College Action Project Worksheet UPDATE

DUE:September 1, 2012CAP # 1.1.1

Directions:UPDATE this worksheet (electronic) for each College Action Project. Email to Donna at

  1. Give a short identifying title (under 10 words) to this Action Project. (NOTE: Consider changing the title to directly relate to student success)

Implement strategies to increase the number of students who graduate.

  1. Project Champion:Diane Patrick
  1. CAP Team Members:

Working Team: Lakisha Beck, John Cowles, Diane Patrick, Amy Koning, Mike Vargo, Bryan Vliem

Guiding Team: Faculty DH/PD

  1. Describe the purpose of this project including a description of the associated activities. (100 words or fewer)

The primary purpose of this project is to implement strategies to increase the number of graduates.

Completion of this project will improve students’ graduation rates and allow for seamless transfer to four year institutions and work.

Pursued strategies would include developing the implementation of software, communication tools and training needs to assist students in the graduation process. These processes would assist students by informing them about courses and processes needed to graduate and increase the use of academic advisement tools such as DegreeWorks to review their student records and identify course needs to guide them to graduation.

  1. Describe the goals of this Action Project (in 100 words or fewer)

The goals of this CAP include increasing the number of student graduating and to review, revise and create new processes, policies, procedures and communicationsystems designed to assist students through the graduation process.

  1. Attach summaries of data collected to date. What is this data telling us?

RESULTS

Process: Number of degrees and certificates awarded

Fall 2010 / Winter 2011 / Summer 2011 / Fall 2011 / Winter 2012 / Summer 2012
AA w/ MACRAO / 346 / 485 / 282 / 307 / 350 / 179
AAAS / 117 / 201 / 112 / 122 / 175 / 89
AB / 55 / 61 / 24 / 50 / 71 / 34
AFA / 3 / 5 / 0 / 0 / 10 / 0
AGS / 7 / 14 / 10 / 10 / 14 / 7
AM / 1 / 5 / 1 / 2 / 8 / 1
AN / 33 / 31 / 29 / 22 / 26 / 33
AS / 7 / 2 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0
AS w/ MACRAO / 19 / 46 / 31 / 25 / 49 / 8
Certificate / 66 / 59 / 51 / 46 / 36 / 31
Total / 654 / 909 / 540 / 584 / 740 / 382

*data retrieved from PeopleSoft on 9/12/2012

As you can see, the total number of degrees/certificates awarded for the 2010-2011 academic year was 2,103 compared to 1,706 for the 2011-2012 academic year. The question that we are faced with is what is the cause? One possible contributor to the issue is the fact that there is very little promotion of the value of earning a degree or communication with students that may be eligible to receive a degree.

  1. What additional resources will be required to develop and/or sustain the project?

Category / Cost / Explanation(one time or recurring) / Which budget will cover these costs?
Supplies / $1500.00 / This recurring cost will support marketing/advertising of graduation to the current GRCC students as well as to prospective GRCC students.
There will be an increased cost of transcript and certificate paper, diploma printing, diploma covers an overall increase in mailing and printing costs
Training
Equipment
Personnel
TOTAL Cost
Estimate / $1500.00
  1. Will this project require any additional budget dollars for the 2012-2013 academic year that have not already been secured? _NO X Yes

If yes, please describe briefly:

Additional budget dollars are necessary to market/advertise graduation and to support the general cost of the graduation process as stated above.

  1. Is this project dependent on or related to any other college action project? (Please explain)

Yes, CAP 1.1.3 is related to the follow CAPS:

CAP 1.1.3

Project Purpose: The primary purpose of this project is to increase the number of transfer opportunities for students seeking seamless transitions from GRCC to their preferred four-year institutions. The project will create a process for the College to complete an inventory of the existence and currency of transfer agreements and then determine what revisions are necessary. Additionally, the College will develop a priority list of desired transfer agreements and then create a process for collaborating with universities with whom we seek to procure transfer agreements.

Relationship: Increasing the number of transfer and articulation agreements will help provide students with seamless transition to their preferred four year institution.

CAP 6.2.2

Project Purpose: Develop new certificate programs that meet industry needs.

Identify current certificate programs and why students are not enrolling or completing these certificate programs. Identify barriers and recommend actions regarding tracking, recruitment, completion to overcome barriers. Recommend process to inform faculty/department of new “in-demand” credentials that might be incorporated into current or new programs.

Relationship: This CAP is directly related to completion/graduation for students. This is a direct relationship to CAP 1.1.1.

  1. Project Worksheet and Timeline (Table to include both work already accomplished and work scheduled)It should be noted that this CAP 1.1.1 was originally created to “Implement the General Education Certificate (MACRAO Certificate/Endorsement) Below reflect that action.

  1. Task
/ Assigned to: / Date Due / Actions to Date / Date Completed
Created PowerPoint on subject / Diane Patrick / Revised/created July 2011 / Completed needs to be presented and reviewed by new team members and for possible further revisions / July 2011
Benchmark with area Community Colleges regarding certificate. / Diane Patrick / August 2011 / Queried CC Registrars at the June Michigan Community College Registrar’s meeting.
Listserv of membership information.
Specific inquires to Registrars at Jackson and Delta CC. / August 2011
Invite New Team members / Diane Patrick / End of August 2011 / Send invitations and project explanation and ask for acceptance. / September 2011
Set first meeting date and set future dates and develop project work plan. / Diane Patrick / First of September / Send appointments
Deans meeting presentation / Diane Patrick / Present PowerPoint information and ask for input
SLT presentation / Diane Patrick / September 2011 / Present outline of project to SLT
Work on Guidance Team membership / Work Team / September / Set meeting to give overview to designated Guidance Team
Guidance Team meeting / Work Team / October / Present and receive input from Guidance Team on project
Development of communication team and plan for project to students, faculty, staff and external community / Work Team / October 2011 / Work team to set a communication plan
Identify key performance outcomes and set up in PeopleSoft / Work Team / November 2011 / Work team to set up performance outcome and how to measure plan of action.
Implementation Date / Work Team / November/Dec. 2011 / Determine possible implementation date for a ‘soft’ roll out. Decided not ready to roll out.
Tie in processes with implementation of DegreeWorks and revision of the new graduation process and set up software with assistance of IT. / DegreeWorks implementation team / January-September
Original CAP 1.1.1 – eliminated / AGC Exec. / June / MACRAO Cert. moved to AGC for discussion
CAP 1.1.1 changed and broadened / Donna Kragt/Diane Patrick / July / Changed to, ‘Implement strategies to increase the number of graduates.
Present proposed changes and get feedback and input on new design from students and staff (Oct./Dec)
Create a communicate plan to inform students, faculty and staff and conduct need training sessions if needed (Jan./March.)
Implement for Winter '13 semester to include with the new Apply to Graduate Form, processes and communication strategies. (March/May)

NOTES:

This CAP was revised this year from the way the CAP was established and implemented last year. In June of this year I was informed by the Provost, “that AGC Exec met and decided to schedule the discussion and policy presentation to grant the degrees to students that meet all graduation requirements without them having to apply for graduation. As part of the discussion we decided that this issue could merge with the Macrao Certificate that you have been leading and as combined issues being brought up to AGC this coming year.” It was then decided because of this change to broaden this CAP to this year’s currentCAP goalto “Implement strategies to increase the number of students who graduate.”

SLT – July 2012