Goal I.A. Improve the Systematic and Systemic Structures and Procedures for Academic Advising
The following are current projects and initiatives designed to help enhance academic advising practices and training.
Advising Council
Creation of the Advising Council (AC) will help provide leadership and direction for the MSU Denver advising community. The Council will provide recommendations to university administration in matters of policy and procedures related to advising by reporting regularly to the Division of Academic and Student Affairs. Council members will include representation from each MSU Denver unit that has advising responsibilities as part of its mission, ensuring broad, campus-wide input and collaboration.
New WebCAPP
This year, modifications were made in WebCAPP to improve the visual design and format. These enhancements will help students and advisors assess degree requirements more accurately. The new report features an easier-to-read format that more closely resembles the traditional Banner CAPP report. Highlighted rows and sections, information about courses in which students are currently enrolled, course names, and student placement test scores are just some of the many improvements.
Central Advising Resources
Current advising policies and procedures are conveniently located on the Office of Academic Advising website. This location remains updated with the latest information and resources to help advise students in a timely and accurate manner. Faculty advisors interested in learning about the many advising tools and resources can find an Advising Handbook, Banner CAPP directions, video demonstrations on how to run a CAPP report and perform a CAPP adjustment, as well as training opportunities.
Banner Relationship Management
Banner Relationship Management (BRM) software is designed to assist faculty and staff with targeted communication to individual students and groups of students. It facilitates tracking and sharing of advising notes to improve consistency of communication, and ultimately, student retention and persistence to graduation. The University has installed and implemented the BRM-Enrollment Management modules, which are currently being used by the Office of Admissions. The next phase is to implement the BRM-Student modules and expand the use more broadly across campus in the up-coming year (2012-13). Use of the BRM software will enable the Division of Academic and Student Affairs to address the wide range of initiatives outlined in the 2012-17 Strategic Plan. Title III funding will support the implementation and the training for this new software.
Early Alert
A highlight in the new BRM software is the Early Alert functionality, which will incorporate a wide range of faculty input regarding student progress in course activities. This new system will enhance the current Academic Alert program by replacing the paper forms (bubble sheets) with a convenient, online feedback interface and expanded capabilities for identifying and intervening with students in a more timely manner.
An Early Alert Working Group, consisting of key faculty, staff, and administrators, was created to help identify and review the current academic intervention and support policies, and to define how these support structures align with the new features in the Early Alert system.
