Slatest News: April 2023
Updates & Enhancements
Dispatches from Slate Feedback
Check out the latest from Slate Feedback—our product management team has been actively soliciting your thoughts for new ideas and posting updates about existing and completed features. Here are a few of our favorite updates from the last few weeks:
Last Week at Technolutions: March & April Updates
Curious about recent updates to Slate? In addition to new feature updates, we're also publishing tweaks and bug fixes via our new periodic posting, "Last Week at Technolutions." Follow our Product Management channel in the Community Forums for info on the latest publishes to Test and Production environments, including the recent updates from March 6, March 13, March 20, & April 3.
On-Demand Badge Printing
On-demand badge printing is now live! This is a native Slate feature that eliminates the need for pre-printing or outsourcing to third-party event technology companies. Documentation and links for this process can be found in the Knowledge Base: Badge Printing and Event Mobile Passes & Badges.
Source Data in Configurable Joins
Source data is now available in Configurable Joins! New Joins, Exports, and Filters have been added so you can query on Source Record, Source, and Source Format data.
Cycle Prep and Good Slate Stewardship
If you've finished building out your essential operations in Slate, it's time to think about Slate Stewardship and Cycle Prep. Stewardship refers to all aspects of good database management including the necessary annual updates traditionally known as Cycle Prep. You can start with this Cycle Prep and Good Slate Stewardship article in Knowledge Base and then look for upcoming Community Conversations on Stewardship and Cycle Prep hosted by the Client Success team in June and July.
Slate Innovation Festival
Sessions Schedule Announced
Slate Stage kicked off this week and will be continuing for the next 4 weeks. Tune in to over 40 Slate Stage webinars led by members of the Slate community. Join us for insights into processes across lifecycles, and learn how to leverage Slate to achieve enrollment management, student success, and advancement goals. These webinars are free and open to all! View the schedule and register via your Home Slate.
The schedule of events for the Slate Summit is also available! Join us for the Summit June 1-2, 2023 with optional pre-conference sessions on the afternoon of May 31 in Nashville's Music City Center for over 40 sessions presented by members of the Slate community. The Summit will also include the Summit Showcase of Slate Preferred Partners, affinity group meetings, networking, live entertainment, an epic dance party, and so much more! There will be something for everyone —check out the schedule with your team and start strategizing .
Don't miss the opportunity to connect with colleagues in the Slate community, get a first look at new features, and learn best practices from peer institutions. The registration rate will increase May 1, so make sure to register soon. For more information, check out our Slate Innovation Festival page.
If you'd like to attend the Slate Summit but need to make your case, complete our dynamic justification letter form to create a letter that you can provide to a supervisor. Complete the form with information about sessions you're interested in attending and the confirmation page will generate a printable letter detailing the professional development opportunities at the Slate Summit.
The More You Know
Virtual Conversations: Slate Spotlight
Mark your calendars and register today for these upcoming Slate Spotlight webinars:
Slate Spotlight on Named Spaces Dataset – Wednesday, May 3 at 10:00am ET Interested in moving your naming opportunity data into Slate? Join Shawn Kelly, General Manager of Advancement, as he walks through the Advancement Named Spaces Dataset. Centralize important details on Named Spaces and sub-spaces within buildings on campus. Add detailed photos, descriptions, and notes to keep gift officers and donors up to date on their named contributions. Additionally, attach materials such as blueprints or plaque specifications that link back to the donors of those associated with the space.
Slate Spotlight on Class Years Dataset – Wednesday, May 10 at 10:00am ET Join Shawn Kelly, General Manager of Advancement, to learn how to leverage datasets to track Class Year information. View total alumni, fiscal year giving, total class giving, and current pledges at a glance. Centralize class details, such as reunion years, committee members, pricing, and more to manage and engage your classes more effectively.
Visit the Slate Presents portal in Home Slate to watch any of our previous Slate Presents webinars.
Community Conversations
Join Technolutions staff and members of the Slate community for regularly scheduled, discussion-based sessions on specific topics. These calls are available to all, so come learn from the broad knowledge of the Slate community—including the expertise of Technolutions staff and the experiences of your colleagues at other institutions.
To view the complete schedule, register for all Community Conversations, and submit questions in advance, visit the Community Conversations portal, accessible from your Home Slate or via Database >> Community Conversations. Join the next week for:
Monday, May 1
4:00 pm ET: Welcome to Slate: Getting Started
Tuesday, May 2
2:00 pm ET: Advancement: Ask Us Anything!
4:00 pm ET: Configurable Joins: The Basics
Thursday, May 4
1:00 pm ET: Advancement: Ask Us Anything!
1:00 pm ET: Implementation Conversation: Ask Us Anything
4:00 pm ET: Checking up on your Checklists
The Slate for Advancement Community is Growing
Many Advancement offices are getting ahead of the trend and joining Slate for Advancement. Curious about what Slate for Advancement has to offer your institution? Feel free to join one of our Advancement: Ask Us Anything Community Conversations on Tuesdays and Thursdays to chat with current users and see what the community is all about.
We hope to see you at our upcoming Slate Spotlights: Datasets for Named Spaces at 10:00am ET on May 3 and Datasets for Class Years at 10:00am ET on May 10 .
Slate on Tour
Get the full #SlateOnTour experience with Technolutions staff at these upcoming conferences. Come say hello—and bring your Slate (and future Slate!) colleagues, too.
ASCA Annual Conference, Atlanta, July 15-17: If you're in the area, stop by Booth #1314 at the Georgia World Congress Center to talk about all things Slate!
Slate Preferred Partners
Stay Connected with Slate Preferred Partners
We are excited to announce our second annual Summit Sneak Peek, a day of exciting Slate reveals exclusively for Slate Preferred Partners held in New Haven in early May. Technolutions will discuss and demonstrate several new Slate features in advance of their wider release at the Summit in Nashville. We're looking forward to the additional collaboration this event will provide, and we can't wait to share all of the new features in June!
RHB Academy
Looking to advance your skills in Slate? There's still time to register for RHB Academy in advance of Slate Summit on May 31 at The W Nashville. All courses will be taught by the RHB team of industry-leading experts and will include hands-on training, step-by-step builds, and learning activities with an emphasis on Configurable Joins. You will leave this experience with actionable strategies and tactics to best leverage your Slate database as a tool to meet institutional goals. Registration and more information regarding courses can be found online.
Carnegie Slate Camp
Carnegie will be hosting their first Slate Camp in Nashville, TN, from Tuesday, May 30 to Wednesday, May 31. Held prior to Slate Summit, this engaging program will cover how to master configurable joins, build out multi-channel communications, report on key metrics, and enhance your event portals. At $500 per person, this 1.5 day workshop will not disappoint! Visit the Carnegie Training Events site to view the agenda and register.
Spotlight on the Slate Community
Tweet & Greet
We love seeing all the ways that you Slate every day. Here are a few of our favorite posts from the last few weeks—keep those tweets coming!
The enthusiasm from Betsey Weaver to present at Slate Summit is epic.
Thanks to Jennifer Sayre for this awesome pic of the gold building in New Haven!
We can't get enough of Erica Espejo's adorbale custom-made cardigan!
Nashville Vibes
We can't wait to see y'all in Nashville at the Slate Summit! Here's a Music City playlist to get you in the mood.
Getting to Know
Kareem Matthew
Technical Engineer | Technolutions New Haven
What does a perfect Saturday look like to you?
Sleeping in till around 8 or 9. After breakfast, head to the beach with my wife to enjoy the water and then relax on the sand. Wrapping it up in the evening with a dinner and movie date.
What do you do to de-stress?
One of my go-to stress relieving activities is playing video games. I mostly play FIFA because I love football (soccer). Otherwise, I’ll find a funny movie or tv show to watch.
What's a fun fact not many of us know about you?
When I was a child, I was in a TV commercial for Lifebuoy soap bars. The commercial only aired locally in my home country, Trinidad – so you probably have never seen it. It was a fun experience which I’ll always remember.
What is a skill you'd like to learn?
I’d like to learn how to drift a car. I’m somewhat of a car enthusiast and sliding a car around a track would be a lot of fun!