand the structure and content of the text file. Typically, each line in the file represents a student record, with different fields separated by delimiters such as commas, tabs, or semicolons. Common fields include:

Student Identifier: A unique identifier for each student, often a student ID number. In Handshake, this MUST be unique and should never change for each student. As a security measure, the .edu domain must belong to your institution. Most schools will use a student’s school ID number. Required if using SSO. This will be used to check against the returned attribute from SSO systems to authenticate students. Students will not enter this value on login; this is a background identifier attribute.
First Name: The student's first name. You cannot include numerical characters (0-9) in this field. If a student has a number in their name (i.e. John the 3rd), you can change the numbers to roman numerals (i.e.
Middle Name: Student's middle name. You cannot include numerical characters (0-9) in this field. If a student has a number in their name (i.e. John the 3rd), you can change the numbers to roman numerals (i.e.
Last Name: Student's last name. You cannot include numerical characters (0-9) in this field. If a student has a number in their name (i.e. John the 3rd), you can change the numbers to roman numerals (i.e.
Preferred Name: Student's preferred name. 50 character limit. Any value added in this field will show up first on the student's profile. If this field is left blank, we'll display the student's First Name. This field needs to be updated in your student system. You cannot include numerical characters (0-9) in this field. If a student has a number in their name (i.e. John the 3rd), you can change the numbers to roman numerals (i.e.
GPA: The student's cumulative GPA at your school. This is the student's cumulative GPA at your school.
Departmental GPA: The student's departmental GPA at your school (i.e. what a student has earned in their main field of study).
Major(s): The name of the major(s) that this student has declared, and will populate the "majors" field on a student's profile (note: there's a limit of 255 characters per major). The formatting for these majors must be capital case, with all caps used only for abbreviated program designations (i.e., BS Physics; BA Art History). You can upload more than one major for a student by separating each major with a semicolon (i.e. Biology;Chemistry).
Minor(s): The name of the minor that this student has declared in Handshake (note: there's a limit of 255 characters per minor). The formatting for these minors must be capital case (i.e., Math;Art History). You can upload more than one minor for a student by separating each minor with a semicolon (i.e.
Degree/Education Level: This will describe the degree/education level of a student. It appears on student profiles to tell people what level of education they're currently pursuing.
School Year: This field is where you can enter the exact school year that a student is currently in.
Start Date: The date when a student started their current education at the school. It must be in the format "yyyy-mm-dd" for automated Student data syncs. For Manual student data uploads, you can format a Students file in mm/dd/yyyy and can check the box "Use mm/dd/yyyy format" in the importer job settings when uploading a new Students CSV.
Expected Graduation Date: The date when a student is expected to graduate. Please note that it has to be included in the format yyyy-mm-dd, unless otherwise specified in the job! This is incredibly useful when it comes to searching students, qualifications for jobs, and knowing when to shift students to be alumni. There is now an option on the importer to use a mm/dd/yyyy format.
Enrollment Status: This denotes whether the student is currently enrolled or has graduated. It's used for reporting to differentiate between students who are currently active on campus and those who might be on some sort of official absence from school. By assigning TRUE, this will set the user to attending, while FALSE will set them to not attending.
Student Card ID: This field is where you can include student ID numbers that correlate with student card IDs. This string must be contained in a card swipe output.
Campus: Schools that have multiple campuses as part of their Handshake setup can use this to designate a specific campus for students.
Ethnicity: The ethnicity of the student. Note: The ethnicity and gender field is for internal reporting purposes only. This information won't be available to employers or used by employers for outreach.
Gender: The gender of the student. Note: The ethnicity and gender field is for internal reporting purposes only. This information won't be available to employers or used by employers for outreach.
Work Study Eligibility: If a student is work study eligible. This field determines whether students can view and apply to jobs posted as work study. By assigning TRUE, this will set the student to eligible, while FALSE will remove their eligibility. Only students with TRUE will be able to view and apply to work study jobs.
Archived Status: Used to archive or reactivate student accounts. By assigning TRUE, this will archive the student, while FALSE will unarchive the student.
System Labels: This section can be used to import any outside information that you would like to sync from your SIS that might provide more nuanced information about your students in a semi-colon separated list of label names. Some example values that we see imported here are things like Honors Student or Attending Part Time (here's a formatting example: Honors Student;Attending Part Time). Note: leaving this field blank in your import will clear all system labels in Handshake for that respective student.
Mobile Number: The student's mobile number.
Hometown: The address or location of a student's hometown. Ex: "San Francisco, California, USA" or "Phoenix, Arizona". Additional formatting can be found by searching an address here using mapbox.
First Generation Student: If the first generation student.
Veteran Status: If the student is a veteran.
GDPR Subject: If the student is a GDPR Subject. Passing TRUE indicates this student is a GDPR Subject.
Primary Major: The Primary Major field will not show up on a student's profile and is primarily used for FDS. It is the student's primary major, if they have multiple majors. Only 1 major can be uploaded in this field.
College: The college that a student is connected to. This field supports multiple entries for students that have multiple colleges (i.e. "Ross School of Business" at the University of Michigan and "College of Engineering"). You can upload multiple colleges by separating each college with a semicolon, i.e. "Ross School of Business;College of Engineering".
Primary College: This is the student's primary college, if they have multiple colleges. The primary college field will not show up on a student's profile and is primarily used for FDS. Only 1 college can be uploaded in this field.

Preparing the Data for Import

Data preparation is a critical step to ensure a smooth and accurate import process. This involves cleaning and formatting the data to match the requirements of the target system. Key tasks include:

Data Cleaning: Removing any inconsistencies, errors, or irrelevant information from the data. This may involve correcting typos, standardizing formats, and handling missing values. For example, names should not contain numerical characters. If a student has a number in their name (i.e. John the 3rd), you can change the numbers to roman numerals (i.e.
Data Formatting: Ensuring that the data is in the correct format for each field. This includes date formats (yyyy-mm-dd or mm/dd/yyyy), numerical formats, and text encoding. For automated Student data syncs, the start date must be in the format "yyyy-mm-dd". For Manual student data uploads, you can format a Students file in mm/dd/yyyy and can check the box "Use mm/dd/yyyy format" in the importer job settings when uploading a new Students CSV.
Delimiter Identification: Identifying the delimiter used to separate fields in the text file. Common delimiters include commas (CSV), tabs, and semicolons.
Handling Multiple Values: If a field contains multiple values (e.g., multiple majors or minors), ensure they are separated by the correct delimiter (e.g., semicolon). You can upload more than one major for a student by separating each major with a semicolon (i.e. Biology;Chemistry).
Column Headers: The first row of the file should contain column headers that accurately describe the data in each column. When using the Bulk Student Upload & Update Tool, add your data into the template, making sure to leave the column headers unchanged.

Importing Data into Excel

Microsoft Excel is a common tool for importing and managing data from text files. Here's how to import student GPA data into Excel:

Open Excel: Launch Microsoft Excel and create a new workbook.
Go to the "Data" Tab: Click on the "Data" tab in the Excel ribbon.
Get External Data: In the "Get & Transform Data" group, click on "Get Data" or "From Text/CSV," depending on your Excel version.
Select the Text File: Locate and select the StudentGPA text file from your computer.
Import Wizard: Excel will launch the Text Import Wizard.
- Choose Delimiter: Select the appropriate delimiter (e.g., comma, tab, semicolon) that separates the fields in your text file.
- Data Preview: Preview the data to ensure it is correctly separated into columns.
- Set Data Types: Specify the data type for each column (e.g., Text, Number, Date).
Load the Data: Choose where to place the data (e.g., a new worksheet) and click "Load."
Format as Table: Once the data is imported, you can organize it into a table format in the new worksheet by selecting the data and then clicking on the "Format as Table" option under the "Home" tab. Choose a table style and confirm the selection to convert the imported data into a table format in the new worksheet.

Using the Bulk Student Upload & Update Tool

Many educational platforms, such as Handshake, provide a Bulk Student Upload & Update Tool to efficiently manage student data. This tool allows admin users to create new student users or update existing student users in bulk.

Access the Tool: The Bulk Student Upload & Update Tool is typically located in the "Data Uploads" module of your site. Note that this tool is distinct from the limited Bulk Update feature available via the Student Directory.
Download the Template: Download the provided template, which is usually a CSV file with predefined column headers.
Add Data to the Template: Add your data into the template, making sure to leave the column headers unchanged.
Upload the File: Upload the completed template to the platform.
Monitor the Upload: The upload will be added to the list of data uploads, and the status will be listed in the Status column. Navigate to the upload detail page by selecting the "date and time" link in the "Created" column, where detailed information about the upload can be found.

Data Validation and Error Handling

Data validation is a crucial step to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the imported data. This involves checking the data for errors, inconsistencies, and compliance with predefined rules.

Row-Level Validation: The tool now validates data row by row.
Error File Export: At the end of the upload process, skipped rows are provided in an Error File (.csv).
Streamlined Workflow: Corrected error files can be re-uploaded without additional formatting.

Common Errors and Solutions

Picklist Option Does Not Exist: The picklist option will need to be added to the picklist before uploading.
Invalid Picklist Option: This error means that an invalid picklist option was input into the template.
Student with Unique ID Already Exists: A student with this unique ID already exists on the platform. One way to find duplicates would be to go to your Student & Alumni directory, select the ellipsis button and "Export All". When we do this, we usually concatenate the first and last name values into a new column in Excel and Google Sheets and highlight duplicates so that we can easily remove them.
Missing Required Fields: Ensure that all required fields, such as "is_enrolled/Active," are included in the data. "is_enrolled/Active" is a required field for the bulk student upload tool.
Incorrect Date Format: Ensure that dates are in the correct format (yyyy-mm-dd or mm/dd/yyyy). Must include both the "Term" and the calendar year of the graduation date.

Handling Partial Uploads

A "partial" upload status means that all of the data is correct (no errors with any values in the fields), and users were uploaded, but there were one or more students that could not be uploaded because the student already exists on the platform. For example, if you upload 100 students, and 10 of the students already exist on the platform, you will receive a "Partial" upload status, with 90 being uploaded and 10 being omitted.

Additional Considerations

Custom Fields: The student upload tool may support custom fields. The custom fields will appear at the end of the template in the format of "customattr_XXX/NAME OF CUSTOM FIELD." The input and picklists will vary, so please check your site for more information.
Leaving Columns Empty: Columns can be left in the template without any data.
Reversing Uploads: Uploads cannot be reversed. You can re-upload the correct file by updating the records with the correct information. If you do not have the original values, the information cannot be restored.

Importing Data Using TracCloud

TracCloud can import data from any source as long as it's provided in the correct format. Using your current Student Information System (Banner, PeopleSoft, DataTel, etc) as a source, create files that match the specifications below. We will require at least two files- A student file and an enrollment/registration file. Comma delimited files must have quotes surrounding every field. A header row is required, and custom fields must be coordinated with Redrock Software to ensure assignment to the correct data field. All import files will be uploaded to our SFTP server. The TracCloud import process can be fairly flexible.

Required and Optional Fields

Student File:
- Required: Student Identifier (ID or username). Required only if you're importing that data. E.g., Faculty.First_Name is required only if you're importing faculty in the first place.
- Recommended: Student's First Name, Last Name. Technically not required, but highly recommended. Functionality will be lost if this field isn't imported.
- Optional: Student's Address, Cell Phone Number, Username, Custom Fields. Conditionally required based on whether or not you're importing other fields. For example, Section.Title and Course.Title.
Enrollment/Registration File:
- Required: Course Reference Number.
- Optional: Course Name, Section Title, Section Code, Section Number, Active Start Date, Active End Date, Faculty ID, Faculty Username, Final Grade/Withdraw Code, Registration Start Date, Registration End Date, Registration Custom Fields.

Best Practices

Regular Backups: Regularly back up your data before performing any import or update operations.
Test Imports: Perform test imports with a small subset of data to identify and resolve any issues before importing the entire dataset.
Data Governance: Implement data governance policies to ensure data quality, consistency, and compliance with relevant regulations.
Documentation: Maintain detailed documentation of the data import process, including data sources, transformations, and validation rules.

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