The References feature in application templates allows applicants to nominate one or more referees who can provide a formal reference on their behalf. Through this process, applicants submit the referee’s details, and the referee is then invited to complete and submit the reference directly in Full Fabric. This ensures a smooth, secure, and trackable way to gather the supporting information you need during the admissions process.
Enabling the References tab
The References tab can be found in the settings of any application template in Full Fabric. Although it's Disabled by default, a single tap switches it up to Enabled.
Configuring the References tab
Enabling the tab unlocks a slew of additional settings, which you can see below:
You can change the Tab name and leave your applicants some Instructions on what to do. That's pretty straightforward. What comes next is the actual functioning of the references in terms of submitting the requests and defining a deadline for submission.
Reference requests is to define when exactly they are to be dispatched to the designated referees:
Manually sent before application submission. Applicants must push a button to send the requests whenever they feel that the time is right. By selecting this, you have another option: references required before submission? When checked, it prevents candidates from submitting their applications until they've received the compulsory amount of recommendations.
Automatically sent on application submission. The reference requests are automatically sent to the respective referees once the applicant submits the application
Reference deadline is to define a deadline for the referees to submit them:
No deadline. Referees can submit the references at anytime.
Specific date. Referees can submit the references until the defined specific date. Once that date passes, they won't be able to do so.
Relative date. Referees can submit the references based on a timespan of days either 'after the application close date' or 'after the class application close date'.
Send weekly email reminder for pending references. Enable this option if you wish to send automatic reminders to referees with pending references. They will receive a reminder email every Monday until they answer the reference request
The Reference Template
But that's not all. Scroll up to the tab Reference Templates and click to open:
Here is where the reference templates reside. A reference template consists of two forms: one for candidates to fill out with the referee's details when sending the reference request, and one for the referee to fill out in return. By default, each application template has two reference templates, the point of which is to have different sets of forms for professional and academic references. You can have more than two reference templates, but not less.
Clicking Edit Reference Template allows you to Name the templates and set a Min and Max limit to how many recommendations are to be obtained for each. Meanwhile, the button Edit Reference Template will have been replaced by another: Add Reference Template, which lets you add yet more templates. Lastly, press Save changes to confirm or Cancel to undo the modifications.
To access the forms within a reference template, click the gear icon to the left (only visible so long as the above editor is closed):
Behold, here's the Reference request form (staff view and applicant view):
And, finally, the Reference form (staff view and referee view):
