Data Collection | HelioCampus Assessment Management Knowledge Base

Data collection helps Institutions gather structured information from selected participants in a consistent, trackable workflow. Institutions commonly use them to request updates, narrative responses, evidence, or form-based inputs from departments, programs, committees, faculty, or other designated contributors. Unlike one-time spreadsheets or email-based requests, the Data Collections feature centralizes participation, due dates, response status, notifications, and reporting in one place. This makes it easier to manage recurring institutional processes and improve completion rates. Some key benefits of using data collections include:

Standardizes institutional data gathering
Improves visibility into participation and completion
Reduces manual follow-up and version control issues
Supports recurring cycles and repeatable processes
Provides cleaner data for reporting and downstream analysis

Data collections are most useful when an Institution needs a structured, repeatable way to gather information from multiple contributors. They are best suited for information that requires narrative input, confirmation, reflection, or locally maintained details rather than data that should be automatically sourced from an existing feed.

Use Cases

Collecting Annual or Periodic Program Updates

An Institution needs a reliable way to collect annual or periodic program updates without relying on scattered emails, spreadsheets, or one-off documents. This is especially relevant when many programs must report on similar information on a recurring cycle, such as curriculum changes, enrollment context, faculty updates, assessment activity, or progress toward prior goals.

Gathering Assessment Reflections or Action Plans

An Institution needs a structured way for programs, departments, or instructors to reflect on assessment results and document planned improvements. This practice often follows the close of an assessment cycle, rubric scoring period, or annual outcomes review.

Capturing Accreditation-Related Narrative Responses

An Institution requires narrative responses that support accreditation, program review, or external accountability requirements. This can be triggered by self-study preparation, interim monitoring reports, specialized accreditation cycles, or requests for evidence tied to standards and criteria.

First Time Implementation Process

For Institutions using the Data Collection feature for the first time, implementation can take a minimum of three months. This ensures adequate time for form configuration and validation, as well as related training for the Institution.

The Institution submits a Support ticket requesting data collection. Learn more.
1. HelioCampus will meet with the Institution to provide an overview of the Data Collection feature and discuss collection specifications. In this part of the process, HelioCampus and the Institution will discuss goals, scope, data needs, and required documentation.
HelioCampus will configure and build a draft form in the Institution’s Training Site.
HelioCampus provides training to the Institution:
1. Logging in as a user
2. Form features
3. Testing draft forms in the Institution’s Training Site
The collection is validated and tested in the Institution’s Training Site to ensure the form meets the Institution's needs.
1. As part of testing, a soft-launch can be configured to review how the data collection functionality works in real time. Each soft-launch configuration adds one week to the timeline.
HelioCampus provides training to the Institution:
1. Preparing the form for the Production Site
2. Managing a collection before launching to the Production Site.
The Institution will validate the configurations, schedule, workflow, and template details in preparation for the Production Site
After successfully validating the collection in the Training Site, HelioCampus will load the finalized data collection into the Production Site.
After the collection changes to In Progress status, the data collection is live, and the Support ticket will be closed.

*Timelines can vary based on project scope

Repeat Data Collections Process

For Institutions administering repeat data collections, implementation can take up to one month. This ensures adequate time for form configuration and validation per the Institution requirements.

The Institution submits a Support ticket requesting data collection. Learn more.
1. HelioCampus will meet with the Institution to discuss collection specifications
HelioCampus will configure and build a draft form in the Institution’s Training Site and provide a link for Institutional review.
1. Internal testing of the form, workflow, and schedule elements ensures successful collection of the intended data.
The Institution will then submit feedback on the form so HelioCampus can iterate on the data collection until it meets the Institution's requirements.
Once all revisions are complete, the Institution will approve the form, then migrate the template and workflow to the Institution’s Production Site.

*Timelines can vary based on project scope

Considerations

Collection Scope and Scale: Before using a data collection, Institutions should determine whether they need to collect a small set of responses from a limited group or a large volume of submissions across many areas of the organizational hierarchy.
Recurring Collection Needs: Institutions should consider whether the information is needed one time or on a recurring cycle, such as annually, each term, or during a scheduled assessment period.
Source of Truth: Institutions should identify whether users should enter the requested information manually or whether it already exists in another system, such as an SIS, LMS, or governed institutional dataset.
Timing and Deadlines: Institutions should consider whether the collection is tied to a fixed deadline, mid-cycle update, accreditation submission, annual report, or term-based review. Data collections require enough lead time for contributors to respond, reviewers to follow up, and administrators to prepare results for reporting.
Contributor Readiness: Institutions should confirm that contributors understand what information is being requested, why it is needed, and how their responses will be used. Clear prompts, instructions, and due dates can reduce incomplete responses and help ensure responses are consistent enough for review.
Governance and Review Process: Institutions should decide who is responsible for monitoring the collection, monitoring submissions, reviewing responses, and determining whether follow-up is needed. This is especially important when responses affect institutional reporting, accreditation evidence, or official program records.
Data Consistency: Institutions should consider how much structure the response format needs. Open-ended narrative prompts may be appropriate for reflection or accreditation context, while more standardized prompts may be needed when responses must be compared, aggregated, or reported across multiple units.
Access and Visibility: Institutions should determine who can view, submit, edit, or review responses. Access decisions should align with the sensitivity of the information being collected and whether responses are intended for program-level use, institutional oversight, or external reporting.

Data Collection Types

Type	Details
Administrative Division	Collect planning, assessment, or review information separately from each administrative division. This type supports institutional effectiveness reporting, annual division reviews, operational goal tracking, and documenting each division’s progress toward strategic priorities. A separate form can be generated for each included division.
Administrative Unit	Collect planning and reporting information from individual administrative or non-academic units. Common uses include annual unit assessment, operational effectiveness reviews, resource planning, goal tracking, and documenting improvements. Forms can be routed through reviewers associated with the applicable unit or its parent division.
College	Collect information separately from each college or school. Use this type for college-level annual reviews, academic planning, accreditation reporting, strategic-goal updates, resource evaluation, or summaries of program and student-learning performance.
Course	Evaluate and improve a course across offerings or review cycles. Course Data Collections are well suited for curriculum review, course assessment planning, reviewing Course Learning Outcomes, documenting assessment methods and results, and identifying course-level improvements.
Course Section	Collect assessment and improvement information for individual course sections. This type is useful when responses need to reflect the section’s instructor, term, learning outcomes, assessment results, or survey results. Common uses include section-level assessment reporting, reflection on teaching practices, and documenting planned improvements.
Department	Collect planning, assessment, or review information separately from each department. Typical uses include department annual reports, academic or administrative program review, operational effectiveness reporting, strategic-plan updates, self-study review, and documenting follow-up on recommendations.
Faculty Activity	Support faculty-centered review processes by generating a separate form for each faculty member. Common uses include annual faculty review, promotion and tenure, workload or professional-development reflection, and submission of narratives or supporting evidence. The workflow can include department-, college-, and institution-level reviewers.
Institution	Use for a centralized, institution-wide collection when the information is not intended to be separated by college, department, program, or another organizational entity. Potential uses include institutional self-studies, accreditation evidence collection, enterprise initiatives, and institution-level strategic reporting.
Program	Collect assessment, planning, and review information separately from each academic or administrative program. Use this type when forms need to reference Program Learning Outcomes or associated outcome sets. Common uses include annual assessment planning and reporting, program review, accreditation evidence, outcome analysis, and documenting improvement actions.
Strategic Plan	Collect information within the context of the complete strategic-plan hierarchy. Use this type when contributors need visibility into the overall plan while reporting on their assigned areas. Forms are generated for individual users, allowing multiple contributors to support institution-wide strategic-plan reporting without working in one shared form.
Strategic Plan Objective	Collect progress, evidence, results, and planned actions separately for individual strategic-plan objectives. Use this type when responsibility is assigned by objective, and each objective needs its own reporting and review workflow. It is well suited for periodic progress updates, resource requests, results reporting, and documenting next steps.
User	Supports a limited, person-specific collection workflow associated with Continuous Practicum use cases, such as submitting feedback or practicum-related information for an individual student.

Data Collection Participants

Keep the participant experience as simple as possible. Data collections with clear instructions, focused questions, and realistic due dates tend to achieve stronger completion rates.

Participant	What They Usually Do
Administrator	This responsibility is usually limited to institutional administrators. These participants assign participants, manage settings, and monitor progress. *Initial configuration and form building is completed by HelioCampus Administrators
Contributor	These participants may be faculty, staff, department leads, committee representatives, etc. They are responsible for completing assigned forms and tasks and will have access to past results from the forms they have submitted.
Reviewer	While not every data collection includes this role, a reviewer reviews submitted information when the collection includes a review step.
Institutional Stakeholder	These participants may not directly participate in the workflow, although they consume results, exports, or summaries.

Data Collection Ownership

Separate from the users involved in a collection workflow, the owner is the organizational division that owns the collection. The owner can perform managerial collection actions such as defining the start and end dates, managing assignments, setting up collection notifications, tracking collection progress, and reviewing submissions.

Institutions may choose to have colleges or departments own a collection if they are the only unit in the hierarchy completing the collection’s forms. This structure/ownership allows the college or department autonomy to manage collection forms and results as needed, without required support from an Institution Admin.

Institutions should not assign a college or department as the owner of a collection if more than one college or department will be using the collection.

If	Then
A Data Collection is owned by an Institution	The Institution owns it; Institution Admins have managerial permissions.
A Data Collection is owned by a College	The college owns it; Institution and College Admins have managerial permissions.
A Data Collection is owned by a Department	The department owns it; Institution, College, and Department Admins have managerial permissions.

User Role Access

Institution Admin

Platform Access:

Data Collection Schedules
Data Collection Manager
Workflow Library: Workflows can be viewed; a support ticket should be submitted to alter or create a new workflow.
Report Library: Data collection reports can be generated via the Reports Library for all collections, regardless of ownership.

Edit Access:

Details for all collections:

Start Date
End Date
Notifications
Assignments

Schedule details for all collection schedules:

Preview Previous Form
Hide Next Steps in Form History
Hide Form Update History in Form History and Actions
Enable Data Collection Editor filtering

College Admin

Platform Access:

Data Collection Schedules
Data Collection Manager
Report Library: Data collection reports can be generated via the Reports Library for:
- Collections owned by the college or associated departments.
- Collection forms submitted by the colleges or departments that are owned by the college or Institution.

Edit Access:

Details for all collections owned by the college or associated departments:

Start Date
End Date
Data Collection Notifications
Assignments

Department Admin

Platform Access:

Data Collection Schedules
Data Collection Manager
Report Library: Data collection reports can be generated via the Reports Library for:
- Collections owned by the department.
- Collection forms submitted by the college or department that are owned by the college or Institution.

Edit Access:

Details for all collections owned by the department:

Start Date
End Date
Data Collection Notifications
Assignments

The following roles will see data collection forms assigned to them via Action Items and the My Data Collection Forms and My Forms dashboard widgets. If a user with one of the following user roles also owns a collection form, they will see the completed form via the Completed Forms dashboard widget.

College Committee
Course Section Director
Department Committee
Graduate College Committee

Institution Committee
Program Coordinator
Provost Office
Students

The following user roles have access to the Data Collection Manager and can run reports for forms they can access based on the form's College or Department ownership.

Assessment Office
College Academic Liaison
Course Academic Liaison
Course Coordinator

Curriculum Office
Dean
Department Academic Liaison

Graduate College Academic Liaison
Graduate College Admin
Graduate Dean

Frequently Asked Questions

Who should manage a data collection?

Data collections are typically managed by institutional administrators, assessment office staff, or other designated leads who oversee the process and can support contributors.

Can data collections be used for recurring processes?

Yes. They are especially useful for annual, term-based, or cyclical institutional processes that benefit from consistent structure and centralized tracking.

What kinds of information can be collected?

Collections can support narrative responses, structured fields, evidence-oriented prompts, and other institution-defined inputs depending on configuration.

How do data collection Schedules and the Data Collection Manager work together?

Data collection schedules control when data collections are created and distributed. The Data Collection Manager is where those generated collections are monitored and managed. A schedule sets the timing and recurrence, while the manager supports the active collection process.

When does a data collection become available to users?

A data collection becomes available based on its configured dates and workflow settings. Once the start date is reached, forms are generated and distributed to the appropriate users according to the workflow configuration.

What is a Data Collection form?

A data collection form is the set of fields, prompts, and instructions users complete as part of the collection process. Forms are configured around the institution’s needs and may collect assessment results, reflections, goals, evidence, planning updates, or other required information.

What is a Data Collection workflow?

A workflow controls how a data collection form moves from one step to another. It determines which users complete, review, approve, reject, or revise the form at each stage of the process.

Who completes a Data Collection form?

The users who complete a form depend on the workflow and assignments configured for the data collection. Participants may include program coordinators, department reviewers, college reviewers, unit leaders, assessment staff, or other institution-defined roles.

How do users know they have a Data Collection task?

Users may receive email notifications when a form reaches their step in the workflow. They may also see assigned tasks or forms in the platform, depending on how the data collection and notifications are configured.

What is the difference between Task Notifications and Task Action Notifications?

Task notifications send a notification when a form reaches a user’s workflow step. Task action notifications allow more specific messages based on workflow routing, such as when a form is approved, rejected, or returned for revision. Task action notifications are especially useful for workflows with feedback loops.

Can notification messages be customized?

Yes. Notification messages can be customized depending on the notification type and workflow configuration. Notifications may also include dynamic information such as the participant’s name, data collection name, deadline, support email, and a link to complete the form.

Can a completed Data Collection be reopened?

Yes. A completed data collection can be reopened from the Data Collection Homepage, and the end date can be extended if additional work or edits are needed.

What should administrators review before a Data Collection starts?

Administrators should review the data collection dates, form content, workflow configuration, participant assignments, notification settings, and support contact information before the collection begins.

Can administrators see where forms are in the workflow?

Yes. The Data Collection Manager helps administrators monitor workflow progress and identify where forms are in the process, including which users or steps may still require action.

What happens if a form is rejected?

If a workflow includes a reject route, the form may return to an earlier step for updates. For example, it may be sent back to the original form owner to make revisions before being submitted again.

Why might a user receive more than one notification?

A user may receive multiple notifications if a form returns to their workflow step more than once. This can happen in workflows with review, rejection, and revision loops.

Can Data Collection be used for accreditation?

Yes. Data collection can support accreditation processes by collecting evidence, documentation, stakeholder feedback, and responses in a structured workflow.

Can Data Collection be used for assessment reporting?

Yes. Data collection can support academic and non-academic assessment reporting by collecting outcomes, measures, targets, results, reflections, and improvement plans.

Can Data Collection support strategic planning?

Yes. Data collection can be used to track progress toward strategic goals, collect updates from responsible units, and gather documentation related to institutional planning.

Can Data Collection results be reported?

Yes. Data collection responses can be used in reports. Institutions can review results by program, unit, or other configured structures, depending on how the Data Collection is set up.

Why use Data Collection instead of email or spreadsheets?

Data collection keeps forms, workflows, deadlines, notifications, progress tracking, and reporting in the platform. This reduces manual tracking and makes it easier to manage complex processes across multiple stakeholders.

Where do administrators manage Data Collections?

Administrators manage data collections from Main Menu > Data Collections > Data Collection Manager.

Where do administrators manage Data Collection Schedules?

Administrators manage schedules from Main Menu > Data Collections > Data Collection Schedules.