1. MAPPING THE PATH TO COMPLETION
HOW MOHAVE COMMUNITY COLLEGE USES MILESTONE ADVISING TO INCREASE RETENTION AND GRADUATION RATES AND PROMOTE TRANSFER PLANS
Amber Johnson
AZTransfer Summit 2019

2. Icebreaker
What are your goals now? What is your plan to achieve those goals? Do you have anyone you can talk to that can help you either develop your plan, or will encourage you at those critical moments where that motivation makes all the difference?
Now put yourself in your students’ shoes. Do they have anyone who can help them not only define their goals, but also create a clear plan to achieve them?
They have YOU.

3. Background

4. Who we are
Mohave Community College is a comprehensive community college located in Mohave County, north western Arizona.
We have 4 campus, located in Kingman, Bullhead City Lake Havasu City and Colorado City, Arizona.
MCC serves more than 6,000 students across Mohave County and neighboring counties in California, Nevada and Utah.

5. Our students
In 2014 the Kingman-Lake Havasu area was noted as being the least educated city/metropolitan area in the United States, with only 11.3% of the adult population holding a bachelor’s degree or higher. ( cities/4/)
Most students are first generation students – do not have support or guidance at home when navigating higher education

6. Identifying the need
Financial aid was looking at ways to bring down our cohort default rate
Course scheduling issues for many students nearing the end of their programs
Students unable to graduate in their desired timeframe
Students would come in their last semester or after graduation for transfer information, and would have to come back for additional classes needed for transfer program

7. Address any concerns about classes, transferring, and financial aid
Designing the goal
Milestone Advising
Intrusive advising – get a change to know the whole student and make sure they are on track for graduation
Address any concerns about classes, transferring, and financial aid
Prepare students for post-graduation plans, either preparing for the workforce or transferring

8. How does your college address similar needs or goals?
Think, Pair, Share
Pair up with someone from a different institution that has similar demographics (rural, urban)
How does your college address similar needs or goals?

9. Students are Identified
Every semester we run a report that includes all students who are 50%-75% completed towards their degree
Students are Identified
Advisors review list and remove students who may not need it at this time (i.e., declared both a certificate and a degree and 50% done with certificate)
Review initial list
A hold (called “reminder”) is placed on the students’ accounts
We call and send out s to all students to schedule their appointment
Contacting students
Students are not able to register for their next semester until they meet with an advisor
Accountability
Identifying students

10. Our success
We have been doing the milestone advising for around 5 years now, and our completion rate has been over 90% for the last few years
Students have given positive feedback on these appointments – they find it a valuable use of their time with important information

11. Our milestone advising

12. Student Success & Future Plans
What’s covered
Degree Audits
Financial Aid
Student Success & Future Plans
Degree Mapping

13. Degree audit Verify correct degree is declared
Verify catalog year and meets ongoing enrollment
Review advising worksheet/degree requirements and everything is showing up correctly in our system

14. Financial aid Review SAP and MTF, discuss appeals if needed
Review student loan balance with NSLDS and discuss Exit Counseling
Discuss scholarships for transfer program that may be available

15. Student well-being A place to have a discussion with the student
Ask about concerns with current or future classes
Discuss satisfaction with program experience
Review time management and workload expectations

16. Future plans
Discuss plans with student after they complete their program at MCC
Review transfer program – ASU’s TAG, MCC2NAU, UofA Bridge
Career or job search advising, can provide referrals to Goodwill career Center or other agencies depending on student’s interests and goals

17. Degree mapping Create a degree plan for classes remaining to graduate
Review any specific classes that are fall or spring only and any specific course pathways or sequences that need to be completed in order
For students applying to other programs, discuss admissions process, testing, other requirements, as well as transfer options after program
-VA students and making sure at least one class is on campus each semester

18. What’s next?

19. Continuous improvement
This semester we are integrating this appointment and adding information about the Arizona Career Readiness Credential and offering the 7 different classes for free to all our milestone students to better prepare them for transitioning to the workplace after graduation
Looking at ways to streamline the process and create a more interactive process that will utilize our systems and LMS so students can access this information any time convenient for them and still get the personalized time with an advisor
Offer advising virtually through phone, and video chat for students who are not able to come in to campus

20. Building off our success: other intrusive advising initiatives
Added a Successful Start initiative for first semester students modeled off of the success of our Milestone advising
Incorporating the guided pathways built by our program faculty
Frequent training on transfer partnerships and programs for advisors

21. Questions ?

22. Amber Johnson Academic Advisor, Mohave Community College