Connect, Collaborate, and Grow —
Welcome to Communities on 12twenty!
The Communities module provides a powerful new way for your students and alumni to connect, collaborate, and build lasting networks directly within your platform. It's designed to foster deeper engagement among students and alumni by allowing them to join groups based on shared interests, industries, affinities, identities, locations, and more. Communities streamline student, alumni, and admin engagement, offering a more personalized and vibrant experience.
Table of Contents
- Configuration Requirements & User Role Permissions
- Community Creation & Management
- Community Types
- Community Features & Moderation
- Notifications Management
- FAQs
Configuration Requirements & User Role Permissions
Wait! Before users can access Communities, the following setup steps must be completed:
- Your site must include the Communities module, and a 12twenty staff member must enable it.
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- If Communities is not included on your site, please connect with your dedicated Customer Success Manager, or reach out to us at customersuccess@12twenty.com
2. Assign student/alumni User Role Permission:
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- Access Communities - this allows student/alumni users to view and join communities
3. Assign Admin User Role Permissions:
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- Access Communities - this allows Admin users to view the module
- Manage Communities - this allows Admin users to create, edit, and manage communities
*Note: In order to give an Admin user management access, you must also give general access ("Access Communities")
Community Creation & Management
Admins with the Manage Communities permission can create new communities by:
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Navigating to the Communities Module
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Clicking the + Add New Community button in the top right corner, and completing the slideout form
This is the slideout form that the creator will be presented with. Please see the table below the image for an explanation of each field within the form.
| Field | Definition |
| Name (Required) |
The official title of your Community. This title will be visible across the Communities list, search results, and Community detail page. |
| Description | A short overview of what the Community is about. You can highlight the purpose, audience, or key activities here. |
| Rules | Community guidelines that members should follow. Examples might include rules about respectful communication or posting etiquette. |
| Visibility (Required) | Determines how users join and view the Community. Please see the Community Types section below for details on each level of visibility. |
| Admin Contact (Required) |
The primary Admin responsible for overseeing the Community. This user will receive flagged post alerts and manage administrative tasks. Only one Admin Contact can be assigned. |
| Community Leaders |
Student or alumni leaders who help manage/edit the Community. Leaders can approve membership requests and receive flagged post notifications. You can assign up to five Community Leaders.
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Making Edits to Communities:
Once the Community has been created, Admins and Leaders can make edits to the Community details by using the Edit button within each section.
Manually Adding Members:
If needed, Admins and Community Leaders can manually add new members to a Community individually or in bulk by navigating to the Members tab and selecting + Add Member(s). To add members in bulk, paste up to 1,000 student/alumni emails in the slide-out box. Each email should be separated by a comma or placed on a separate line.
Community Types
Communities come in three types, each offering unique options for joining and participation. See the breakdown below to find the right fit.
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Public Communities Public Communities are open spaces where any student or alumni user can click "Join" and immediately become a member. While anyone can view the Community’s basic information, users must join the group in order to participate in discussions. These are great for promoting widespread engagement and building large networks. |
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Private Communities Private Communities offer a more controlled environment. Students and alumni must request to join, and their membership must be approved by an Admin Contact or Community Leader. Only approved members can access discussions and member lists. Private Communities are ideal for groups that require a level of vetting or exclusivity. See below for more info on approving and rejecting join requests. |
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Invite-Only Communities |
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The table below provides an easy reference guide for how each community type works.
| Type | Community Visibility in Search Results | How to Join | Discussion Board Visibility | Member List Visibility |
| Public | All users | Click the "Join" button | Members only | Members only |
| Private | All users | Click the "Request to join" button and await approval | Members only | Members only |
| Invite-Only | Admins and members only | Must be manually added/invited by an Admin or Community Leader | Members only | Members only |
When a student or alumnus requests to join a Private Community, the Admin Contact and Community Leaders will be able to Approve or Reject those requests under the Membership Requests tab.
Community Features & Moderation
Discussion Board:
Each Community features a dynamic discussion board where users can:
- Create and reply to posts with rich text formatting, images, videos, and links
- Like (👍) posts and add comments
- Manage personal notifications by muting or subscribing to specific posts
Creating New Posts:
1. Click into the What's on your mind? field.
2. Add text, images, links, etc. to your post and click Post at the bottom when finished.
Interacting with Posts:
Members can Like and Comment on other members' posts.
Below you'll find another example of a Welcome post from a Community Admin and a response (comment) from a new member.
Moderation of Community Activity:
All members can report (flag) posts that violate community guidelines. Admin Contacts and Community Leaders will receive flagged post email notifications and can promptly review or remove inappropriate content.The full reporting process can be seen below.
First, the user will use the ellipsis button in the top right to Report post.
The reporter will then receive the following pop-up before submission.
When the reporter confirms by clicking OK, an automated email is sent to the Community Admin and Community Leaders. That email contains information on the poster, the content of the post, and a direct link to the post.
The Community Admin or one of the Community Leaders can then decide the appropriate action to take, which includes the option to delete the flagged post.
Notifications:
At the Community-Level, new members are automatically opted in to receiving notifications about new posts and activity on posts they've participated in (Liked or commented on). Users can opt out of those notifications by selecting the ellipsis button at the top of the Community homepage.
- The notification message for new posts is titled Community Discussion Notification and can be found within Community Site Settings. It will go out automatically when anyone in the Community submits a new post.
- The notification message for new activity on an existing post is titled Community Activity Notification and can be found within Community Site Settings. It will go out automatically when anyone in the Community comments on a post that the user has interacted with.
At the Post-Level, members can mute or subscribe to individual posts for more granular control. If a user interacts with a post (Likes or comments) or is the author of the post, they are automatically subscribed to that post until they manually turn off notifications.
- The notification message for new activity on an individual post is titled Community Activity Notification and can be found within Community Site Settings. It will go out automatically when anyone in the Community Likes or comments on a post that the student is subscribed to.
Notifications Manangement
Site Admins with access to Communities and Site Settings can customize the content of the automated notification emails for Communities.
To access and edit these templates:
- Navigate to Site Management > Site Settings > Communities > Notifications
- Select the template you'd like to modify (e.g., “Community Activity Notification,” “Community Join Request," etc.)
- Click the ellipsis button the top right corner and select Edit
- Edit the subject line and body text as needed
- Click Save
Changes apply instantly to all future notifications of that type. This allows your institution to:
- Add context or branding
- Include links to resources or community guidelines
- Set the right tone for your campus culture
Frequently Asked Questions
Can students or alumni create Communities?
No. Only Admin users with the Manage Communities permission can create or edit Communities. However, Admins can assign Community Leaders (students or alumni) to help manage content and membership.
Can I edit/change the 'Community Type' once the Community has been created? (Public, Private, Invite-Only)
No. The system will not allow you to change the Community Type once created. You would need to create a new Community with the proper type.
What can Community Leaders do?
Community Leaders can approve or deny membership requests (for Private Communities), moderate discussions, receive flagged post alerts, and help foster engagement within the group. They do not have the ability to create Communities.
What’s the difference between a Private and an Invite-Only Community?
Private Communities allow users to request to join, and membership must be approved by an Admin or Community Leader. Invite-Only Communities do not allow requests; members must be manually invited.
Note: Invite-Only Communities are completely hidden from non-members. They will not appear in search results for users who have not been manually invited/added.
Can students see all Communities in search results?
No. Students and alumni can only see Public and Private Communities in the search results, provided they have the “Access Communities” permission. They cannot see Invite-Only Communities if they are not a current member. Invite-Only Communities are private, meaning that students/alumni must be manually added/invited in order to see those groups.
Can posts in a Community be moderated or removed?
Yes. Any member can flag a post or comment they believe violates community guidelines. Flagged content is sent to the Admin Contact and Community Leaders, who can review and remove posts as needed.
How do members manage their notifications?
Users can control notifications in two ways: 1.) At the Community-Level, users can enable/disable alerts for all new posts or only discussions they participate in. 2.) At the Post-Level, users can mute or subscribe to individual posts for more tailored control.
Can notification emails be edited?
Yes. System-generated email notifications (e.g., for post activity, join requests, approvals, rejections, and flagged content) can be customized within Site Management > Site Settings > Communities > Notifications.
Can Admins bulk-add members to a Community?
Yes. Admins and Community Leaders can bulk-add members by primary email address up to 1,000 at a time. Users already in the Community will be skipped automatically.
Is there a limit to how many Communities a user can join?
No. There is currently no limit to how many Communities a student or alumni user can join.