Graduation Specialists: Overcoming Graduation Barriers Brittney Swanson M.S. California State University, Fullerton

of First-Time- Freshman are NOT graduating within 6 years 41% of First-Time- Freshman are NOT graduating within 6 years

Who makes up the 41%? California State University, Fullerton reviewed all students who applied to graduate May 2009 1 in 5 students who had applied for the May graduation date did NOT successfully earn a degree Many were not aware they did not complete all degree requirements

DEFERRAL A notice sent to students who have not satisfied all degree requirements Indicates which requirements remain Sent by Graduation Unit Evaluators – Not Advisors

FRUSTRATION SHAME EMBARRASSMENT

Who can help these students? Are deferrals preventable? By preventing deferrals can graduation rates be improved?

Graduation Specialist & Live Graduation Check Workshops The PILOT Project: Graduation Specialist & Live Graduation Check Workshops

Live Grad Check Workshops Enhances the typical grad check process In person All Graduation requirements are reviewed using the Titan Degree Audit These workshops are a one-stop-shop format where students would come in with their titan degree audits and all of their graduation requirements would be reviewed PRIOR to their final semester. This included GE, major, minors, electives, units, GPAs and any other issues that would prevent students from graduating. Each session was an hour in length Education and Accountability: 25 minute interactive presentation on General Education and Graduation Requirements, overall units, and the importance of a Liberal Education. Advising Support: 35 minutes of individual advising by HSS Graduation Specialist and a major advisor multiple dates available after they have selected a graduation date By the end they know exactly what they need for their final semester, and understand the graduation process.

27% 4% 1% Overall Increase to CSUF Graduation rate Overall increase to H&SS Graduation Rate 1% Overall Increase to CSUF Graduation rate 27% During the first year this intervention was rolled out 27% of the students who attended were NOT on track to complete their remaining graduation requirements by the term they selected. The Graduation Specialist was successfully able to intervene with these students (adding courses, changing grad dates to a more appropriate term, etc...) These students increased the CSUF graduation rate by 1% and the H&SS college graduation rate by 4%

GRADUATION SPECIALISTS Highly trained and specialized advisors who work closely with Juniors and Seniors to identify any patterns or factors that may contribute to deficient graduation requirements. Each Graduation Specialist has extensive knowledge on the specific degree requirements within their college Funded by the Student Success Initiative

Core Responsibilities Performs academic advising duties as determined by the college. Acts as a liaison between the students, Graduation Unit, Academic Advisement, major departments, Records, and the Titan Degree Audit department. Conducts ongoing analysis of deferred graduation data to identify common trends and errors resulting in failure to graduate. Receives correspondence and responds with multiple solutions to students inquiring about University Petitions. Works with IRAS to collect and analyze data on time to degree issues. Collects and analyzes graduation deferral data and conducts regular presentation of data to colleges and departments. Researches and reports findings related to student satisfaction and graduation rates. Creates, implements, and assesses programs specifically designed to facilitate graduation – based on student need and institutional demand. Serves as in-house resource for students needing TDA/Grad Check updates and amendments. Educates graduating seniors on the Title V, EO, and UPS as they pertain to the university graduation requirements, and provides accurate information regarding the university petition process.

Strong collaborative relationships across campus: Major/Minor Department The Deans Office Admissions and Records Titan Degree Audit Unit Graduation Unit Academic Advisement Center

Preventative Actions to ensure Graduation Success: Live Grad Check Workshops One-on-One student appointments Drive-Thru/Pop-Up Advising Sessions Mandatory University Advisement Titan Degree Audit review – eAdvising (TAN)

Student Advising Learning Objectives: The Graduation Specialist aims to educate each student on their remaining requirements and provide appropriate interventions. Doing so, each student will be able to: Clearly interpret the TDA and articulate their remaining Graduation Requirements Make informed decisions about their course choices based on CSUF requirements Thoroughly review the TDA for any mistakes and take action to rectify any inaccuracies Avoid a Graduation Deferral by initiating the postponement of graduation or successfully completing courses on time to graduate. Calculate their minimum number of units remaining for graduation Work collaboratively with their support team to solve any challenges pertaining to graduating Articulate the value of their HSS degree The SALO’s are consistent through the all of the interventions

One-on-One student appointments Allows students to meet individually with the Graduation Specialist Can review unique barriers to graduation In person, over the phone, or through Skype to best accommodate student needs

eAdvising: Using the Titan Advisors Network

Drive-Thru/Pop-Up Advising Sessions Collaboration between H&SS and Career Center Quick 10 minute advising session Graduation Specialist thoroughly reviews TDA Career Specialist discusses next steps in preparing for post-graduate life Held during the first week of the semester Targeted for students “graduating” that term During this quick 10 minute session you will receive all the information you need to graduate from California State University, Fullerton with confidence.   The one-stop-shop format will provide you with the opportunity to carefully examine your remaining graduation requirements and discuss your next steps after graduation. Your Titan Degree Audit will be thoroughly reviewed with Brittney Hofer, the Graduation Specialist. This check will ensure you are enrolled in the CORRECT courses and that all General Education and major requirements will be fulfilled, that you will have enough units to graduate, and that there are no errors on your TDA. You will also meet with Marisa Perez-Amorde, the H&SS Career Specialist, to discuss your next steps in preparing for post-graduate life. Expect to receive tips and guidance on how to maximize on your final semester to enter this next phase confidently. You will be referred to additional resources and services in the Career Center to help you prepare for this transition. These sessions are great for students who want a quick check up. Plus they get to learn about the career center resources before they graduation, giving them a leg up on the job hunt or graduate school applications.

Results: No matter the support method (Grad Check workshop, individual meeting, Drive-Thru advising, eAdvising) the results are the same About 1/5 of students are not on track to graduate in the term selected For the interventions that focus on seniors prior to their final term the results are the same.

Common Graduation Deficiencies: Insufficient overall units (lacking the minimum 120) Missing General Education Missing major or minor Transfer course errors on the Titan Degree Audit

Common Solutions: Enroll in another CSUF course Department level 499 if later in the semester Petition for excess units Take a transferable course at a community college Extend Graduation date to a more appropriate term TDA Exception for major or minor Submit Transcripts or AP Scores

Less Common Solutions: University Petitions General Education Variation Petitions Dropping a double major or minor Department Petition to Executive Senate

Results: 536 students applied for the Fall 2014 graduation date 1567 students applied for the May 2015 graduation date

Results: H&SS Graduation Rates 1% increase Fall 2014 2.3% increase Spring 2015 Overall CSUF Graduation Rates 15% increase Fall 2014 12% increase Spring 2015 H&SS Graduation Rates The College of Humanities and Social Sciences had 1632 Spring 2015 graduation candidates . Overall, 340 graduation deferrals were prevented due to interventions that occurred. Of which, an intervention successfully put 151 students back on track to graduate successfully on May 22, 2015. Another 189 students extended their graduation dates to a later term. 340 H&SS students supported by the Graduation Specialist avoided a Graduation Deferral Notice*. Additionally, of the 1,258 H&SS degrees successfully conferred for Spring 2015, 151 of these graduates would not have earned their degree if they had not received immediate intervention by their Graduation Specialist. These 151 students made the following impact on CSUF

Another University Initiative Mandatory University Advising Workshops Another preventative approach focused on our Juniors

Mandatory University Advisement Workshops Students who have earned 75-84 units are required to attend Workshop covers: The process of applying for graduation: the how to, the when to, and for which term General Education requirements Unit totals GPAs Repeat courses Common reasons students don’t graduate The Value of a Liberal Education Campus resources Pre-emptive advising that occurs in the Fall semester for students who have earned between 75-84 units. All students in this unit range have a registration hold placed on their account At the workshop, your University Advisement Team will review the following: your overall degree progress according to your current Titan Degree Audit, Deferral vs. Diploma, Commencement vs. Graduation, Applying for Graduation, preparing for graduate school and/or careers in your field, and misconceptions that may prevent you from graduating in a timely manner.    Attendance at this mandatory workshop will remove the University Advising Hold that will appear in the Student Center of your CSUF Student Portal. Please note, however, that attendance at one of these workshops does not clear any other major department advising holds.  No major information is covered because the workshops are only college specific, not major specific. The goal is to get students information about graduation prior to senior year so they can apply for graduation with confidence

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Graduation Specialists A sustainable position that works to: Optimize a student’s progression towards degree Increase Graduation Rates Decrease Graduation Deferrals Strengthening Alumni Relations Eliminates the potential to compromise the CSUF image within the community Equips students with knowledge of their remaining requirements, PRIOR to registering for their final semester, through integrated advising Creates campus wide collaboration

Thank you!!!