TracDat for Program Review FAQ

Q: I can't login to TracDat. What do I do?

A: First, try logging in with the first part of your SMCCD email address (without the @smccd.edu on the end) and the default password 'canada'. If that doesn't work, please email Allison Hughes at hughesa@smccd.edu.

Q: When I log in to TracDat, I don't see my program in the drop down menu at the top. What do I do?

A: Please email Allison Hughes at hughesa@smccd.edu and include the programs or departments that you need access to.

Q: How do you recommend I work in TracDat?

A: It is best to write your program review outside of TracDat to be sure that you have a copy of your work if you need it. We recommend writing your program review in a Word document or a Google Doc and then copying and pasting your text into TracDat. Especially if you are collaborating on your program review with multiple people, it can be helpful to use a Google Doc. When you're finished entering text into TracDat be sure to click Save at the top right and log out when you're finished. Do not leave TracDat open in your browser for more than an hour without saving your work and then return to continue editing. We also don't recommend having different areas of TracDat open in multiple tabs in your browser and making changes in more than one tab at a time.

Q: I entered content into TracDat and now its gone. Why did this happen and can I recover my work?

A: This happens when you leave an edit page open in your browser for a long period of inactivity (more than an hour). You can still see the edit fields and enter your information and click Save, but the connection to the TracDat servers is closed and your data is not saving. Your data cannot be recovered in this case, but to avoid this in the future, (1) make changes in small increments and click Save regularly, (2) when you click Save look for the green pop-up above the Save button to confirm that your content was saved, and (3) log out of TracDat when you're finished working. It can also be helpful to write your program review in a Word or Google Doc and then copy into TracDat so that you always have a copy as well.

Q: There was more than 1 person editing our program review and my changes are not visible when I look at our narrative. Why did this happen and can I recover my work?

A:  When this happens, it just means that someone else saved their changes after you did, so they saved over your changes. Your changes might be able to be recovered by looking through the Audit Logs. Navigate to the page where you made your changes and click on the orange table icon at the top right of the page.

Find the changes you made by your name and the date in the audit log table that displays. Click the links in the Type column to see a preview of what those changes looked like and copy and paste them into your program review where they belong. To avoid this all together, write your program review in a Google Doc to allow for easy collaboration between you and your colleagues.

Q: I'm up for Program Review this year. What do I do?

A: You need to enter your program review narratives and then enter your objectives, action plans and resource requests.

Q: I'm NOT up for Program Review this year. What do I do?

A: You need to enter your annual updates and then enter your objectives, action plans and resource requests.

Q: I need to enter feedback from the program reviews that I supervise. What do I do?

A: Please review the Entering Supervisor Feedback video.

Q: Where can I find my previous program reviews, resource requests, program review feedback, as well as previous and current data packets?

A: Please visit the Program Review website. Program reviews and resource requests entered before September 2018 can also be viewed in SPOL.

Q: How do I include my personnel proposal in my program review?

A: You'll need to fill out the Classified Staff Position Proposal form for Classified positions and/or the Faculty Position Proposal form for Faculty positions. Then you'll need to attach your form(s) to the corresponding goal that you entered in TracDat. View the Entering Objectives, Action Plans and Resource Requests video starting at 3:04 for more information.

Q: How will I receive feedback on my program review?

A: Your supervisors have the ability to leave feedback on your program review narratives, annual updates and objectives within TracDat. Check the  feedback boxes at the bottom of each of these areas for real time feedback while you work on your program review. You'll also receive comprehensive feedback from your deans closer to the program review deadline. Then your completed program review will be sent to your Planning Council for review, feedback and resource prioritization. You will then be notified when your feedback from your planning council has been posted to the program review website.