Using the Events Calendar

The Modern Campus Calendar add-on allows you to create and manage events that appear on your department's website and, if selected, the APSU Master Calendar.

Access & Roles

Note: Not all CMS users have access to the calendar. You must be an existing CMS editor to manage a calendar.

• To Request a Calendar: Please fill out the Calendar Request Form. Once created, the Web Team will set up the feed and your calendar page. A Zoom training session can be scheduled to walk you through the process.

• To Access the Tool: Log into the CMS and select Add-ons from the top menu, then click Calendars.

Creating an Event

1. Go to Add-ons > Calendars.

2. Click the New Event button in the top right corner.

3. Fill out the form details

Event Details

• Calendar: Select the calendar you want to post to. (You can only post to one calendar at a time).

• Event Name: Keep it short and descriptive.

• Date & Time:

  • The system displays times in Central Time.

  • Repeating Events: Use the dropdown to set a recurrence (e.g., Every Monday).

  • Important: Repeating events must be identical. If the time, room, or description changes for one specific date, you must create that event separately.

    Pro Tip: Create the first event, save it, and then use the Duplicate feature to create the second one. This saves you from typing everything from scratch.

Additional Details

• About the Event: Enter your main description here. You can add links and photos within the text.

• Event Image (Thumbnail):

  • Size: Recommended size is 500px wide x 300px tall (Rectangle).

  • Cropping: On the event list, the image will be cropped to the center. On the event details page, the full image is shown.

  • Storage: Images must be uploaded to the /calendar/images/ folder inside your calendar's section before you create the event.

• Image Alt Text: Mandatory. Describe what is happening in the image.

Location & Organizer

• Organizer: Select the contact person/office from the dropdown. (There can only be one organizer).

  • New Organizer? Click + Add New next to the dropdown to add their info.

• Location (On Campus): Select the building from the dropdown list.

• Location (Off Campus): Leave the dropdown BLANK. Instead, type the address into the "Location Room" box.

• Location Room: Type the specific room number or wayfinding info here.

Ticketing & Web Conference

• Web Conference: If virtual, paste the Zoom/Teams link here. Use the "Button Label" to name it (e.g., "Join via Zoom").

• Event Cost: Designate if it is free or paid.

• Ticket Link: Paste the URL to buy tickets. Use the "Button Label" for the text (e.g., "Buy Tickets").

Categories (Tags)

Categories act as filters.

• Be Smart: Only use tags that help narrow down the list.

• Example: If your calendar is only for students, the "Students" tag is useless. But "Free Food" or "Lecture Credit" would be useful tags.

• Need a new tag? Email webupdate@apsu.edu.

The RSVP Feature

If you select Yes for RSVP, you can manage registrations directly through the calendar.

• Max Attendees: Sets a limit on registrations.

• Enable Email:

  1. Sends an automated email asking the user to confirm their RSVP.

  2. Once confirmed, sends a second email with the .ics calendar file.

• Email Option: We recommend leaving this on "Organizer Email Address."

  • Note: Emails are sent by the Modern Campus system. Even if it says it comes from an @apsu.edu address, Outlook will treat it as an External Sender.

• Notify on RSVP: Emails the event creator whenever someone registers.

Saving vs. Publishing

When finished, look to the bottom right corner:

1. Cancel: Discards all work.

2. Create (Draft): Saves the event in the CMS but does not put it on the website. Use this if you are still waiting on final details.

3. Publish: Saves the event and makes it immediately live on the public calendar.

Sharing Your Calendar

Once published, events appear automatically on your department's calendar page.

• Master Calendar: If you selected the option to include your event on the Master Calendar, it will appear there simultaneously.

• Calendar Page: Most departments have a specific page (e.g., /calendar/) set up to display this feed.