How Colleges Manage ctcLink Alert Lists

SBCTC uses the ctcLinkAlerts eList (listserv) to send notices about planned downtime for system updates, production alerts, urgent issues, and any unplanned downtime.

Each college maintains its local ctcLinkAlerts email distribution list which the ctcLink College Leader maintains as needed.

These college lists, not individuals, are subscribed to ctcLinkAlerts@lists.ctc.edu.

Who is on the ctcLinkAlerts eList?

The ctcLinkAlerts eList  subscriber list includes:

  • College ctcLink Alerts distribution lists (not individual college subscribers)
    • ctcLink College Leaders (Points of Contact) manage who is on their local college list.
  • SBCTC internal/group lists and third-party vendor partners

See ctcLinkAlerts Subscribed Lists below.

It’s each college’s choice who to include, but typically colleges include their local ctcLink leadership, local ctcLink committee or taskforce members, key subject matter experts, IT, ctcLink Local Security Administrators, Help Desk, and PIO.

This responsibility belongs to the college staff responsible for local day-to-day ctcLink operational management (e.g., ctcLink College Leaders).

How ctcLink College Leader(s) learn about outages

ctcLinkAlerts are sent for planned outages and unexpected outages to the system. Additional information may be available through meetings and emails, but you should rely on ctcLink Alerts and Gateway information first.

Planned outages are noted on the ctcLink Gateway for all users. When you see a red font, this is usually an announcement of a planned outage.

The Planned Service Outage schedule is available at Environment/Pillar Updates.

How ctcLink College Leaders manage ctcLinkAlerts for their college

Each college district was required to set up a single, local ctcLinkAlerts email distribution list before ctcLink Go-Live.

  • Each college populates its own list locally.
    • Include your ctcLink pillar leads, Help Desk, IT support staff, ctcLink Local Security Administrators, PIO, as well as any campus ctcLink team members.
    • See ctcLinkAlerts Subscribed Lists below.
  • The SBCTC Application Services team subscribes each local ctcLinkAlerts email address to ctcLinkAlerts. 
  • Anyone added to a local distribution list will receive the ctcLinkAlerts.

Establish a process to communicate downtime information to employees, as well as students when needed.

Students only need to know about Campus Solutions and HighPoint mobile; employees need to know about all pillars and products.

It is helpful to remind people what the impact is of the pillar or system being down. e.g., HCM will be down, so you will not be able to submit your hours worked or request leave. 

Key reasons for ctcLink being unavailable

  • The system is scheduled to be down for a specific time. This could be the entire system, or just one pillar. 
  • Saturday maintenance. Varies from no impact to all pillars. This is when quarterly upgrades are implemented.

The Planned Service Outage schedule is available at Environment/Pillar Updates.

There may be unplanned ctcLink outages during which ctcLink is brought down for critical fixes.

College Process Example

The example below is based on Clark College’s processes. Yours may vary.

Employees
  • ctcLink college leader or designee will forward the outage alerts to the campus master email list.
  • If an outage is planned for an entire weekend, you may need additional communications to directly impacted staff.  For example:
    • If the outage is occurring during a time when classes are being built, remind class builders they will not have access over the weekend.
  • If it’s the end of the fiscal year and purchasing is trying to get all the POs processed, reach out and remind them if there are FIN (FCSM) outages.
  • Planned outages are posted on the:
    • College ctcLink calendar at your ctcLink webpage
    • College activities calendar

If your ctcLink team or your communications office sends weekly newsletters, blogs, informational emails, etc., use the tools you already have in place at your college for these important communications.

Students

Student Affairs is primarily responsible for communicating CS outages out to students.

  • Add text to your college's ctcLink log-in web page. This will be used to announce upcoming planned outages (a week before the outage) as well as notices of any unexpected outages.
  • Designated staff post information on calendars and/or social media.
  • Canvas is not used to message students. Once students become aware of where to look for outage information, they do not need to see it in multiple places.

ctcLinkAlerts Subscribed Lists

College/Organization ctcLink Alerts Email
Bates ctcLinkalerts@batestech.edu
Bellevue ctclinkalerts@bellevuecollege.edu
Bellingham ctcLinkCollegeTeam@btc.edu
Big Bend ctclinkalerts@bigbend.edu
Cascadia cascadiactclinkalerts@cascadia.edu
Centralia CCctcLinkAlerts@centralia.edu
Clark ctcLinkAlerts@clark.edu
Clover Park ctclinkalerts@cptc.edu
Columbia Basin ctclinkalerts@columbiabasin.edu
Edmonds ctclinkalerts@email.edcc.edu
Everett ctclinkalerts@everettcc.edu
Grays Harbor ctclinkalerts@ghc.edu
Green River ctcLinkAlerts@greenriver.edu
Highline ctclinkalerts@highline.edu
Lake Washington LionsLink.Alerts@lwtech.edu
Lower Columbia lcc.ctclinkalerts@lowercolumbia.edu
Olympic ctclinkalerts@olympic.edu
Peninsula ctcLinkAlert@pencol.edu
Pierce ctclinkalerts@pierce.ctc.edu
Renton ctclinkalerts@rtc.edu
Seattle ctcLinkAlerts@seattlecolleges.edu
Shoreline ctclinkalerts@shoreline.edu
Skagit Valley ctcLinkAlerts@skagit.edu
South Puget Sound ctcLinkAlerts@spscc.edu
Spokane Colleges CCS.CTCLinkAlerts@ccs.spokane.edu
Tacoma ctclinkalerts@tacomacc.edu
Walla Walla warriorlinkalerts@wwcc.edu
Wenatchee Valley ctcLinkalerts@wvc.edu
Whatcom ctcLinkalerts@whatcom.edu
Yakima Valley ctcLinkAlerts@yvcc.edu

  • SBCTC AllStaff Email List
  • SBCTC System Administrator List

  • Campus CE
  • Campus CE Rep
  • Kastech for OAAP