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Success Strategies by Category are available from 2023
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College-2023-Implementation with Data Collection, Analysis, and Management (Data CAM): Career Data
Update Year:
2023
Learning Communities (University College) (Albany State University-2023)
Update Year:
2023
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Augusta University
Renamed by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia in September 2015, Augusta University is the home of the Medical College of Georgia. It is one of only four public comprehensive research institutions in the state of Georgia.
Augusta University Institutional Profile
Augusta University Campus Plan Update 2022
Section 1. Institutional Mission and Student Body Profile
Augusta University (AU) is Georgia’s designated health-sciences University and a dynamic, comprehensive research university offering more than 150 areas of study, across ten colleges through undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. AU provides a rich intellectual environment for students to become leaders, scholars, researchers, educators and clinicians as they seek to advance their field and impact their community. Among five strategic and three interwoven priorities, the new AU Strategic Plan is anchored by strategic priorities for Learning and Student Success. This commitment reflects AU’s efforts to be a student’s destination of choice for education, health care, discovery and innovation. Of course, the strategic goals developed through the new strategic plan will directly influence key priorities in our Momentum planning.
In 2021, more than 6,132 faculty and staff members served a student body of 5,496 undergraduate, 2,126 graduate, and 1,984 professional/post professional students enrolled in 10 schools or colleges. AU delivers 47 undergraduate majors, 51 undergraduate and graduate certificates, and 57 graduate and professional programs and is home to the state’s only public medical school and only dental school. Enrollment across all colleges within AU increased from Fall 2020 to Fall 2021, with Allied Health seeing the biggest gain at 3.8%.
Similar to fall 2020, the five most popular majors remained the same in fall 2021. In fall 2020,
the five most popular undergraduate majors (in order) were Business Administration, Biology, Nursing, Psychology, and Kinesiology. However, in fall 2021 AU observed changes in the order of major popularity. For fall 2021, the five most popular majors (in order) were Biology, Business Administration, Nursing, Kinesiology, Psychology. In fall 2022, the same majors remain the most popular with a slight shift in the order. Presently, the most popular majors (in order) are Biology, Business Administration, Psychology, Nursing, and Kinesiology.
Over the past several semesters we have seen enrollment growth in several programs. Between Fall 2020 and Fall 2021, AU experienced a 13% growth in Biology majors. Over the past two years, students enrolled in Cybersecurity continues to increase. In fall 2019 83 students were enrolled compared to 243 in fall 2021. From fall 2020 to fall 2021 Cybersecurity increased by 11.98%. Three of AU’s Allied Health programs experienced notable growth from fall 2020 to fall 2021 as well. Clinical and Laboratory Science increased from 20 students to 31 students (55%); Health, Society, and Policy increased from 16 students to 20 (25%); and Nuclear Medicine Technology increased from 21 to 24 students (14.29%).
(Source: AU Facts and Data Portal)
Last year’s undergraduate first-year fall to fall retention rate had decreased from the previous year. The full time fall 2020 to fall 2021 rate had fallen from 73.5% to 70.2%. Like many other institutions, this drop was likely associated with external factors from the pandemic such as financial strain on students and shifts in employment opportunities. However, this year’s retention rate has increased. The fall 2021 to fall 2022 rate has now increased to 72.8% (see table one). AU’s six-year graduation rate continues to increase as well (see table two).
Table 1 – Percent of First Time, Full Time Freshman Cohort Retained from Fall 1 to Fall 2
|
Fall 2015 |
Fall 2016 |
Fall 2017 |
Fall 2018 |
Fall 2019 |
Fall 2020 |
Fall 2021 |
Fall 2022 |
|
Fall 2014 Cohort |
Fall 2015 Cohort |
Fall 2016 Cohort |
Fall 2017 Cohort |
Fall 2018 Cohort |
Fall 2019 Cohort |
Fall 2020 Cohort |
Fall 2021 Cohort |
|
74.9% |
75.1% |
72.6% |
72.7% |
71.9% |
73.5% |
70.2% |
72.8 |
Table 2 – First Year, Full Time Freshman Six Year Undergraduate Degree Graduation Rates
|
AY 2013-14 |
AY 2014-15 |
AY 2015-16 |
AY 2016-17 |
AY 2017-18 |
AY 2018-19 |
AY 2019-20 |
AY 2020-2021 |
AY 2021-2022 |
|
|
Fall 2008 Cohort |
Fall 2009 Cohort |
Fall 2010 Cohort |
Fall 2011 Cohort |
Fall 2012 Cohort |
Fall 2013 Cohort |
Fall 2014 Cohort |
Fall 2015 Cohort |
Fall 2016 Cohort |
|
|
6 Year |
32.0% |
30.2% |
26.4% |
27.4% |
31.4% |
39.5% |
46% |
50.1% |
50.6% |
(Source: AU Facts and Data Portal)
Importantly, the fall 2021 undergraduate student population at Augusta University continues to be a highly diverse group of students, both demographically and academically. Most students were from the state of Georgia (89%) and were attending AU full time (79%).
AU student body is growing in diversity. Since 2020, AU has experienced a decline in the number of White students while the number of Black students has increased from 1,373 to 1,486. The number of Hispanic/Latino students has continued to increase from 451 in 2020 to 486 in 2021. (Source: AU Facts and Data Portal).
For peer institution comparative data, please visit https://www.augusta.edu/ie/facts/peers/php.
Section 2: Your student Success Inventory
What are your priority programs/projects/activities/initiatives related to student success?
Augusta University’s Momentum Framework implementation was paused during 2021 to accommodate development of our new AU Strategic Plan and the Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Plan. It is anticipated that integrating current Momentum activities with the new SEM retention strategies and tactics will increase awareness and impact to student success.
Update: The Augusta University Strategic Plan: Creating a Legacy Like No Other, and the Strategic Enrollment Management Plan (SEM) were each launched during the late summer of 2022.
For each of your priority student success activities, provide the information indicated below:
(AU Priorities selected from the 2021 USG Momentum/CCG Plan and Report)
|
Activity/Project Name |
Communication Planning |
|
Momentum Area |
☒Purpose ☒Pathways ☒Mindset ☒Change Management ☒Data & Communications |
|
Activity/Project Overview or Description (what this is?) |
Integrate Momentum Framework key concepts into programming and communications to support strong student engagement with all curricular and co-curricular opportunities. |
|
Activity/Project Activity Status (where is this in process? E.g., studying, initiating, piloting, scaling, maintaining, retiring, etc.) |
Initiating integration of the AU Strategic Plan (Student Success) and Strategic Enrollment Management Retention Plan messaging with a Student Success/Momentum Framework branding. |
|
Evaluation/Assessment plan (Key Performance Indicators, assessment plan, anticipated time period, reporting and review) |
Evaluation Plan and measures: Integrate Momentum Framework branding and logos into Strategic Enrollment Management Retention Planning to be used on undergraduate websites, social media, curricular and co-curricular collaterals. |
|
Baseline measure:
|
|
|
Goal or targets:
|
|
|
Time period/duration: December 2022 |
|
|
Progress and Adjustments |
AU had adopted language and logos utilizing the slogan “4 to Finish” to identify Momentum activities. The meaning of the slogan was to communicate four strategies, four habits of mind, that when embraced/adopted by faculty and students, support student success. However, possibly due to historical branding initiatives, the “4 to Finish” brand is consistently confused with the meaning for students to graduate within 4 years. An informal survey of faculty, staff, and students suggested this slogan be reconsidered. It has been decided to modify the Student Success/Momentum Framework branding and develop new plans to scale communications. |
|
Plan for the year ahead |
AU Momentum activities will be integrated into the Strategic Enrollment Management Retention Plan implementation. The new branding language will be used to integrate the Momentum Framework into practice as a cultural norm with faculty, staff and students. AU developed branded logos to foster awareness across the institution for the previous branding. Branding materials will be edited to build verbiage and visuals that communicate to the university (internally and externally) the integration of our goals and strategies to enhance academic success. Utilize branding and logos to generate examples and templates to be used in Curricular and Co-Curricular documents that indicate how a given activity or course addresses Engagement, Purpose, Pathways, Mindset etc. Additional plans include training to the campus community to reinforce the Momentum Framework philosophy for faculty, staff and students and give guidance for the proper use of branding on collateral materials |
|
What challenges will affect your ability to do this activity? |
Integration of Momentum Framework activities with the new AU Strategic Enrollment Management Retention Plan actions. Integration of the Student Success/Momentum Framework communications into our campus plans and language for AU Strategic Plan and Strategic Enrollment Management Retention Plan. Adoption by faculty and staff for new and changing student success priorities. |
|
Project Lead/point of contact |
Zach Kelehear, Vice Provost Instruction Stan Singleton, AVP Student Success Susan Davies, VP Enrollment & Student Affairs |
|
Activity/Project Name |
Faculty and Staff Outreach and Support |
|
Momentum Area |
☐Purpose ☐Pathways ☒Mindset ☒Change Management ☒Data & Communications |
|
Activity/Project Overview or Description (what this is?) |
To provide support services to faculty and staff engaged in student success activities |
|
Activity/Project Activity Status (where is this in process? E.g., studying, initiating, piloting, scaling, maintaining, retiring, etc.) |
Scaling to incorporate support programming to align with expanded student success initiatives |
|
Evaluation/Assessment plan (Key Performance Indicators, assessment plan, anticipated time period, reporting and review) |
Evaluation Plan and measures: |
|
Baseline measure: Attendance of faculty and staff at outreach opportunities |
|
|
Goal or targets: All academic support staff to attend at least one training opportunity |
|
|
Time period/duration: December 2022 |
|
|
Progress and Adjustments |
The Center for Instructional Innovation continues to support faculty across the University to develop interactive content and leverage technology to engage students and promote academic success. |
|
Plan for the year ahead |
Incentivize faculty to attend training that helps them utilize Student Success/Momentum Framework goals in their classes. Incentivize faculty to embrace student success engagement outside of the classroom |
|
What challenges will affect your ability to do this activity? |
Dedicated faculty or faculty time for faculty to attend learning activities Clarity and policy to inform faculty about how student success impacts their annual evaluation or tenure and promotion. |
|
Project Lead/point of contact |
Zach Kelehear, Vice Provost Instruction Stan Singleton, AVP Student Success Quentin Davis, CURS and AU Lead for USG HIPs Initiative |
|
Activity/Project Name |
Enhance High Impact Practices |
|
Momentum Area |
☒Purpose ☒Pathways ☒Mindset ☒Change Management ☐Data & Communications |
|
Activity/Project Overview or Description (what this is?) |
The AU High Impact Practices (HIP) Implementation Team participates in the USG process to support the statewide HIP goals as a critical element of our Momentum Approach. |
|
Activity/Project Activity Status (where is this in process? E.g., studying, initiating, piloting, scaling, maintaining, retiring, etc.) |
Initiating activities to support HIPs. |
|
Evaluation/Assessment plan (Key Performance Indicators, assessment plan, anticipated time period, reporting and review) |
Evaluation Plan and measures: Evaluation based on a finalized document defining HIPs at AU |
|
Baseline measure: Drafting the definitions and a website |
|
|
Goal or targets: Target –submitted to University Curriculum Committee for their feedback and support High achieving – Curriculum Committee and all units are in agreement and support of the document/plan |
|
|
Time period/duration: December 2022 |
|
|
Progress and Adjustments |
The primary HIPs currently underway at AU are Internships, Study Abroad/ Study Away, Capstones and Undergraduate Research. The HIPs implementation team has attended several statewide training sessions to learn about the processes that others are using and are generating a plan for the coming year. In addition, the QEP Curriculum and Advisory Committee is working to define “Experiential Learning” for AU. |
|
Plan for the year ahead |
AU will continue to broaden awareness of HIPs among faculty, increase the number of course sections with HIP attributes in our SIS system, and expand equitable access and participation in HIP programs. AU envisions that all students will have significant HIPs experience when coming to AU. To scale HIPs by using the current QEP committee and the HIPs Implementation Team, coordinate a course designation criteria for identifying and defining various HIPs. Offer a series of faculty development opportunities around HIPs pedagogy and possibly implement a High Impact Practice faculty development series. |
|
What challenges will affect your ability to do this activity? |
Faculty engagement with HIP attributes. Correctly identifying HIP courses in our SIS system. Paid faculty time to develop High Impact Practice teaching strategies and courses |
|
Project Lead/point of contact |
Zach Kelehear, Vice Provost Instruction Julia (Quentin) Davis, Dir Center for Undergraduate Research, Experiential Learning |
|
Activity/Project Name |
Student Success Management System Enhancement |
|
Momentum Area |
☐Purpose ☐Pathways ☐Mindset ☒Change Management ☒Data & Communications |
|
Activity/Project Overview or Description (what this is?) |
Expand the use of our SSMS platform to utilize key functionality for early alerts, predictive analytics and support a holistic approach to student support services |
|
Activity/Project Activity Status (where is this in process? E.g., studying, initiating, piloting, scaling, maintaining, retiring, etc.) |
Scaling to expand the use of the current AU SSMS platform |
|
Evaluation/Assessment plan (Key Performance Indicators, assessment plan, anticipated time period, reporting and review) |
Evaluation Plan and measures: |
|
Baseline measure: Current platform users 7 academic support units (various staff sizes) 3 Colleges 27 faculty in individual college departments |
|
|
Goal or targets: Increase faculty and staff participates in the platform to include all colleges, academic support units, and student affairs units Enroll all current undergraduate students in the use of the student-facing platform |
|
|
Time period/duration: Fall 2023 |
|
|
Progress and Adjustments |
Many recommendations from our Strategic Enrollment Management Plan assessment address the need for a more robust technology to track student progress and alert staff and faculty when a student may need support. Our SEM planning exercises confirmed the underutilization of our current Student Success Management System platform (EAB Navigate) and the necessary opportunity to support student success. |
|
Plan for the year ahead |
Implement the use of a consistent, campus-wide student success technology system by faculty and staff to foster collaboration and provide early intervention opportunities to address student retention and progression to graduation. Expand platform to more effectively utilize predictive analytics and to include the student-facing application. |
|
What challenges will affect your ability to do this activity? |
Adoption and utilization from faculty and staff to build consistency of usage to provide the most accurate data for analysis of student behaviors and progression. |
|
Project Lead/point of contact |
Zach Kelehear, Vice Provost Instruction Stan Singleton, AVP Student Success Abigail Drescher, Manager Student Retention |
1.2 Your Big Idea
For the 2021 Summit, you developed and implemented a Big Idea. What have you learned from your Big Idea? What evidence or indicators do you have? What are your plans to continue or adjust it?
In 2021 AU connected the USG Momentum Approach concepts to both our recruiting and retention strategies as a way to help build bridges at critical junctures and transitions of the educational journey for our students. AU continues to focus our energies on four key transition points on the student journey:
- High School to college
- General education to major
- Undergraduate to graduate and professional schools
- College to career
For maximum results, and to nudge the Retention/Progression/Graduation (RPG) needle, AU built conceptual bridges across the academic journey to help students from the time of recruitment to graduation and employment.
AU’s Big Idea from the USG Momentum Summit IV was to create a concierge service in a single location that provides information and intentional connections to students at key transition points along their academic journey. AU found it difficult to identify a single location to accommodate all student support services. However, a reflection of our commitment to building substantial bridges for key transition moments, is our increased commitment to the First and Second Year Experience (FYE) Office in which many concierge services are now being provided within a central location where students can receive “just in time” answers to questions about the first two bridge transition points.
What we have learned in the past year through our review and assessments in the AU Strategic Plan and Strategic Enrollment Management Planning is that the single location may not be the priority for students. Rather, providing stronger interdisciplinary, holistic support for both academic, and non-academic student services may be much more aligned with student expectations than providing a specific location.
To continue this idea, AU will initiate an embedded concierge philosophy to implement an interdisciplinary academic support model aligned to four student focus areas (meta major) programs of study to address current gaps and improve student retention and progression to graduation.
AU has also initiated plans to expand our Academic Support Center and Writing Center and to co-locate a one-stop information location on our Health Sciences campus where students can visit to learn more about the Honors Program, Center for Undergraduate Research, Study Abroad and other experiential learning opportunities.
Update: Since the submission of the Momentum Update Report in spring 2022, AU has introduced and begun the implementation phases for both the Strategic Plan and the Strategic Enrollment Management Plan (SEM). In the past few months, AU has accomplished the following:
AU has created a new umbrella unit, Innovation in Student Success and Engagement (ISSE). This unit is responsible for the oversight of the Academic Advisement Center, Academic Success Center, Career Services, Health Professions Outreach. The unit is led by Dr. Stanley D. Singleton, Assistant Vice President for Student Success.
The creation of this unit allows for the establishment of an infrastructure that will be conducive for accommodating the transition from decentralized undergraduate academic advisement (current model) to a centralized model. The restructuring of the ISSE subordinate units was done to align with the Career Academic and Professional Engagement (CAPE) Cluster Model (or meta majors as defined in the 2022 Momentum Plan). The CAPE Cluster model provides interdisciplinary academic support in three meta major categories: 1) Science and Mathematics; 2) Business, Cyber and Computing, and Education; and 3) Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. Other important steps that have been taken are listed below:
- Created three (3) CAPE Director positions for each respective cluster:
- Director for Science and Mathematics CAPE Cluster: Amanda Boland.
- Director of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences CAPE Cluster: Veronica Williams.
- Director of Business, Computer Sciences, and Education CAPE Cluster: Julie Goley.
- Created three (3) Academic Advisement Center Assistant Directors to align with the CAPE Clusters (currently in the search and selection process).
- Created an Assistant Director for the Academic Success Center (currently in the search and selection process).
- Created an Assistant Director for Career Services (currently in the search and selection process).
- Revised of current Academic Advisor position/job description to reflect transition into an Academic and Career Advising hybrid position.
- Submitted space allocation proposal for new hires and existing employees to the AU Space Management Advisory Committee (SMAC) for review (decisions pending).
- Established ISSE leadership team (including all department heads), Office Coordinator, and Retention Manager.
- Introduced new concierge philosophy CAPE Cluster model for feedback to campus stakeholders such as, The Provost’s Operation Management Team, The Provost Cabinet, Human Resources, All Associate Deans (two meetings), All Department Chairs, Academic (Innovation and Instruction) Division Directors, Deans and College faculty, Student Advisory Board, and Enrollment and Student Affairs Directors.
1.3 Global Momentum Work
In reflecting on your work above, what units on campus would have the opportunity to be more engaged in your Momentum Work? If so, in what ways and in what areas?
New initiatives arising from the new AU Strategic Plan and Strategic Enrollment Management Retention Plan will provide the opportunity for additional units to be involved in student success. Implementation of a new Course Scheduling Policy will provide additional engagement opportunities for:
- Facilities and campus services to provide additional student access (transportation, dining, etc.)
- Alumni as career mentors
- Graduate students as peer mentors toward student success
- Community members as partners for internships, co-ops, and experiential learning opportunities.
