Measuring the impact of academic success content in all sections of the Institutional Priority domain (formerly, Area B) courses. The asynchronous academic success content contains three main modules with a total of 15 sections, focusing on topics like time management, student success resources, and career preparation
We have concluded the previous evaluation plan and associated KPIs (below) because they did not provide sufficient depth of understanding about the impact of the academic success content in Institutional Priority domain courses.
Previous Evaluation Plan and Measures:
- Student academic success indicators in Area I courses (semester-over-semester)
- Completion of academic success content
Project KPIs:
- ABC rates in Area I courses
- Completion rates of academic success content
Project Baseline Measure (for each KPI): Based on data obtained from Institutional Priority domain course sections with embedded academic success content during academic year 2023-2024:
- Average combined ABC grades: 73.01%
- Completion rate of the academic success content quizzes was 94%
Project Goal or Targets (for each KPI):
- Combined ABC rates in Area I >75%
- Completion rate for the academic success content >95%
As from fall 2025, the evaluation plan and measures will be based on the change of students’ perceptions of their ability to engage in behaviors that contribute to their academic success. The delta of self-perceptions of their self-efficacy will be captured by surveying Institutional Priority domain course students in the second week of the semester and again in the third-to-last week of the semester (so as to avoid interfering with the end-of-course survey process). The survey items use a Likert-type scale (1=never to 4=always) and align with the topics of the academic success content in Institutional Priority domain course sections.
Survey 1 comprises 12 items:
- I participate actively in my classes.
- I know how to keep myself physically and emotionally healthy.
- I express myself professionally when emailing an instructor.
- I submit all of my coursework when/before it is due.
- I know where to get answers at MGA to questions about financial aid.
- I know where to find campus activities to join.
- I understand how tutoring can support my learning.
- I know how to find MGA’s library resources to help with my coursework.
- I consider my academic advisor a useful resource for my academic success.
- I can set worthwhile goals for my studies.
- I know where to find MGA resources about my future career.
- I am confident in my ability to succeed this semester.
Survey 2 includes the same 12 items, along with three opened-ended questions:
- What topic in the Academic Success content did you find most useful?
- What topic in the Academic Success content did you find least useful?
- What do you wish you knew more about before starting your first semester at MGA?
After each semester, the mean of the delta in the students’ perceptions of their self-efficacy in academic success behaviors will be compared against 1) the Institutional Priority domain course grade average (per section), 2) the average grade of concurrent courses in the same semester, and 3) persistence rates and retention rates. This grouping of comparisons could help to indicate the impact of the academic success content on students’ positive outcomes in their first year of studies at MGA.
Upon assessing the usefulness of the survey and the usefulness of the comparisons, new baselines, KPIs, and goals will be identified.
At this point in AY 2025–2026, preliminary data on students’ perceptions of self-efficacy changes in the first-session sections of Domain I courses is available. For the surveys in these six courses, 102 (60%) of 169 students completed survey 1 and 88 (52%) of 169 students completed survey 2. The results indicate that students in the aggregate had a positive delta in 8 of the 12 domains of the academic success content—with 2 at no change (items 2 and 10) and 2 at a negative delta (items 4 and 12).
Additionally, for the three open-ended questions on survey 2 in the first-session courses (completed at week 6 of the 8-week session), our analysis revealed useful information about students’ perceptions of the usefulness of the academic success content and what they wish they knew when they started the semester in August 2025:
Q13. What topic in the Academic Success content did you find most useful?
Recurring themes:
- Career and leadership development – Students frequently mentioned the Career and Leadership Development Center (CCLD), Handshake, and career planning lifecycle.
- Time management and study skills – Repeated mentions of goal setting, time management, and study strategies as practical and personally applicable.
- Academic resources and advising – Many referenced academic planning, registration, tutoring, MyDegree, and advisor support.
- Financial aid and registration processes – A consistent focus on financial aid and understanding how to register for classes.
- Campus involvement and wellness – Some students valued learning about student life, activities, wellness, and support resources.
Interpretation:
The responses reflect high engagement with actionable and resource-oriented topics. Students seem to value tools that directly affect their ability to succeed (career services, advising, and time management). They appear to gravitate toward content that clarifies procedures and provides concrete steps—rather than abstract advice.
Q14. What topic in the Academic Success content did you find least useful?
Recurring themes:
- Campus activities – The most common “least useful” topic. Many respondents (especially online or nontraditional students) said that information about on-campus events was irrelevant to them.
- Goal setting and study tips – Some felt these topics were redundant or overly basic, noting prior familiarity.
- Professional communication and CCLD – A minority found these redundant or confusing, citing previous experience or unclear value.
- Library/research modules – Several indicated this section was unnecessary, especially for returning or experienced students.
- Wellness and “soft skills” topics – A few respondents dismissed wellness or class management as less relevant.
Interpretation:
This section highlights a divide between new and experienced students. Although newcomers valued broad academic support, returning or working students felt some material was repetitive. Content on campus involvement was least useful to those learning online or attending regional campuses.
Q15. What do you wish you knew more about before starting your first semester at MGA?
Recurring themes:
- Learning systems navigation (D2L, SWORDS) – Many expressed confusion about how to navigate D2L and SWORDS (Banner).
- Financial aid and billing – High frequency of comments about financial aid processes, scholarships, billing, and cost transparency.
- Academic and student resources – Students wished they had known earlier about tutoring, advising, writing support, CCLD, and campus facilities.
- Registration and course planning – Multiple mentions of how to register, when classes open, how to plan ahead, and elective selection.
- Time management and workload expectations – Many reflected that they underestimated the workload and wished for more preparation in balancing responsibilities.
- Campus life and involvement – A secondary cluster of comments about clubs, activities, and campus facilities.
Interpretation:
Students’ retrospective wishes cluster around institutional navigation and time management. The most consistent frustration involves not knowing how to use MGA’s systems early enough to avoid academic or financial stress. Key information was covered adequately because of restrictions in time for this portion of new student orientation.
For the rest of AY2025-2026, we will continue conducting the survey in all sections of Area I courses and run the analyses, including comparisons of survey results as they might relate to aggregated letter grade averages by section, the average grade of concurrent courses in the same semester, and persistence rates and retention rates. We will also prepare for semester-over-semester, and year-over-year longitudinal comparisons.
Survey completion rates are a perennial challenge, and we expect the same, especially when allowing for survey fatigue.
