Darton State College-[node:field-date:custom:Y]--Timely Interventions

High-impact Strategy:

Strategy 1: Transform Advising

Related Goal

Goal 2:  Increase the number of degrees that are earned “on time” (associate degrees in 2 years, bachelor’s degrees in 4 years) also contributes to Goals 1 & 6.

Summary of Activities

Strategy 1: The previous CCG report detailed the specific strategies of focus related to advising and faculty perception is now positive that the changes have been implemented. With this process in place, students begin classes on time and have quality advising that is much different from the last minute advising experienced during late registration. Changes to advising that were highlighted in the last CCG report are listed below:

• DSC has successfully implemented the new advising/registration process.
• Removed “Late Registration” day
• Changed “Pre-registration” to “Early Advising”
• Expanded the number of early advising days to 15 during the fall and spring semesters and 10 during the summer semester as compared to 5 days during each semester previously.
• Expanded communication to students about the importance of early advising via email, postcards, signs on campus, and electronic announcements via our myDC portal, D2L, and main website.
• Redefined the role of the Advisor

While the changes above are still being refined, the primary focus of advising changes during the 2014-2015 academic year was on the New Student Orientation Program, which allowed students to be advised and registered for classes on an earlier timeframe.

• DSC has successfully implemented its on-campus and online New Student Orientation Program. The institution was initially committed to requiring first-time, full-time students to attend one of the scheduled on-campus orientation or online orientation sessions before they register for courses, but the institution has not put the requirement in place at this time.

Baseline Status

Student GPA based on advising and registration timeframe Fall 2013

Results of Independent Samples t-tests and Descriptive Statistics for GPA During the Fall 2014 Semester by Timeframe Registered for Classes.

Student GPA based on advising and registration timeframe Fall 2014

N = Number of student

Statistical Analysis of Baseline Status

There are statistically significant differences, at the .001 level of significance, between college students who are advised and register early compared with those who register late with their semester grade point averages (GPAs). Statistically, there is little chance that the higher GPAs achieved by those who were advised and registered early were due to chance.  Results show that students who are advised and register early, earn a significantly higher GPA than those who are advised and registered later.

Measures of Success

The percentage of DSC students who are being advised and registering early has increased by nearly 15% since 2012

The mean GPA of those students and the positive difference from those who were advised and registered later has remained consistent.

Lessons Learned

With an obvious GPA advantage to those students who are advised and register early we will continue to push our students to take advantage of this option.

With the ability to identify and target a population of our students, those who register later, who are underperforming compared to their counterparts, we can look for other reasons that might be impacting this group of students and work to build services to assist them outside of early advising and registration.