When something blocks you
Almost everything that stops you in UniMIS is one of six things, and they are quick to tell apart. Work down this page before raising a ticket — most of it you can settle yourself in under a minute.
What it is for
Diagnosing a block yourself, or describing it precisely enough for someone else to fix.
Who can do it
Everyone
Needed first
- Nothing
Where it ends
Either a solved problem or a ticket that can be acted on immediately.
The six causes, in order of likelihood
| # | Cause | Tell-tale | Where to go |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A filter, usually the term | The page opens fine and everything reads 0 |
Set the academic year and term and press Apply. Several screens open on a future, empty term |
| 2 | A window is closed | “Not open”, or an action that exists but is inert | Registration windows, application windows, examination periods, financial and inventory periods |
| 3 | Scope | The page works but the list is empty or shorter than expected | Your campus, faculty or department — Roles and what they unlock |
| 4 | A permission | A 403, or a button that is simply not there | Ask for the named permission, not for a role |
| 5 | A prerequisite is missing | An empty dropdown; a form that will not submit | Usually Foundation setup — ask “which campus, which term?” |
| 6 | It is somebody else's turn | Nothing has happened for days | Open the record; the approval chain names the step and the office |
Tell them apart in four questions
- Did the page open at all?
No, it refused → a permission (4).
It is not even on my menu → a role (4).
Yes → keep going. - Is it empty, or does it contain the wrong things?
Empty → check the filters (1) first, then scope (3).
A dropdown is empty → a prerequisite (5). - Can I act, or only look?
The button is missing → permission (4).
The button is there but does nothing → a window (2), or it is not your turn (6). - Has it been like this for days?
Yes → almost always (6): open the record and read the chain. Then check whether the role it names has anyone in it.
The two questions that solve most of these
Which campus? Which term? Ask them before anything else, of yourself and of whoever is reporting the problem. Between them they explain more blocked screens in this system than every other cause combined.
The specific ones worth knowing
| Where | What happens | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Examination Dashboard | Every tile reads zero | It opened on the latest term, which is empty. Set the term |
| Examination timetable | Looks empty | Defaults to the latest academic year |
| Registration windows | Correct dates, nothing happens | The window is still Draft |
| Timetable builder | Empty dropdowns | No teaching days or period grid for that campus and term |
| Student portal | Student number refused | The portal record was never activated by Registry |
| Lecturer portal | Refused with a password message | Often staff category, or an inactive account — not the password |
| Staff portal | Leave, Documents, Directory refuse | Those permissions are granted to nobody — see Staff portal |
| Communication | Nothing is delivered | Sending is disabled at service level — see Communication |
| Finance | An academic event raised no charge | Automatic billing from academic modules is off |
| Finance sidebar | Receivables / Payables / Budgeting refuse | Not in service yet |
| Accounting or Inventory | An entry refuses on its date | The period is closed |
| Clearance | Finance will not clear | Finance's answer is derived, not entered there |
| Online tests | Students cannot see the test | The paper is not Published |
| Examinations | Marks submitted but not visible | Approval and release are separate acts |
| Any wide table | Columns appear missing | The table scrolls sideways, not the page |
| Any sign-in | The page reloads with empty fields | A password manager filled the hidden trap field. Type it by hand |
Raising a ticket that gets fixed
Worked example
The difference between two reports of the same problem
| Unhelpful | “The exams page is broken, nothing is showing.” |
| Helpful | “Signed in as Exams Officer. Academics›Exams Dashboard. Set Academic year 2026/2027, term Sep-Dec 2026, pressed Apply. Eligible students still reads 0, but Semester Registration shows 3 registered for the same term. 29 Aug, about 10:15.” |
| Why | The second names the role, the path, the filters already tried, a contradicting source and a time the audit log can be searched on. It can be worked without a single follow-up question |
- Which account and role you were signed in as.
- The menu path, not just the page name.
- The filters you had set — especially campus and term.
- The exact message, and any permission name in it.
- What you expected instead.
- When, to the nearest few minutes.
- No screenshots containing other people's personal data.
Raise it through Helpdesk in the staff portal so it becomes a record rather than a conversation.