Deactivations

How to review and process requests to deactivate member accounts.

Deactivation is the process of removing a member's active status in fellos. When a member is deactivated, they lose the ability to log in and participate, but their history and records are preserved in the system. This is not the same as deleting a member — it's a reversible status change that keeps the audit trail intact.

As an admin, you'll encounter deactivation requests in your workflow queue. These may come from the member themselves (voluntary departure), from another admin (administrative removal), or as part of an organizational process (e.g., dues non-payment).

Why Members Get Deactivated

There are several common reasons for deactivation:

• Voluntary resignation — The member chooses to leave the organization and submits a deactivation request.
• Non-payment of dues — If your organization tracks dues, a member may be deactivated for failing to maintain their membership.
• Disciplinary action — In cases where a member has violated organizational rules, an admin may initiate deactivation.
• Extended inactivity — Some organizations deactivate members who haven't engaged for a prolonged period.
• Relocation — A member may leave if they move to an area without a local chapter.

Reviewing a Deactivation Request

When you open a deactivation request from the "Deactivations" queue in the sidebar, you'll see:

• Member details — The member's name, organization, member type, and join date.
• Requester — Who initiated the deactivation (the member or an admin).
• Reason — The stated reason for deactivation. This is a required field.
• Effective date — When the deactivation should take effect (immediately upon approval, or a future date).
• Message thread — Any additional context or discussion around the request.

Taking Action

Approve

When you approve a deactivation request, the following happens:

• The member's status changes from "Active" to "Inactive" on the specified effective date.
• The member can no longer log in to fellos.
• Their profile is hidden from the active member directory (but may still be searchable by admins).
• Any officer roles they hold are automatically removed.
• Their complete history — posts, comments, event attendance, workflow records — remains in the system.
• The member receives a notification about the deactivation (if email is still active).

Decline

Declining a deactivation request keeps the member active. This might happen if the deactivation was initiated by mistake, if the member changed their mind, or if the admin believes the situation can be resolved without deactivation. You'll be asked to provide a reason for the decline.

Admin-Initiated Deactivations

In addition to processing requests from members, you can also initiate a deactivation yourself:

1. Navigate to the member's profile.
2. Click Edit, then look for the Deactivate Member option (usually at the bottom of the edit form or in an actions menu).
3. Select a reason category and provide details in the reason field.
4. Choose the effective date.
5. Submit the request. Depending on your organization's configuration, the deactivation may take effect immediately or may require additional approval from a higher-level admin.

What Gets Preserved After Deactivation

Deactivation preserves all member data. Nothing is deleted:

• Profile information (name, contact details, custom fields)
• Membership history (type changes, transfers, org assignments)
• Activity history (posts, comments, event attendance)
• Workflow records (all requests they submitted or were part of)
• Officer role history
• Documents attached to any workflow requests

This preservation is important for organizational record-keeping and ensures that if a member ever returns, their history is intact.