Automated assignment rules can automatically assign and unassign learners based on the criteria you define. However, in some situations, learners may remain assigned even after they no longer meet the rule criteria. This article explains why this can occur and how to ensure automated assignments and unassignments behave as expected.
Why Some Users Remain Assigned
The Unassign when criteria are not met anymore option automatically removes learners who:
- Were assigned by the automated rule.
- Have not completed the course.
When you enable this option, an additional setting becomes available: Unassign learners who have completed the course. For Learning Path automated rules, this option appears as Unassign learners who have completed the learning path.
If you want learners who have completed their assigned training to also be unassigned after they no longer meet the rule criteria, select this checkbox.
Learners assigned through another enrollment method, such as a manager assignment or a bulk import, are not considered rule-based assignments. As a result, they are not automatically unassigned when they no longer meet the rule criteria.
For example, if you use a bulk import to update learner completion statuses, those learners are recorded as Assigned by Manager rather than Assigned by Rule. Because of this assignment source, they remain assigned even after they no longer meet the automated rule criteria.
Note: If a user self-enrolls in a course and later meets the conditions of an automated rule, they will fall under that rule’s logic. Therefore, if they eventually stop meeting the rule’s criteria, the system will automatically unassign them from the course.
Recommended Approach
If you want to update learner completion data while ensuring future automated assignments and unassignments follow your rule configuration, use the following workflow:
- Pause the automated assignment rules for the affected courses.
- Perform the bulk import to update learner completion data.
- Mass-unassign learners from the affected courses.
- Note: Unassigning learners does not remove their completion records or certificate history.
- Reactivate the automated assignment rules to reassign learners based on the configured rule criteria.
Why This Works
This process ensures learners are assigned through the automated rule instead of another enrollment source. Once learners are assigned by rule, future automated assignments and unassignments are managed according to the configured rule criteria.