The three rules

These three rules are load-bearing across every system in this handbook. Learn them once and the site makes sense.

Rule 1: Past, Current, Future decides where things show up

Every Destination and Schedule has a status: Past (hidden from the site but kept in the database), Current (shows in the "Current" sections), or Future (shows in the "Future" sections).

On a Destination this setting is called Destination Type. On a Schedule it is called Schedule Type. They work the same way.

Faculty Members have the same idea with different words. Their Faculty Status is Current (shows on the site) or Previous (hidden from the site but kept on file). See When someone leaves WCA.

This is why you never delete old content. Setting something to Past removes it from the site while keeping it saved, so nothing is lost and no connections break. Deleting is covered on Never do these.

Rule 2: Items find their page through three labels

A Destination or Schedule is not attached to an academy page by hand. It gets there through three dropdowns: Academy, Quarter, and Academic Year. Get all three right and it appears in the correct place automatically. This is the "address" from the mailbox idea.

Pairs must match

A Destination and its matching Schedule should always carry the same three labels and the same status. They are a pair. If the Kayak Q1 2026-2027 destination is Future, its schedule should be Future too. More on this on Destinations & Schedules.

Rule 3: The heading year is typed in separately

The year in a heading like "2026-2027 Destinations" is set on the Academy record itself, not pulled from the items below it. So after you move items to a new year, you must also update the heading year on the Academy. This is the single most commonly missed step.

The steps are here: Fix the year shown in a heading. It is also Step 5 of The year-end rollover.