General Academic Programs Update for Advisor Briefing Day Kriss H. Boyd, Ph.D. Executive Director General Academic Programs Texas A&M University Russ T. Graves, Ph.D. Director, Blinn TEAM Program General Academic Programs Texas A&M University

General Academic Programs General Studies major Texas A&M Blinn TEAM Program TAMUG to TAMU Change of Curriculum Aggie Gateway to Success FOCUS Learning Community

GEST Spring Fall 2013 The only freshmen that will be admitted to GEST will be in Gateway. No transfers will be admitted. Students will be able to change majors to GEST for the second semester. We will meet with students this fall and enter the change of major for spring once they submit an online request.

If students do not submit an online request after they meet with a GEST advisor, they will not be posted as GEST. Students must identify a realistic major and list the course/GPA requirements for the major on the online form. If there are special circumstances and you want to support a student, please let me know. GEST Spring Fall 2013

Students will only be guaranteed one semester in GEST. The most important issue is whether a student can get to a desired major in one or two semesters. There will not be an absolute maximum hour limit for GEST, but it will be rare for us to approve juniors. GEST Spring Fall 2013

TAMU-Blinn TEAM Program

TEAM students enter colleges/departments in three ways: 1.Transfer Admission 2.Change of Curriculum Following Completion of TEAM Automatic Admission Criteria (2 year program, but can be completed early) 15 A&M hrs/3.0 GPA, 45 Blinn hrs/3.0 GPA 3.Readmission TAMU-Blinn TEAM Program

TEAM students are anxious to earn full admission –Identify TEAM applicants by “ADTB” code on Transfer Tracking Report or look for A&M course work in Howdy TEAM students approved for transfer are continuing students who can register at their assigned preregistration start times –TEAM students admitted by transfer are not required to attend a TSC Students can be blocked and required to attend a TSC College Meeting Admissions will change admit status/major –Changing admission status does not update all Compass screens –If major is still TEAM, confirm admission on SAAACKL and change major/max hours (from 5 to 19) on SZAREGS TEAM Transfer Admission

Upon completion of TEAM, students are no longer able to enter GEST –Will approach departments seeking C/C –Departments with closed application windows: Be aware TEAM students were not eligible to apply for C/C during the semester Flexibility of your deadlines will help reduce closet majors Please do not accept ineligible students via C/C –Freshmen are not eligible –Sophomores who did complete TEAM criteria are not eligible Will have hold prompting advisors to check eligibility with GAP Mays Business School has worked with GAP to establish customized criteria for TEAM C/C –GAP welcomes discussions with departments to create such agreements TEAM Change of Curriculum (C/C)

Students who do not matriculate via Transfer or TEAM completion may be able to qualify for Readmission –Historically 16-17% of TEAM students have gained Readmission GEST no longer readmits students; students will contact you! To qualify for Readmission, TEAM 2-year contract must have expired and student must: –Miss at least one regular semester at A&M –Meet college/department Readmission criteria TEAM Readmission

TAMUG Change of Curriculum (C/C)

GAP was appointed to coordinate TAMUG-to-TAMU C/C process in the ’90s –Logical decision Needed to be outside Office of Admissions –(TAMUG students are already Aggies) Majority of students C/Cd into General Studies –GAP was tasked with enforcement of university campus transition policy in support of: TAMUG retention efforts TAMU enrollment management objectives Fair standards

Since 1998: –Number of Fall C/C requests has grown from 30 to 300+ –20+ departments developed their own C/C processes No standardization of application, GPA, deadline, etc. Some students have circumvented GAP oversight and applied directly to departments –Incidents of departments accepting students without awareness or regard for the university policy New C/C Policy effective immediately –Decentralized, GAP no longer involved –Students will contact departments directly TAMUG Change of Curriculum (C/C)

TAMUG Students must: –Complete a minimum of 27 TAMUG (not total) credit hours with a minimum 2.5 GPA while enrolled as a student in residence on the TAMUG campus Must have 2.5 GPA even if the department’s required GPA is <2.5 Longitudinal data analysis of TAMUG transitions revealed a median term GPA drop of.5 during first semester at TAMU –Be responsible for learning the department’s specific C/C requirements (application deadlines, prerequisite courses, etc.) –Submit C/C request or application in accordance with departmental policies TAMUG Change of Curriculum (C/C)

Advisors should be aware that: –Attendance at a mandatory departmental change of major meeting is a hardship for TAMUG students Involves 6-hour round trip in mid-week, missing class, heavy traffic, etc. Some application deadlines and change of major meetings had already occurred before TAMUG students were notified of this new policy –Applications not available online present the same hardships –TAMUG students are accustomed to a relaxed, small campus environment and tend to show up at advising offices without appointments –You should identify & track TAMUG applicants Agencies on both campuses will want to know which students are in transition –Proactive campus recruiting visits to TAMUG have produced results for several departments TAMUG Change of Curriculum (C/C)

When changing a TAMUG student’s major an advisor should: –Change the major in SZAREGS –Change the catalog term in SZAREGS Change from TAMUG to TAMU term (i.e., change to ) –Change Site Code in SGASTDN from “GV” to “CS” –Notify the Registration Office ( ) for a Registration Time Ticket update –Notify CIS* –Notify Transportation/parking* –Notify Housing* *Students can’t buy parking permits, apply for on-campus housing, etc., if they are not coded as TAMU students by these agencies. It’s possible that scripts may be created to update these agencies’ reports. TAMUG Change of Curriculum (C/C)

Questions General Academic Programs Update

GAP Numbers Overall numbers reduced Fall accessions: TEAM outnumber GEST Spring accessions: Large number of changes of major anticipated