NORTHnav helps you support students at the counter, over the phone, and by email. This page covers looking up what a student needs, messaging them, setting up your availability, and booking an appointment on their behalf.

This page is for staff in student-facing offices. Faculty advisors should see Faculty Advising.

On this page

Look up a student

Search for a student by name or GID. Their profile brings together information from across campus, so you can usually answer a question without sending the student somewhere else first.

Here is where to look, depending on what the student is asking.

"What classes am I in?"

The student's class schedule is on their profile, including meeting times. This is also useful when you are trying to find a time the student is free.

"Why can't I register?"

Check Holds. NORTHnav shows the type of hold, which DegreeWorks does not.

Holds placed at Havre carry an HV prefix and include resolution methods: the office responsible, along with their email, phone, and any relevant web pages or forms. Read those to the student or send them the contact information directly.

Holds from another campus carry a different prefix: BZ for Bozeman, BL for Billings, and GF for Great Falls. These do not have resolution methods loaded. The student will need to contact that campus to resolve the hold, since it was placed there and can only be released there.

"Who is my advisor?" or "Who else is helping me?"

Check Success Team. It lists the instructors, advisors, and assigned staff connected to the student. Students see this same list, so you are both looking at the same information. Use it to hand a student off to the right person rather than a general office.

"Has anyone helped me with this already?"

Two places to check. Past appointments show who the student has met with and when. Past conversations show messages the university has sent the student through NORTHnav. Between them, you can see what has already been tried before starting over.

"How do I reach someone?" or you need to reach the student

Student Info holds preferred contact information pulled from Banner. Email addresses and phone numbers are click-to-contact.

Message a student

You can email or text a student directly from their profile using the Options list on the right side of the page.

Messages sent through NORTHnav are recorded on the student's profile, so the next person who helps them can see what was already sent. That is the main reason to message here rather than from your own email.

A few things to keep in mind:

  • Messages go to the student's preferred contact information from Banner, which may not be the address you have on file elsewhere.
  • Write assuming the message becomes part of the student's record, because it does.
  • The options you see depend on your NORTHnav role.

Set up your drop-in hours and availability

If your office holds drop-in hours or takes scheduled appointments, set this up in NORTHnav so students can see when you are available. Set it up at the start of each semester.

Sync your Outlook calendar first. Your availability will not be accurate until it is synced. The steps are on the Faculty Advising page under Step One, and they are the same for staff.

A note on your homepage. NORTHnav opens to Staff Home by default, which is where the My Availability tab lives.

To add availability:

  1. From your Staff Home page, click the My Availability tab.
  2. Click Actions, then Add Time.
  3. Select the days of the week and the time window you are available. If your schedule differs from day to day, create separate availabilities rather than one combined entry.
  4. Under "How long is this availability active?" select the current semester.
    • Do not select Forever. It keeps you bookable through summer and every term after, whether or not you are available.
    • A Range of Dates is available for special circumstances.
  5. Check the box for "Add this availability to your personal availability link?"
  6. Select your appointment types. You can select both on the same availability.
    • Drop-ins is how you offer open office hours. Students do not book ahead; they come during the window you set. Drop-in times are listed separately from bookable appointment times, so students can tell the difference. If your office handles walk-in services, such as Bill Pay or Canvas Support, select Drop-ins so students can see when to come in.
    • Appointments lets students book a specific time with you through the student scheduler or your personal scheduling link.
  7. Select your meeting type: In-Person, Phone, or Virtual. If you select more than one, the student chooses at booking.
  8. Select your Care Unit, Location, and Service.
    • Care Unit: Student Support Offices
    • Location: your office. Each location already includes the building and room, such as Registrar's Office, Cowan Hall, Room 220.
    • Service: the list shows the services set up for your office. Select the ones you handle. Each service has a set appointment length, so you do not need to choose one.
  9. Leave the URL / Phone Number field blank. Anything entered here appears at the top of every confirmation email regardless of meeting type, which confuses students booking in-person appointments.
  10. Use Special Instructions for Students for anything the location name does not cover. For example, many offices share Student Central in Cowan Hall, Room 213, so let students know where to check in once they arrive. If you meet virtually, add your meeting link here. This text appears at the top of the confirmation email as long as the URL / Phone Number field above is blank.
  11. Max number of participants defaults to one. Increase it if you hold sessions where several students attend at the same time.

To carry your setup into a new semester, go to the My Availability tab, check the box next to an existing availability, click Actions, then Copy Time, and select the new semester.

Help a student book an appointment

If a student needs an appointment and cannot book it themselves, you can book it for them.

  1. Open the student's profile.
  2. In the Options list, click Schedule an Appointment.
  3. Select the care unit, location, and service for the appointment, then choose a time from the available options.

The student receives the same confirmation and reminder messages as if they had booked it themselves. The options you see depend on your NORTHnav role.

Common Problems

A student's hold shows a type but no way to resolve it.
Check the prefix. Only holds placed at Havre, which carry an HV prefix, have resolution methods loaded. A hold with a BZ, BL, or GF prefix was placed at Bozeman, Billings, or Great Falls and can only be released there. Give the student the campus name and have them contact that office directly.

My confirmation emails show a link that does not apply.
The URL / Phone Number field on your availability puts its contents at the top of every confirmation email, no matter the meeting type. Clear that field and move the information into Special Instructions for Students instead.

A student says they cannot find a time with me.
Check four things. First, whether you selected Appointments as an appointment type. If you selected only Drop-ins, there are no times to book, and students come during the window you set instead. Second, your Outlook Show As status for that window, since Busy, Tentative, Working Elsewhere, and Out of Office all block booking. Third, whether your availability is set for the current semester. If you used A Range of Dates, make sure the dates cover the time the student is trying to book. Fourth, timing. Students can book up to 30 days ahead, and some services need up to 2 hours of notice.

I am booking for a student and no times appear.
This usually means no one has availability set for the combination you selected. Try a different service or location within the same care unit, or check with the office you are booking into to confirm someone has availability set for the current semester. If that office does not take scheduled appointments, the student may need to use drop-in hours instead.

Who to contact

For NORTHnav questions, access, and technical problems, email navsupport@msun.edu.