| Originator: | Ann Huber |
| Submitter: | Ann Huber |
| Date Created: | 06/20/2012 Date Submitted: 06/20/2012 Status: Approved |
| Attendance : | Coconino Community College Eastern Arizona College Maricopa Community Colleges Northern Arizona University Pima Community College University of Arizona Tohono O'odham Community College ATASS Staff |
| Meeting Minutes : |
AAATF (Arizona Academic Advising Task Force) Meeting Notes
September 23, 2011 University of Arizona The minutes from the meeting on May 20, 2011 at ASU West were accepted. Ann Huber, APASC (Arizona Program Articulation Steering Committee)-SUN system: Recently had policy and process meeting about SUN, have identified ?a few bumps? and are working on solutions. Walk-through of www.azsunsystem.com website-apascaz.org (for admin/faculty), aztransfer.com (for students). On faculty page-resources- JLBC report (the 2nd half is all about SUN) Recapped history of SUN and how courses were selected: Phase I, reviewed about 114 courses, SUN courses must transfer as direct equivalents between and among all AZ public institutions (except tribal colleges, which are not included at this time?Ann said she doesn?t see why they couldn?t be included in the future since they are included in the Course Equivalency Guide and SUN is based on CEG.) Common misconception that only SUN courses are transferrable. Also a misconception that SUN courses can never change (not true, although there is a moratorium on curriculum changes to SUN courses for a year). 1st approved group was 72 courses, now at 69 (There were some inconsistencies with direct equivalencies, so 3 lost SUN status). Ann asked group for benefits of SUN system: ?Assures transferability,? ?Reassuring to swirling students,? ?Responds to student needs and legislation.? Common numbering system synonymous with SUN in Arizona?s case. Questions/Comments- ? CEG complete but sense that SUN is in an evolutionary state. (Phase 1 means more is coming.) ? EAC representative said SUN hasn?t really come up in advising students. ? Haven?t really been through a cycle of students who have transferred with SUN courses ? It is challenging to explain the value of all the transfer resources (because there are so many) to students. There really isn?t a goal of how many SUN courses there will be in total. Currently, if a course is not offered at all community colleges it can be considered as a SUN course, but if a course is not offered at all 3 universities it cannot be considered as a SUN course. Question about how a course not offered at all colleges within a community college district is handled?Ann said there needs to be conversation with Admissions and Records. Erin Woodell (APASC marketing coordinator) is welcoming feedback from advisors and students, wants ideas on ways tools can help students understand SUN and be most useful. The CEG tells you HOW a course transfers. SUN tells you THAT courses transfer as direct equivalencies to all institutions that have the course. SUN is a subset of the CEG/a supplemental resource to existing advising/transfer resources. Matrix report on www.azsunsystem.com/admin/ Looking at how SUN courses are indicated on transcripts to avoid having students retake the same courses. How is SUN implementation going? ? NAU-SUN numbers going on Peoplesoft in Jan., not on progression plans yet ? MCCCD-Advisor reported issue with similarity between MCCCD course numbers (COM100, 110) and SUN number (which is 1100 for MCCCD?s COM100). Wrong class (COM110) came up when on ?Find a Class.? District office is addressing on student information system. ? Question?Does SUN give designations (no). A couple of people said they thought it would be helpful. Over 2000 students provided feedback as SUN web information and materials were developed. There were extensive focus groups and surveys-results are on the website. There are 3 different ways to search for a SUN course: by college, by subject, by course # To consider: Is there so much information that it is confusing? Logo and icon are available on the website. If colleges need additional marketing materials, contact Erin Woodell (erin.woodell@asu.edu) How do we work together to promote idea that we need to think about applicability in addition to transferability? Jenny Scott (Pima) said there has been feedback that SUN is sometimes inappropriate or a disservice to students who know their majors and transfer universities. Concern?new non-SUN curriculum might be developed which would ?side-skirt? SUN system since SUN courses cannot be changed for a year (moratorium on ACETS changes, email sent around June). Roxie Catts (UA) requested a press release?Ann said she will send the one written by Erin. Also check administrator resources on website?flier, fact sheet and more. PHASE 2: consider more courses. Why did some not make it? Sometimes because 2 out of the 3 universities accept course as direct equivalent but one accepts as a DEC. Ann Huber (for Rebecca McKay)-technology update: New mobile application can be uploaded on Android; Apple products allow access but application cannot be uploaded. Includes CEG, Exam Equivalency Guide, Getting started (high school info.) Rebecca is on a student-centered committee (part of Lumina) reviewing e-advising tools nationwide to see what AZ can do. Statewide transfer guides?Kathy Silberman from MCCCD submitted a draft transfer guide (attached)as an item for discussion and starting point for developing transfer guides to replace the old ones supported by DARS and housed on aztransfer.com that are no longer updated for UA and NAU since they no longer use DARS. Will be discussed at the 11/9 ATAC meeting to see if others are interested in pursuing this. (PLEASE SEND FEEDBACK or volunteer to participate on this project by contacting Rebecca McKay by December 2.) Ann asked people to share if and how they are currently using transfer guides. NAU and Coconino indicated they do not use them. Pima said the old transfer guides were so long and complicated that they stopped using them. A summary of the comments and enhancement requested that high school counselors shared at the Arizona School Counselors Association Conference held in early September was reviewed. They included: ? List dual enrollment classes that are part of the AGEC. ? Create an FAQ page for high school students and counselors. ? For students with deficiencies in a subject, indicate how many credits they need if they didn?t complete them in high school. ? Add a function to map courses to degrees (like U.Select). Counselors were not aware of U.Select. ? Make the ?search all CEGs? function more prominent and easier to find. ? Create a tutorial video to demonstrate how to use AZTransfer.com ? Emulate ASU?s transcript evaluation tool for all universities. ? Include equivalencies for both private and public universities. Other items, questions? College math/college algebra-EAC representative asked if college algebra is now preferred?seems like coll. math used to be, but that college algebra is being recommended for AGEC now. Roxie (UA) responded that it depends on major/math ?strand.? Discussion on how college algebra changed retroactively to meet Mathematics Applications (MA) on AGEC. Rene?e Young (South Mountain CC) said a nursing student took college algebra and ASU made her take college math. Cathy (Pima CC) said in addition to AGEC, student must meet program/major requirements so math might depend on that. Rene?e (South Mountain CC) said she heard rumor that online and hybrid not okay with UA. Roxie (UA) said modality is not an issue. David Hall (Rio Salado CC) confirmed this is in state transfer policy. From Ann Huber: ? If transfer/ AGEC issues arise where students are disadvantaged, contact transfer liaisons. ? Secondary Education major guide on aztransfer.com has been revamped ? Asked if anyone heard rumor that students could get credit for ACT/SAT scores (untrue)?no one had heard that. Institutional Updates: South Mountain CC: ? new president started in July?Dr. Shari Olson Eastern AZ College: ? I.T. is testing a new degree audit system ? Action projects include student retention, exit survey (to help provide follow-up from a retention specialist for students who withdraw from all classes). New?mandatory attendance (There was a recent article in the Chronicle about the pros and cons). If students have more than 2 absences, they are referred to a retention specialist. ? Also new?student learning center (TRIO grant was lost but college is sustaining center) with about 25 tutors. Pima CC: ? Eliminated a couple computer programming degrees with low enrollment ? 24/7 Help desk for accounts and billing ? Website redesign (will go live in January) ? New admission standards-high school diploma, GED or meet ability to benefit standards. Modules available for developmental courses for students denied admissions?not covered by financial aid. For details, please see: Board of Governors Endorses Changes to Admission Standards http://www.pima.edu/board/spotlight-8.shtml Resources on New Admission Standards http://www.pima.edu/announcements/proposed-admission-standards.shtml Tohono O?odom: ? Pronounced (thaw-na ?aw-dum) ? New president, record enrollment, construction (1st phase),new mascot (?Jegos??like a haboob), new men?s basketball team Rio Salado/Maricopa District Office: ? Announced Oct. 3 ?Timeline to Transfer? webinar-joint project of Maricopa Online work group, part of transfer awareness week Oct.3-7 including transfer fairs at 5 MCCCD colleges Cochise College: ? New degree audit system (Degreeworks) ? Jenyl Heckman is the new AAATF representative Northern Arizona University: ? Updates attached University of Arizona: ? Jeanais Brodie presented info. and provided tour of UA?s transfer center- goals of access, transition, retention. Programs and activities include transfer outreach facilitators (for each college at UA), Tau Sigma National Honor Society, Transfer Student Association, National Student Exchange ? Paul Miller - transfer admissions website promotes Transfer Tuesdays, 1st Tuesday of every month starting October 4. Includes info. on admissions, advisement, next steps, financial aid, instant admission available (must apply at least 7 days prior) ? Admission.arizona.ed/transfer/transfer_programs_and_events ? Roxie Catts highlighted program guides (on advising website) |