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Success Strategies by Category are available from 2023
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College-2023-Implementation with Data Collection, Analysis, and Management (Data CAM): Career Data
Update Year:
2023
Learning Communities (University College) (Albany State University-2023)
Update Year:
2023
Pages
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College's goal is to contribute to a better-educated Georgia. To that end, it engages in a comprehensive planning and assessment process, enabling it to build upon its many strengths. The College's faculty, staff, and administration are committed to excellence in preparing students to be informed and productive citizens.
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Institutional Profile
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Campus Plan Update 2016
Strategies:
Institutional Mission and Student Body Profile
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) is a residential institution offering baccalaureate degrees in targeted fields, transfer associate degrees, and non-transfer associate degrees. ABAC’s state-wide mission in Agriculture and Natural Resources gives the college a unique identity among USG state colleges, but ABAC is also known for its strong nursing program as well as its traditional associate degrees with transfer pathways in the liberal arts, the natural and physical sciences, mathematics, and the social sciences. With its diverse array of quality programs, an abundance of student organizations, a renowned music program, and a variety of intercollegiate and intramural athletic teams, ABAC provides students with endless opportunities to learn and grow as individuals. The College’s overall goal is to be a strategic partner within the University System of Georgia to help create a more educated Georgia.
Total enrollment at ABAC in fall 2015 was 3393, a slight decrease of approximately 1.8% under fall 2014 enrollment (See Appendix A for six-year trends in enrollment and graduation and retention rates). The slight decrease in enrollment is attributed to a sharp rise in degrees conferred for the 2015 fiscal year (Table 2C). Of the 3393, 80% were white, 10% were Black (non-Hispanic), and 7% were Hispanic, comprising the three largest ethnic groups. Students over the age of 25 made up 9.4% of enrollment in fall 2015, and 32% of all students were first-generation college students. In fall 2015, 43% of students were Pell eligible. Students enrolled in at least 12 credit hours fall 2015 made up 73% of total enrollment. For the fall 2015 freshman class, the average high school GPA was 3.05 on a 4.00 scale, the average SAT composite score was 945, and average scores on the ACT were 19 Verbal and 20 Math.
Despite a slight enrollment decrease for Fall 2015, ABAC’s goals and strategies developed for Complete College Georgia continue to have a positive impact on college success and completion. This positive impact can be seen in our continued growth in baccalaureate enrollment (1445 in fall 2015, a 26% increase from the previous year), a six-year steady increase in one-year retention rates from 51% to 62%, a total of 645 degrees awarded in 2015-16 (up from 639) the previous year), and a 9% drop in suspension rates for first time students on probation who complete their 2nd term. These data indicate that ABAC’s goals and strategies for Complete College Georgia are having a positive impact on college success and completion. Therefore, the College has continued to pursue goals and strategies outlined in its 2012 report and 2013, 2014, and 2015 updates, but has focused during the past academic year on intrusive advising practices to keep students on track to completion.
Institutional Completion Goals, High Impact Strategies, and Activities
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High-impact strategy |
Change institutional culture to emphasize taking full-time course loads (15 or more credits per semester) to earn degrees ‘on time.’ |
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Related Goal |
Goal 2: Increase the number of degrees that are earned ‘on-time’ (associate degrees in 2 years, bachelor’s degrees in 4 years.) |
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Demonstration of Priority and/or Impact |
This strategy aligns with CCG’s 15-to-Finish initiative and meeting this high-impact goal will increase the institution’s on-time graduation rate and reduce the student financial obligation |
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Primary Point of Contact for This Activity |
Name: Nicholas Urquhart Title: Director of Academic Support/p> email: Nurquhart@abac.edu |
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Summary of Activities |
What activities were underway prior to the 2015-2016 academic year? Beginning fall 2014, Academic Support Counselors began registering new students before their scheduled orientation session. Most of the students are registered for 15+ hours. Academic advisors review the schedules and make adjustments as appropriate. Advisors have begun advising students that 15 hours per semester is a full-time load as opposed to 12 hours, and that 15+ hours per semester are required to graduate on time. What progress have you made towards implementing this strategy in the 2015-2016 academic year? Progress can be seen in the data. In Fall of 2014, 389 of 863 new freshmen (45%) were registered for 15 or more credit hours. Also, 1027 (29.72%) of all enrolled students fall 2014 were enrolled in 15+ hours. For Fall 2015, 410 of 849 new freshmen (48%) were registered for 15 or more credit hours while 1082 (31.88%) of all enrolled students for fall 2015 were enrolled in 15+ hours. What specific activities did you engage in this year in regards to this strategy? The Academic Support Counselors continue to pre-register new students before each scheduled orientation session. The five-year stretch goal is to have 75% of all full-time new students registered for 15 credit hours by 2021. The importance of 15-to-finish has been incorporated into new faculty advisor training each Fall and financial aid counselors are now encouraging students to take 15 hours a semester to graduate on time. In addition, marketing materials are sent to all students and their families showing the financial benefit of graduating on-time. |
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Measures of Progress and Success |
Metric/data element: Percentage of the student body enrolled in 15+ hours, completing 30 hours within first year, and graduating in 2 years for an associate degree or a bachelor’s degree in 4 years. Baseline measure: Among fall 2012 cohort, 96 (64.86%) earned an associate degree in 2 years. Among fall 2010 cohort, 37 (62.71%) earned a bachelor’s degree in 4 years. Interim Measures of Progress: 2014-2015 1027 (29.72%) of enrolled students fall 2014 were enrolled in 15+ hours; that was an increase from 736 (21.7%) in fall 2013; 389 (45%) of enrolled new freshmen were enrolled in 15+ hours. Only 176 (18.16%) of the fall 2014 cohort successfully completed 30+ hours during the 2014-15 academic year; however, that was an increase from 163 (15.64%) the previous year. 2015-2016 1082 (31.88%) of enrolled students fall 2015 were enrolled in 15+ hours, an increase from fall 2014 of 5.37%. 410 (48%) of enrolled new freshmen were enrolled in 15+ hours. Currently, ABAC is still on track to meet the target projection of 35% of enrolled students to be enrolled in 15+ hours by Fall 2016. 254 (23.67%) of the fall 2015 cohort successfully completed 30+ hours during the 2015-2016 academic year. This is an increase of 44.3% from the 2014 cohort. The projected target given for the 2014 CCG plan update was 20% for the fall 2015 cohort. 71 associate-degree-seeking students from the fall 2014 graduated on-time in 2 years. This goal is 4% below our projected target of 74 on time graduates from the fall 2014 cohort. 53 baccalaureate-degree-seeking students from the fall 2012 cohort graduated on-time in 4 years. This goal is 32.5% over our projected target of 40 on time baccalaureate graduates from the fall 2014 cohort. Measures of Success: Increase the number and percentage of students enrolled in 15+ hours each semester. Projected target: 35% of fall 2016 cohort will enroll in 15+ hours. Increase the number and percentage of first-year students successfully completing 30+ hours of collegiate credit hours in their first academic year. Projected target: 25% of the fall 2016 cohort of first-year students will successfully complete 30+ collegiate credit hours in their first academic year. Increase the number of students who earn an associate degree in 2 years or a bachelor’s degree in 4 years. Projected target: 75 associate-degree-seeking students from the fall 2015 cohort will graduate in 2 years, and 60 baccalaureate-degree-seeking students from the fall 2013 cohort will graduate in 4 years. |
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Lessons Learned |
Cultural changes are difficult to overcome; however, ABAC is starting to see significant gains with each fall’s new student cohort taking 15+ hours. Sending out timely communication, pre-registering students before their orientation, discussing 15-to-finish with financial aid counselors, and training new faculty advisors on the importance of 15 credit hours has pushed our student body toward taking 15 hours each semester. The following are barriers/obstacles that ABAC must consider as we move forward with this strategy:
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High-impact strategy |
Establish milestones as part of program maps to facilitate defining when students are ‘off track.’ |
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Related Goal |
Goal 4: Provide intrusive advising to keep students on track to graduate |
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Demonstration of Priority and/or Impact |
This high-impact strategy seeks to improve progression and timely graduation by making sure that students are meeting required milestones by 30 and 90 hours. |
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Primary Point of Contact for This Activity |
Name: Nicholas Urquhart Title: Director of Academic Support email: Nurquhart@abac.edu |
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Summary of Activities |
What activities were underway prior to the 2015-2016 academic year? ABAC instituted a checkpoint in the spring of 2015 to help students know when they are ‘off-track’: Academic Support Counselors (ASCs) check all baccalaureate-degree-seeking students at 90 hours to establish that they are on track to graduate on time, using such factors as RHSC deficiencies remaining, completion of the Core Curriculum, on track to meet residency requirement, curriculum completion on track, legislative requirements met, and meeting minimum GPA requirement for graduation. ASCs compile a list of these students and send information to their academic advisors and to the dean of the school in which the student is advised. The ASCs also follow up with the students who are identified as ‘off-track’ to assist them in getting on track for on-time graduation. What progress have you made towards implementing this strategy in the 2015-2016 academic year? 90-hour checkpoints are performed each fall and spring semester for baccalaureate-degree-seeking students and 30-hour checks (completion of AREA A) are performed each spring semester for all students. The measures of success defined during the 2014-2015 CCG plan update were as follows:
This high-impact strategy has been a success for ABAC. As the data show (see metrics below), 66% of identified off track students for spring 2015 graduated by the following spring. Currently, 61% of identified off-track students for fall 2015 have graduated on-time and this number is predicted to grow after fall 2016 graduation. 30-hour checks were conducted for spring of 2015 for all enrolled students and 128 were identified as not having satisfied Area A of the CORE. These students were contacted and enrolled for the appropriate course the following semester to help get these students back on-track for graduation. As of spring 2016, 78% of these students have completed Area A. What specific activities did you engage in this year in regards to this strategy? The institution uses the following criteria for identifying baccalaureate students who are off-track toward on-time graduation:
Academic Support compiles a list of these students each semester and follows the below protocol:
30-hour checks are performed each spring semester on all students. Students who have not completed area A of the Core Curriculum or an RHSC deficiency by 30-hours are considered to be off-track. These identified students are contacted by Academic Support and assisted in registering for the appropriate course(s). Notification is also sent to each student’s advisor. |
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Measures of Progress and Success |
Metric/data element: For 90-hour checkpoints the percentage of identified off-track students who successfully graduate and for 30-hour checks the percentage of identified off-track students who successfully complete identified mile markers for persistence to graduation (i.e. completion of Area A). Baseline measure: The first 90-hour check was performed spring 2015. That check revealed that 62 baccalaureate-degree-seeking students were off-track to graduate on time. Interim Measures of Progress: 2014-2015 Since we implemented this strategy in spring 2015, interim measures of progress will not be known until spring 2016, when these students should graduate. Progress made thus far is the identification of the students and actions taken by ASCs and advisors to get students on track. 2015-2016 90-hour Checkpoints
30-hour Checkpoints
53 baccalaureate-degree-seeking students from the fall 2012 cohort graduated on-time in 4 years. This goal is 32.5% over our projected target of 40 on time baccalaureate graduates from the fall 2014 cohort Measures of Success: At least 60% of the number of students, who are identified as being off-track at 90 hours, will graduate within 30 credit hours. Projected target: 25 of the 39 baccalaureate-degree-seeking students who were off-track at the 90-hour check mark in spring 2016 will graduate within 30 credit hours. Increase the number of baccalaureate-degree-seeking students who graduate OT. Projected target: 60 baccalaureate-degree-seeking students from the fall 2013 cohort will graduate on time. |
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Lessons Learned |
Initially, during the 2014-15 academic year, we were surprised by the number of baccalaureate students who reached 90-hours without completing RHSC deficiencies or the Core Curriculum. This led to Academic Support implementing 30-hour checks to help keep all students on-track for on-time graduation. The effects of the 30-hour checks can be seen in the sharp decrease (57% less) in students identified as off-track at 90-hours for spring 2016. Academic Support will continue to work with students who are determined to be off-track and get them registered for the required course(s) the following semester. Advisors will also be notified of the requirements to insure the students do not withdraw from the required classes. |
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High-impact strategy |
Ensure that students who meet off track criteria receive timely and targeted advising intervention. |
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Related Goal |
Goal 4: Provide intrusive advising to keep students on track to graduate |
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Demonstration of Priority and/or Impact |
This high-impact strategy seeks to improve progression and retention by aggressively targeting students who go on probation for the first time. |
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Primary Point of Contact for This Activity |
Name: Nicholas Urquhart Title: Director of Academic Support email: Nurquhart@abac.edu |
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Summary of Activities |
What activities were underway prior to the 2015-2016 academic year? In addition to the checkpoints at 30 and 90 hours described above, the College targets students who are placed on academic probation after their first semester of enrollment. To help get students back on track, ABAC places these first-year students into a special course, ABAC 1100. A one-credit-hour course taught by the Academic Support Counselors (ASCs), ABAC 1100 features both group and individual interventions, offered both face-to-face and online, with the express purpose of helping students improve their GPA to avoid suspension after their second semester. What progress have you made towards implementing this strategy in the 2015-2016 academic year? For the AY 14-15, 59% of students in ABAC 1100 were placed on Academic Suspension. This number represents a 10% increase over the previous academic year. The course was overhauled to require more individual meetings with an Academic Support Counselor and classes sizes were cut in half. Also, the course content focused more on life and study skills. These changes had a positive impact and suspension rates for students on probation for the first time dropped for AY 15-16. What specific activities did you engage in this year in regards to this strategy? Students placed into ABAC 1100 were required to meet once a week as a class which focused on life and study skills. Sessions include, but are not limited to, the following:
These students were required to meet with an Academic Support counselor during the first week of school and at mid-term. Students who failed to keep an appointment were called, sent a text, and visited if they lived on campus. These individual sessions focused on the student’s goals and the development of a plan to get the student back in good academic standing and progressing toward graduation. |
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Measures of Progress and Success |
Metric/data element: Percentage of first-time probation students who completed ABAC 1100 and placed on Academic Suspension I at the end of their second term. Baseline measure: The percentage of students who successfully completed ABAC 1100 after their 1st semester was 141 (78%) in AY12-13, 176 (66%) in AY13-14, and 184 (65%) in AY14-15. Of these students, 49% were placed on suspension in AY12-13, 49% were placed on suspension in AY13-14, and 59% were placed on suspension in AY14-15. Interim Measures of Progress: 2015-2016 The total number of students placed in ABAC 1100 for AY 15-16 was 178. The percentage of students who successfully completed ABAC 1100 after their 1st semester was 101 (57%). Of the 178 students, 90 (50.56%) were placed on suspension in AY 15-16. This percentage is down from 59% of students placed on suspension in AY 14-15. Of the 101 who successfully passed ABAC 1100 after their 1st semester, only 13% were placed on academic suspension. Projected targets identified for AY 14-15:
Measures of Success: Increase the percentage of students who successfully complete Navigate ABAC (formerly ABAC 1100) after their 1st semester. Projected target: 78% of students in Navigate ABAC will successfully complete this course after their 1st semester. Reduce the percentage of first-year students who are placed on academic suspension after their 2nd semester of attendance. Projected target: 51% of students who completed Navigate ABAC will avoid academic suspension. |
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Lessons Learned |
We are finding that students who attend the course and meet with the Academic Support Counselors are progressing at a much higher rate than those who fail to meet the course requirements. A road block that is difficult to overcome is getting students on probation to commit to the class and meeting with an Academic Support Counselor as required. This has led Academic Support to review other institutions’ intervention classes and overhaul the course into a workshop. Students placed on probation after their 1st semester will now attend Navigate ABAC (starting Fall 2016). This half-day workshop is held before classes start the following semester, and gives the students all the tools needed to be successful for the upcoming semester. Also, the students are still required to meet with an Academic Support Counselor at least twice a semester. The complete overhaul of ABAC 1100 to Navigate ABAC should help improve the overall academic success rate of students who attend this workshop. |
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High-impact strategy |
Participate in dual enrollment or joint enrollment programs for high school students. |
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Related Goal |
Goal 6: Shorten time to degree completion through programs that allow students to earn college credit while still in high school and by awarding credit for prior learning that is verified by appropriate assessment. |
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Demonstration of Priority and/or Impact |
This high-impact strategy seeks to provide high school students the opportunity to earn college credit and gives ABAC an opportunity to showcase our faculty & resources to these high performing students. |
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Primary Point of Contact for This Activity |
Name: Dr. Cyndy Hall Title: Director of Move on When Ready email: chall@abac.edu |
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Summary of Activities |
What activities were underway prior to the 2015-2016 academic year? During AY14-15, ABAC offered dual enrollment classes at Baconton Community Charter School, Colquitt County High School, Cook High School, Fitzgerald High School, and Tiftarea Academy. In addition, a number of Tift County High School students as well as students from Berrien, Irwin, Turner, and Worth Counties attended classes on the ABAC campus in Tifton. ABAC has a director of dual enrollment programs, who oversees the programs at various high school locations and at ABAC, schedules classes, advises and registers students for classes, monitors academic progress, and communicates regularly with both current and prospective students, their parents, and their high school counselors. For several years, ABAC has waived all mandatory fees for dual enrolled students. ABAC plans to participate fully in the new MOWR program with a commitment to provide educational opportunities for qualified area high school students. A plan has been put in place to provide books for all MOWR students, to continue to waive all mandatory fees, and to absorb the tuition differential cost associated with eCore classes. Course offerings have been expanded to include courses which were on the accepted (old) MOWR supplemental directory as well as those on the Accel directory, giving students more options. Courses at area high schools follow the high school bell schedule so dual enrollment classes can be taken along with regular high school classes. On the ABAC campus, spaces are reserved for MOWR students in 8:00 am and 2:00 pm classes in the subjects most frequently taken by high school students. What progress have you made towards implementing this strategy in the 2015-2016 academic year? ABAC’s enrollment in the new MOWR program has seen an increase from 2015 to 2016. 189 students were enrolled in the MOWR program for fall of 2015, and 226 students are enrolled for the fall of 2016. 39 dual enrollment students registered for summer of 2016 classes. This was the first summer when MOWR became a viable option for students. Many schools underrepresented at ABAC in 2015 grew substantially in 2016. For instance, Worth County’s enrollment in ABAC’s MOWR program rose from 0 to 16 in 2016. Non-traditional student enrollment from Georgia Connections, Georgia Cyber Academy, and from home schooled students has also made inroads at ABAC with 13 students registered from the non-traditional pool. What specific activities did you engage in this year in regards to this strategy? The MOWR director attended various middle school and high school events to promote ABAC’s MOWR program. Parent nights and open houses were attended at Colquitt County high school, Irwin County high school, Tiftarea Academy, Gray Middle School, and Baconton Community Charter School. In order to bring Science lab classes to more rural areas, the MOWR director and the Science lab manager at ABAC worked with Baconton Community Charter school to help them update their lab space with the goal of offering Bio 1107 and its lab on their campus. During the spring and fall of 2016, ABAC’s Bio 1107 and its lab were taught at Baconton Charter School. The Office of Enrollment Management held a guidance counselor workshop at ABAC: MOWR is a discussion topic. The director of MOWR provided weekly on site advising sessions for the students at Colquitt County high school in the spring of 2016. The director of MOWR is a member of the governing board for Tift County high school’s new College and Career center. |
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Measures of Progress and Success |
Metric/data element: Number of students participating in the dual enrollment program. Number of earned credit hours earned by dual enrolled students. Baseline measure: In fall 2014, 198 students were enrolled in dual enrollment classes at ABAC. That number rose to 232 in spring 2015. In AY14-15, dual enrolled students earned a total of 2599 credit hours at ABAC. Interim Measures of Progress: 2014-2015 The number of students in dual enrollment has steadily increased for the past five years, increasing from 120 in AY10-11 to 430 in AY14-15. Earned credit hours during those same years have also risen from 577 to 2599. 2015-2016 423 students participated in the dual enrollment (MOWR) program in AY 15-16. A total of 2474 credit hours was earned by this group of students. Projected targets identified for AY 14-15:
Measures of Success: Increase the number of students participating in dual enrollment. Projected target: 508 students will participate in dual enrollment in the 2016-2017 academic year. Increase the number of earned credit hours by dual enrollment students. Projected target: Dual enrollment students will earn 3105 credit hours in the 2016-2017 academic year
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Lessons Learned |
Dual enrollment programs continue to require a substantial allocation of resources to remain competitive with the TCSG. In addition to paying personnel to direct the program, the college loses revenue due to the waiving of mandatory fees and paying for textbooks. Fortunately, the tuition differential between eCore and regular ABAC classes is now being absorbed by eCore. Another challenge, which is seen by the slight decrease in enrollment and credit hours earned by dual enrolled students, is the partnership of TCSG with Fitzgerald and Cook high schools. A related challenge is that students who want to attend a selective university after high school graduation are being discouraged from participating in dual enrollment in favor of taking AP classes in high school, which supposedly the selective universities regard as more rigorous than college level courses taken through dual enrollment. Despite the setback for the AY 15-16, the Director of Dual Enrollment & Honors Program will continue to visit various schools and promote the MOWR program. She/he will advance ABAC’s ties to Tift County high school by sitting on the governing board of the new College and Career Academy. She/he will continue advising sessions at Colquitt County and Irwin County high schools. She/he will continue to provide easy book delivery and pick up to schools restricted by a long distance. The director will continue to work with each high school in order to make the process of applying and registering as smooth as possible. These initiatives have led to an increased dual enrollment of 226 (22%) for Fall 2016. ABAC is off to a good start for achieving the projected targets for the 16-17 AY. |
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High-impact strategy |
Enroll most students in need of remediation in gateway collegiate courses in English and mathematics, with co-requisite Learning Support. |
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Related Goal |
Goal 7: Increase the likelihood of degree completion by transforming the way that remediation is accomplished. |
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Demonstration of Priority and/or Impact |
This high-impact strategy seeks to improve progression and retention by pre-registering all students with a learning support (LS) class for the required co-requisite or foundation LS course. |
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Primary Point of Contact for This Activity |
Name: Nicholas Urquhart Title: Director of Academic Support email: Nurquhart@abac.edu |
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Summary of Activities |
What activities were underway prior to the 2015-2016 academic year? In AY13-14, English and Reading Learning Support were combined. The co-requisite model was successfully piloted in English during spring 2014. In fall 2014, 43.59% of students needing English LS were placed in ENGL 099; 56.41% were enrolled in ENGL 0999/ENGL 1101. For students requiring remediation in math during fall 2014, 79.23% were placed into 0097 or 0099; 20.77% were placed into either 0997/MATH 1001 or 0999/MATH 1111. What progress have you made towards implementing this strategy in the 2015-2016 academic year? ABAC has been able to increase the number of students who start in co-requisite remediation by implementing a co-requisite only model for students requiring learning support English. The mathematics department has adopted a foundational or co-requisite learning support model. See data under “Measures of Progress and Success” for details. What specific activities did you engage in this year in regards to this strategy?
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Measures of Progress and Success |
Metric/data element:
Baseline measure: In fall 2013, no LS students were in co-requisite classes. Interim Measures of Progress: 2014-2015 By fall 2014, 43.59% of English LS students and 20.77% of math LS students were in co-requisite classes. 2015-2016 For fall 2015, 66 (100%) of English LS students were in the required co-requisite class. Of these 45 (68%) passed the associated gateway course. Also, for fall 2015, 353 students required learning support math. Of these students, 194 (55%) were enrolled in a foundations course and 159 (45%) were enrolled in a co-requisite course.
For fall 2016, 81 (100%) of English LS students were in the required co-requisite class. Additionally, 186 (53%) of math LS students were enrolled in a foundations course and 165 (47%) were enrolled in a co-requisite course. Measures of Success: Increase % of students who start in co-requisite remediation who complete degrees on time. Projected target: For Fall 2017, 100% of students who require LS English will be enrolled for the co-requisite remediation course. 51% of students who require LS math will be enrolled for the co-requisite remediation course. Increase % of students who start in co-requisite remediation who complete degrees within 150% of time. Projected target: 20% of students who successfully complete co-requisite remediation will complete degree requirements within 150% of time.
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Lessons Learned |
The number of students still being placed into a foundations math course is a cause for concern for the institution. With the College’s transition to calculating EPI and MPI scores for students starting Fall 2017, the number of students placed in a LS course should be reduced, and the majority still needing remediation will place into a co-requisite LS course. Continued work is needed to identify and implement best practices in supplementing college-level instruction in the math co-requisite courses. ABAC math faculty are actively engaged in collaborative research to determine how best to re-structure these courses for student success. |
Observations
The high-impact strategies listed above have proven to be successful for ABAC and tie into our institutional mission, “To engage, teach, coach, mentor, and provide relevant experiences that prepare the Graduate for life.” Our success comes from faculty and staff collaboration and administrative support to increase student progression and retention. Comparison of the 2016 campus plan update to the previous AY update shows that ABAC has made great gains toward helping students progress toward on-time graduation.
One observation made is that continuous process improvement of high-impact strategies is needed to help the institution meet its projected targets. For example, ABAC 1100 had been highly successful for the 12-13 & 13-14 academic years. Data showed the course was less effective for the 14-15 AY. Academic Support revamped the course for 2015-16, which brought the suspension rate of first time probation students down after their 2nd term by 9%.
ABAC’s most successful CCG strategies for 2014-15 were further increasing the number of full time enrolling students in 15+ hours each semester, regained success in ABAC 1100, and placing all students needing remediation into English co-requisite and/or the appropriate foundations or co-requisite math courses. Although dual enrollment numbers declined in 2015-16, the revamped initiatives by the Director of Dual Enrollment have led to an increased dual enrollment of 226 (22%) for Fall 2016.
One last observation made during the 2015 CCG Campus Plan Update was a need to focus more attention on intrusive advising strategies. Progress has been made during the 2015-16 AY through the revised ABAC 1100 course, 30- and 90-hour benchmark checks, and pre-registering incoming students for 15+ hours. Adjustments to our completion strategy are still needed as is evident by our annual retention rate (Appendix A). ABAC will continue to focus on proactive advising strategies for 2016-17.
