Increase student understanding of guided learning pathways

Increase student understanding of guided learning pathways through advising structures (retention/STARFISH, orientation courses, career oriented courses)

1. Within the last 5 years, the University’s Office of Enrollment Management, and Office of Student Success and Retention (OSSR) applied for and was awarded a $100,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the implementation of Integrated Planning and Advising Services (IPAS) technology. The initiative is known on campus as Starfish. Additionally, Morgan, through OSSR, is serving as one of the six funded institutions to participate in an intense research cohort to be evaluated by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for effective implementation and integration of IPAS technology.  IPAS technology is enhancing advising and providing sophisticated, yet user friendly, tracking and monitoring systems for the University. 
   • The goals of Morgan’s IPAS implementation and adoption are: 1) to increase faculty triggered early alerts; 2) to increase students’ utilization of campus resources; 3) to provide seamless, transparent, and user friendly monitoring and tracking of students in high-risk cohorts; and 4) to provide one online resource where faculty, staff and students can access feedback and action plans for student success. 
   • The basic early alert workflow in Starfish is: 1) an instructor raises a flag; 2) the student immediately receives a personalized email notification and flag is displayed in the Starfish Tracking tab; 3) an Office of Student Success and Retention (OSSR) Retention Advisor reaches out to the student and makes comments on the flag in Starfish; 4) the student makes an appointment for services; 5) the advisor Closes/Resolves the flag and enters ‘close loop’ comments which are sent to the instructor.
2. Within the next several months, the University will implement DegreeWorks, a comprehensive, easy-to-use, web-based academic advising and degree audit tool that helps students and their advisors successfully navigate curriculum requirements. DegreeWorks is a SunGard product that is integrated with Banner information to provide powerful academic planning tools and real-time counseling capabilities, giving students meaningful and consistent direction and providing advisors and student records managers with up-to-date curriculum information. Faculty members are currently engaged in training for a spring 2016 implementation.
3. Starting off with student guided learning pathways.

Advising

1. First year advising structure/Starfish
2. Advising Structure of each of the departments/Retention Coordination Staff
3. Develop a compendium of what the current structures are as they have been changing.
4. Whether or not each department has a career-related course.

Teacher Education Social Work-Field Works Professional schools have a course but not sure about other schools/colleges. Need to be able to distinguish if it is a credit hour course or a workshop embedded in a course.