Approve a source before any assistant can use it
A source is a college web page, a file, or a collection that a college has approved for answers. Staff add a source, name its owner office, set a review date, and send it for approval. Only approved sources can be cited.
What counts as a source: web page, file, or collection
Hold only the college pages, files, and collections that answers may use. Each source has an owner, an approval record, and a review date.
Web page
A single college web page or a page list from a college address. The page title, address, and last checked time are stored.
File
A handbook, form, policy, or guide uploaded as a file. Passages from the file are stored with the file name and link.
Collection
A set of related pages or files under one owner. Each item keeps its own title and link, and the collection keeps one review date.
What the list shows
- Filter by college, owner office, type, and status
- Owner, last checked time, and review date on every row
- Status such as approved, in review, suspended, or retired
Steps to add a source and submit it for approval
Staff add one source at a time. The owner office and the review date are required before submission.
Open Approved sources and choose Add a source
Choose the college workspace first so the source is stored in the right college.
Paste the web address or upload the file and name the owner office
Enter the title. Choose web page, file, or collection. Name the office that owns the content.
Set the review date and submit for approval
Set the next review date. Submit the source. The status becomes in review.
Approver reads the source and approves it or returns it with a note
The approver checks the content and records the decision, the reviewer name, and the date.
Link the approved source to an assistant and test one question
Choose the assistant in that college. Ask a test question and open the source link on the answer.
Follow the approve a source guide step by step in the app.
What an approver checks: owner, content, and review date
Only governance roles can approve a source. No one approves their own submission.
Owner
The owner office is named and correct. The office can keep the content current and answer questions about it.
Content
The text is current, matches the college page or file, and is written for students and staff. Broken links and missing pages are flagged.
Review date
The review date is set and is in the future. A source past its review date stops being used in new answers until it is re-approved.
College boundary
The source belongs to one college unless system governance marks it shared across colleges.
What happens when a source is suspended, expired, or retired
Health checks list broken links, missing pages, and past review dates. Staff fix, replace, or retire each item.
Suspended
A suspended source is not used in new answers. Past answers keep their source links. Staff fix the issue and re-approve the source to use it again.
Expired
A source past its review date stops being used in new answers. The owner is flagged in source health. Re-approval sets a new review date.
Retired
Retiring a source removes its passages from new answers at once. Past citations stay readable for audit.
How every answer links back to the source it used
Each answer stores its citations. The person who asked sees the source title, the link, and the last checked date under the answer.
Example citation
Answer: The add deadline is shown on the academic calendar page.
- Source title: Academic calendar
- Source link: opens the college page
- Last checked date: shown under the answer
- Passage: the short text that supports the answer
What staff can do
- Open the source link from any answer
- Trace an answer to its source and passage in the conversation view
- Work source health findings until broken links and past dates are fixed
- See which approved sources were cited most and which were never used
Request a demo to see a source approval with your own college pages, or sign in to add a source.