Appointments Queue gives career centers a real-time way to manage appointments during an Office Hours appointment block. A queue can support in-person appointments, virtual appointments, or both at the same time. Students join the appropriate queue, while advisers manage the line, call students, hold virtual/in-person meetings, and record attendance from one queue page.
Appointments Queue
Appointments Queue is available on Office Hour (walk-in) appointment blocks.
How students use each type of queue
| Queue type | How the student joins | What happens when called |
|---|---|---|
| In-Person | The student joins through the Appointment Check-In Kiosk. | The student meets the adviser at the physical location shown for the appointment. |
| Virtual | The student joins from the Office Hours block on the Appointments page. | When the queue uses 12twenty Video, the student can enter the video appointment after an adviser calls them. |
| Hybrid | In-person students join through the kiosk. Virtual students join from the Appointments page. | Both types of students are managed in the same queue and identified by In-Person or Virtual badges. |
In this article
Set up an Office Hours queue
- Navigate to the Appointments module.
- Select + Block.
- Enter the date, time, appointment type, eligibility, and other required information.
- Set Office Hours to Yes.
- Select one or more advisers for the block.
- Select the block’s Location Type: In-Person, Virtual, or Hybrid.
- Configure the location for each adviser assigned to the block.
- When you select the first adviser’s location for the first time, that selection is copied to the other advisers. You can then update each adviser’s location separately. Location picklists are single-select for Office Hours blocks because students do not choose a location after joining the queue.
- Select Create Block.
Office Hours blocks with more than one adviser are labeled Office Hours (Multiple Advisers) in the appointment list and calendar.
Important: An Office Hours block cannot be edited after its queue becomes active. This prevents changes to the time, location, or assigned advisers while students are already waiting.
Understand when a queue is active
Each Office Hours appointment block includes a Queue Summary where administrators and students can view:
- Queue Status
- Users Waiting
- Your Position, when viewed by a student
A queue becomes Live when the Office Hours block begins and closes automatically when the block ends. A pulsating green indicator identifies a live queue. Outside the block’s active time, the queue displays as Not Active.
Join a queue as a student
How a student joins determines whether their queue entry is in-person or virtual.
Join an in-person queue from the Appointment Check-In Kiosk
Students can join active, eligible In-Person and Hybrid Office Hours queues from the kiosk.
- Enter or scan the identifier requested by the kiosk.
- If the kiosk does not find an appointment to check in to, it displays the available Office Hours queues.
- Review the block time, assigned adviser or advisers, available appointment types, and number of students waiting.
- Select Join Queue for the desired Office Hours block.
The kiosk confirms that the student was added and shows how many students are ahead of them. An inactivated queue is not displayed as an option on the kiosk.
Join a virtual queue from the Appointments page
Students can join active, eligible Virtual and Hybrid Office Hours queues from the appointment block.
- Open the Office Hours block from the Appointments page.
- Review the Queue Summary.
- Select Join Queue.
After joining:
- The Queue Summary displays the student’s current position.
- Join Queue changes to Leave Queue.
- Selecting Leave Queue removes the student from the queue.
- For a virtual queue using 12twenty Video, Launch Appointment remains disabled until an adviser calls the student. The button displays: You have joined the queue! This button will activate when it’s your turn.
- When an adviser calls the student, the student receives an email letting them know it is their turn. The email includes the adviser, location, and a button to launch the appointment when applicable.
- Students must be signed in to access a virtual appointment.
Manage a queue as an administrator or adviser
Open the Office Hours appointment block and select Manage Queue. This action replaces Track Attendance on the appointment block and opens the queue management page. Manage Queue is available before, during, and after the queue’s active time.
Manage Queue is available to:
- Advisers assigned to the Office Hours block
- Administrators who can manage all appointments
Note: Only an adviser assigned to the block can select Call Next.
Each queue entry shows the student’s:
- Position in the queue
- Name
- Assigned adviser
- Time spent waiting or in the appointment
- In-Person or Virtual location badge
- Status: Waiting, In Progress, or Complete
Add a student to the queue
- Open the action menu on the queue management page.
- Select Add Student.
- Find and add the student.
Students added by an administrator are added as:
- In-Person for an In-Person or Hybrid block
- Virtual for a Virtual-only block
Call a student
- Find a student with a Waiting status.
- Select Call Next.
An adviser can call any waiting student; the student does not need to be first in line. After a student is called, the remaining queue positions are recalculated.
If another adviser has already called the student: The system displays This user is already meeting with an adviser. Please select the next user from the queue.
Calling a student:
- Changes the appointment to In Progress
- Sends the student the next-up email notification
- Starts the virtual meeting when the student is joining through 12twenty Video
- Ends the adviser’s previous active meeting, if one is still in progress
Track attendance and complete the appointment
For the active appointment, select Track Attendance and complete the attendance form. After attendance is submitted, the appointment opens so the adviser can add notes or other appointment details. The queue action then changes to View Appointment, which can be used to reopen the appointment. Only advisers assigned to the block may track attendance.
Manage virtual appointments
For Virtual and Hybrid Office Hours blocks using 12twenty Video, advisers launch and manage the meeting from the queue management page.
- Select Call Next to call the student and begin the appointment.
- If you leave the virtual meeting and return to the queue management page, select Re-Join Call to return to the active appointment.
- Leaving the meeting or closing the browser does not complete the appointment.
- Select End Meeting to finish the active appointment.
- Selecting Call Next also ends the current meeting before starting the next appointment.
Remember: Use End Meeting to finish the final appointment still in progress, whether its queue entry is In-Person or Virtual.
Inactivate or reactivate a queue
Administrators and advisers can stop new students from joining a queue without ending the Office Hours block or removing students who are already waiting.
- Open the action menu on the queue management page.
- Select Inactivate Queue.
When a queue is inactivated:
- Students cannot join from the appointment block. The disabled button displays: This queue is currently at capacity.
- The queue is not shown as an available option on the Appointment Check-In Kiosk.
- Students already in the queue remain available to manage.
To allow students to join again, open the action menu and select Reactivate Queue.
FAQs:
Can students book an Office Hours queue in advance?
No. Office Hours blocks are for walk-in availability and cannot be booked in advance. Students can join the queue only while it is live.
Can an adviser call a student who is not first in line?
Yes. An assigned adviser can select Call Next for any waiting student. The remaining positions are recalculated automatically.
Can more than one adviser manage the same queue?
Yes. All advisers assigned to a multi-adviser Office Hours block can access its queue. Each assigned adviser can call and meet with a waiting student.
What happens if two advisers call the same student at the same time?
The first call proceeds. The second adviser sees a message that the student is already meeting with an adviser and should select another student.
Does leaving a 12twenty Video meeting end the appointment?
No. Use End Meeting to complete the active appointment, or select Call Next to end the current appointment and begin the next one.
What happens when the Office Hours block ends?
The queue closes automatically when the block reaches its scheduled end time.