Create and Manage Forms in RPT
Interfolio Review, Promotion & Tenure (RPT) supports three types of forms for collecting structured information throughout the case review process:
- Candidate Forms: Completed by candidates
- Committee Forms: Completed by committee members during their assigned workflow steps
- Case Data Forms: Completed by Unit Administrators to record additional candidate information
All forms are created in the Administration section of RPT and can be attached to templates or active cases as needed. When creating a form, you must assign it to a unit. This assignment determines where the form can be used across your institution. Once created, forms are available to all units at or below the selected unit level. Use the sections below to learn how to create and manage each type of form.
Creating a form does not automatically make it available in cases. You must attach forms to templates or cases before they can be completed.
Form Permissions
Unit Administrators
- Create, edit, and delete all form types at their unit level or below
- View forms created at units above or below in the hierarchy
- Attach forms to templates and active cases
- Bypass form requirements (Committee Forms only)
- Run reports on form responses within their unit or below
Candidates
- Can complete Candidate Forms only
- Cannot view or complete Committee Forms or Case Data Forms
Committee Members/Committee Managers
- Can complete Committee Forms assigned to them during their workflow step
- Cannot complete Candidate Forms or Case Data Forms
- Committee Managers may view others’ responses depending on visibility settings
About Forms in RPT
| Form Type | Purpose | Completed by | Location form is attached |
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate Form | Candidates can collect narratives, disclosures, background information, or any details the institution needs during the review. | Candidates within their packet requirements. | Candidate Requirements Step |
| Committee Form |
Committee Forms are used to collect evaluations, votes, ratings, narrative comments, and other structured committee feedback. When editing a form that already has recorded responses, RPT warns administrators to ensure historical data is preserved “This form has X existing responses. Updates to any headers or questions will only apply to active case steps that have no responses or to new cases created with this form.” Edits do not overwrite existing submissions. Changes only affect active steps with no responses yet and future cases using the updated form |
Committee Members during assigned workflow step. Candidates cannot see or complete Committee Forms. A committee form must be completed by the person it was assigned to. It cannot be completed by a Unit Administrator, Case Manager, or Committee Manager on behalf of the person it was assigned to. |
Committee Requirement Case Review Steps |
| Case Data Form | Case Data Forms allow institutions to collect additional institutional or demographic information about a candidate (e.g. rank, appointment dates, service years). | Only Unit Administrators can view or complete Case Data Forms. These forms are never visible to candidates or committees. | Case Information step |
It is recommended to include a brief note inside complex Candidate Forms explaining how edits will behave if the form is changed during a case review. This helps both administrators and candidates understand how updates affect forms in different stages of the workflow.
- In-Progress Cases: Candidates will immediately see your edits, unless they have already submitted the form.
- Submitted Cases: Edits appear on the ‘Edit Case’ page, but do not replace previously submitted responses.
Add Form Questions
- Navigate to the Administration page and select the tab for the type of form you are creating (Candidate, Case Data, or Committee). From here Unit Administrators can manage all existing forms of the selected type for all units they have access to. They can create new forms of each type. Click the +Add Form button to create a new form.
Committee Forms are the only forms that can be duplicated.
- This opens the ‘Add New Form’ window, where you can enter the Form Title and Description (instructions for candidates) and select the unit the form will live within. Click Done when finished. On the ‘Edit Form’ page, you can +Add Questions. After clicking this button, the ‘Add Question’ window will appear where you can choose a question type, enter question information, and mark a question as required.
Once questions are added, they can be dragged and dropped to change the order in which they appear. Formatting can also be added to customize the form display.
Question Types
- Text Question (Short Answer): Brief responses
- Text Question (Paragraph): Longer written responses
- Multiple Choice (Single Select): One selection from a list
- Checkbox: Multiple selections
- Date: Date/time inputs
- Number: Numerical input (decimals allowed)
- Dropdown: Custom dropdown list
- Rating: Scaled evaluations (5, 6, 10‑point or star scale). Whether or not to include the ability to add comments for each rating criterion can be set under the ‘Settings’ section of the form creation process.
- Grid Question: Presents applicants with columns and rows, of which they can select one option per row. This type of question can be used to express preferences and which courses the applicant would like to teach.
3. Click the dropdown menu beside the Add Question button to select a formatting element. For more complex forms, it is recommended to include these elements for order and clarity:
- Section Heading: A large-text label that can be placed atop a discrete section of the form.
- Section Description: Contextual text that can be tucked underneath a heading and above the actual questions.
- Section Divider: A simple horizontal line that can visually break up the form.
4. Repeat this for as many questions as necessary and then click Done when finished.
You can also click Show Applicant Preview to preview how the form will appear to candidates.
FAQs
Can candidate forms be optional?
No. Candidate Forms cannot be optional. While individual questions within the form may be optional, the form itself becomes required once added to a case or template. A candidate must submit at least one response for the form to be considered complete.
Can candidates save a form and return to complete it later?
Candidates can only return back to a form if all required fields are filled out before leaving the page. As long as the form is in an unlocked section, candidates can return to update those responses. If any required fields are left blank, the candidate’s progress will not be saved.
Can an administrator complete a candidate form on their behalf?
No. Only the candidate can complete the candidate forms.
What happens when a form is edited after responses already exist?
Existing responses remain unchanged. Edits only apply to active case steps where no responses exist or future cases created after the edits. When editing, RPT displays a warning so administrators understand the impact.
Can access to candidate forms be restricted?
No. Unlike documents and committee forms, Candidate Forms are always visible to the entire committee. Their visibility settings cannot be modified.
Can committee members see each other’s committee form responses?
Only if visibility is enabled for the step. Otherwise, committee members see only their own submissions.
Can a form be assigned to only some committee members?
Yes. Assign the form to the full group, then omit specific people in Manage Respondents.
Committee forms cannot be made optional, they are always required for anyone they are assigned to.
Can committee forms appear at the top of candidate requirements?
Yes, create a dedicated requirement section that includes only those forms. Once you have this section prepared, you can position it at the top of the candidate requirements to ensure that those forms are displayed first.
What happens to forms when a case moves backward?
When a case is moved backward completed forms remain and respect step visibility settings.
A form was deleted from a case in RPT. Is there any way to recover it? What steps should be taken to redo the form?
Once a form is deleted from a case in RPT, it cannot be recovered directly. However, you can re-add the form and ensure it gets completed again by following these steps:
- Go to the step in the case workflow where the form was originally assigned.
- Re-add the form to that step.
- Send the case back to that step so the appropriate person (e.g., committee manager or committee member) can fill out and submit the form again.
Are there character limits for question responses?
Check out this article about Text Character Limits in RPT for information on committee form character limits.