GRADUATION SPECIALISTS HELPING STUDENTS OVERCOME BARRIERS TO GRADUATION

GRADUATION SPECIALISTS: HELPING STUDENTS OVERCOME BARRIERS TO GRADUATION Brittney Swanson M. S. bcswanson@fullerton. edu

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FULLERTON • Over 38, 000 students • Hispanic Serving Institution • 8 Colleges • plus a satellite campus in Irvine, California • 55 undergraduate degree programs offered – With an additional 20+ concentrations

DUAL ADVISEMENT STRUCTURE Graduation Requirements Academic Advisement Center General Education Advisement Unit &GPA Requirements Major Exploration Student Support Professional - Staff Major Advisor Major & Minor Requirements Career and Internship Exploration Faculty Graduate School Information

Grad Check Process: 1. Apply online OFFICIAL GRADUATION CHECK: 2. Pay the grad check fee 3. Wait for approval from major advisor 4. Complete “remaining requirements” 5. Wait for degree to be awarded Very Little Mandatory Advisement Required to complete Grad Check

So what did this lead to?

2009: • 1 in 5 students who had applied for the May graduation date did NOT successfully earn a degree

Degree Awarding Process Graduation Unit Reviews Titan Degree Audits a Deferral Degree

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

COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES • Over 20 departments and majors • Over 7500 students • ~2400 seniors

THE PILOT PROJECT: Development of Graduation Specialist Position & Live Graduation Check Workshops

LIVE GRAD CHECK WORKSHOPS Reviewed: • Students Titan Degree Audit • General Education requirements • Overall units • GPA requirements • Major requirements • Grad check process • Graduation and Commencement • Career Center resources • Prepping for Graduate School

27% 1% 4% Overall Increase to CSUF Graduation rate Overall increase to H&SS Graduation Rate

GRADUATION SPECIALISTS: • Funded by Student Success Initiative • Each advisor highly trained for each college they serve • Focus on Juniors and Seniors • Goals: • Identify Patterns of contributing factors to graduation deficiencies • Preemptively prevent graduation deferrals semesters in advance!

STRONG COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS ACROSS CAMPUS:

PREVENTATIVE ACTIONS: 1. Live Grad Check Workshops 2. One-on-One student appointments 3. Drive-Thru/Pop-Up Advising Sessions 4. Mandatory University Advisement 5. Titan Degree Audit review – e. Advising (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

ONE-ON-ONE STUDENT APPOINTMENTS • • • Students meet individually with the Graduation Specialist Can review unique barriers to graduation In person over the phone Through Skype

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

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 • CSUF, major or cumulative GPA below 2. 0

COMMON SOLUTIONS: – Extend Graduation date to a more appropriate term – 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 – 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: Graduates Total Semester Graduates Graduated due to intervention Worked with Graduation Specialist to move graduation date 1258 476 73 Fall 2014 100 151 189 Spring 2015 • 536 students applied for the Fall 2014 graduation date • 1567 students applied for the May 2015 graduation date

RESULTS: Overall CSUF Graduation Rates • 1% increase Fall 2014 • 2. 3% increase Spring 2015 H&SS Graduation Rates • 15% increase Fall 2014 • 12% increase Spring 2015

H&SS Graduation Rates: 2009: • First-Time Freshman: • 4 year graduation rate ~17% • Transfer Students: • 2 year graduation rate ~26% • 4 year graduation rate ~71% 2016: • First-Time Freshman • 4 year graduation rate ~30% • 6 year graduation rate ~61% • Transfer Students • 2 year graduation rate ~44% • 4 year graduation rate ~ 78%

EVOLUTION OF THE STUDENT SUCCESS TEAM • Retention Specialists – works with Freshman and Sophomores • Graduation Specialists • Career Specialists • Experiential Learning Specialist • Assistant Deans • Associate Deans – oversees teams for each college • Others based on college

Thank you!!!