Most academic programs in the USG have sequences of courses that convert to program maps. These tools are essential to help students navigate programs of study and succeed. Program maps provide concrete guidance for students to help them take the right courses at the right time, to stay on track to completion, and when coupled with appropriate milestones, to know what other steps they need to take to be ready to finish on time. They help to make program requirements and course sequences transparent to students, leading to a decrease in unnecessary credits and increased persistence and graduation. Furthermore, they are useful tools for increasing the efficiency of advising systems by providing frameworks for students’ progress through a program of study.
This workshop outlined practical tips on building program maps with constrained choices and appropriate milestones with ample time for experimentation, discussion and collaboration.
This project proposes to develop a customized publication of resources and services that can strengthen support for first-year low-income students to address their needs beyond financial aid. Please join us on November 3 as we solidify resources within our region to increase retention and completion rates for students who are in dire need of our help. The University System of Georgia and The Lumina Foundation will offer insights to ensure academic success for low-income students in your service area and throughout the state of Georgia.
Recommended Audience: First-Year Coordinators, Advisors, Academic Affairs, Financial Aid Counselors, Student Affairs, Institutional Research, Student Success Coaches, and Retention Coordinators.
This professional development opportunity on October 20th will explore best practices to support core learning outcomes for academic advising. Sessions will convey a consistent message to increase student retention and persistence system-wide while providing a fundamental framework in which institutions can build upon to best serve their unique student populations. Attendees will have the opportunity to leave sessions with a foundation to develop meaningful assessment plans to make data driving improvements to academic advising.
This day-long session on October 13 provides an opportunity for institutions to explore the adoption and use of analytics as a strong indicator for success in higher education as well as share best practices and discuss ways to address outstanding challenges. This will also be an opportunity to educate those who may not currently be involved in CCG activities and discuss strategies for broader campus engagement in completion work.
Beyond Financial Aid is a toolkit designed to help two- and four-year institutions close attainment gaps for low-income students. BFA expands the concept of “financial supports” for college beyond grants, scholarships and loans and describes six college-tested strategies for helping low-income students overcome the significant challenges created by limited resources. BFA features a self-assessment that college teams can use to analyze their service capacities and an interpretation guide to help map out their first steps toward strengthening these capacities.
On October 3rd and 4th at the Professional Sciences Conference Center at Middle Georgia State University in Macon, Complete College Georgia will convene a meeting for institutions to explore the BFA toolkit, analyze their student and community data, and identify priority strategies to support low income students on their campuses.
This day-long session on September 30 will begin with greetings, an open discussion about sophomores at our institutions, a keynote by Dr. Carolyn Denard, Associate Provost for Student Success and Director of the Center for Student Success, Georgia College and State University, followed by concurrent sessions that will be repeated after lunch. Lunch will include roundtable discussions on various relevant topics.
Recommended Audience: Institution staff that work with or collect data on second-year students, including advisors, student success coaches, student affairs, institutional researchers, and deans.
Please join us on September 23 as we develop solutions to increase retention and completion rates for students who are in dire need of our help. Your participation in the CCG Symposium will help level the playing field and provide more opportunities for economically disadvantaged first year students. The University System of Georgia and The Carl Vinson Institute will present census data to provide insight on low-income students in your service area and throughout the state of Georgia. Please note, your participation in the CCG Symposium will help inform and prepare you for the Statewide CCG Forum on October 3rd and 4th at Middle Georgia State University.
Recommended Audience: First Year Coordinators, Advisors, Academic Affairs, Financial Aid, Counselors, Student Affairs, Institutional Research, Student Success Coaches, and Retention Coordinators.
This day-long session on September 23 is an idea exchange to improve college completion. Morning sessions will consist of speakers focusing on three approaches (self-operated child care centers, on-campus contracted child care centers, and child care resource and referral service). The working lunch will feature speakers on funding opportunities for low-income student parents. The afternoon activities will allow time for attendees to work on action plans for their institutions and share their insights.
To register, please contact Dustin Worsley.
Recommended Audience: Faculty, staff, administrators, and/or student representatives.
At the 2015 CCG Forum, campus representatives asked the USG CCG staff to help facilitate regional conversations around college completion strategies and activities. A component of these conversations was hoped to be greater collaboration across institutions as well as deeper involvement of faculty in the work of college completion. In response, Complete College Georgia is hosting four regional gatherings in the spring of 2016 to begin the conversation and help foster collaboration.
This all-day event will showcase innovative Complete College Georgia (CCG) projects, and provide a forum for information sharing and development of partnerships and synergistic efforts among USG institutions to achieve CCG goals. The Forum is by invitation only, and limited to two participants per USG institution. We are asking the Vice President of Academic Affairs for each institution to attend, in addition to each institution's lead point of contact for Complete College Georgia activities. A draft agenda is available here. An overview of key takeaways and next steps is available here.