ULtra Expansion Plan

1. ULtra Expansion Plan Improving services to University of Louisville transfer prospects and students Presentation to the Transfer Advisory Committee November 13, 2009

2. Summary In January 2010, ULtra--the successful UofL/JCTC transfer service program--will begin to function as part of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions with additional responsibilities for transfer student recruitment and admission as well as post-admission and referral services. An ULtra office will remain at JCTC (and become the model for similar offices at Gateway and Elizabethtown KCTCS campuses), but the new main office will be in Houchens LL08, sharing space with the Office of Military and Veteran Student Services. The Office of Transfer Articulation will manage technical documentation services concerning transcripts, course equivalency determinations in consultation with academic units and departments, and related research. This change of approach comes as the result of directives from the university's Transfer Work-Out Group (April 2009) as well as strategic policy recommendations from the governor's Higher Education Work Group, outlined in the presentation that follows.

3. Goals From the UofL Transfer Work-Out Group: How can we make transfer admission and enrollment at UofL as easy as first-time admission and enrollment? • How can we maximize the amount of transfer credit students can apply to degrees? • How can the university create a culture that welcomes and supports the success of transfer students? • How can we best deliver information and provide support to transfer students before, during and immediately after the transfer process? From the Higher Education Work Group (HEWG): Increase the number of successful transfer students from two- year to four-year institutions for bachelor degree completion and promote consistency in content and rigor among community colleges.

4. From UofL Work-Out: Create firm deadlines and defined procedures Revamp website to provide clear, accurate information Increase transfer evaluation efficiency Streamline/automate transfer evaluation data processing Revamp transfer orientation Assign personnel to assess transfer initiatives From State HEWG: Encourage community college students to transfer and earn bachelor degrees Make transfer requirement information transparent Utilize transfer technology systems to make timely equivalency decisions Encourage credit for experiential learning Align general education state-wide and minimize the number of “wasted” credits students carry Encourage development of joint enrollment programs and make scholarships available Stated Recommendations

5. Breaking the goals down into 2 groups: 1.Improve transfer equivalency decisions and efficiency, work toward system automation, facilitate academic unit understanding of how their course requirements might align with transfer students. 2.Improve communications with prospective transfer students, increase recruitment efforts, manage available information more effectively, improve student experience, including student orientation and coordination during and after the student’s first year.

6. From State HEWG: Encourage community college students to transfer and earn bachelor degrees Make transfer requirement information transparent Utilize transfer technology systems to make timely equivalency decisions Encourage credit for experiential learning Align general education state-wide and minimize the number of “wasted” credits students carry Encourage development of joint enrollment programs and make scholarships available Transfer Course Equivalencies: behind the scenes work to benefit Transfer Initiatives • From UofL Work-Out: • Create firm deadlines and defined procedures • Revamp website to provide clear, accurate information • Increase transfer evaluation efficiency • Streamline/automate transfer evaluation data processing • Revamp transfer orientation • Assign personnel to assess transfer initiatives

7. From State HEWG: Encourage community college students to transfer and earn bachelor degrees Make transfer requirement information transparent Utilize transfer technology systems to make timely equivalency decisions Encourage credit for experiential learning Align general education state-wide and minimize the number of “wasted” credits students carry Encourage development of joint enrollment programs and make scholarships available Recruitment, Admissions, and Acclimation: “the face” of UofL to transfer students • From UofL Work-Out: • Create firm deadlines and defined procedures • Revamp website to provide clear, accurate information • Increase transfer evaluation efficiency • Streamline/automate transfer evaluation data processing • Revamp transfer orientation • Assign personnel to assess transfer initiatives

8. Transfer Articulation Goals: Increase the percentage of transfer courses applicable toward degrees; increase prior learning assessment opportunities. Realign responsibilities to allow staff to focus solely on evaluation of transfer work and related transfer policies and practices. • Add program assistant position to track 300/400 level decisions and do routine data entry • Implement recommended PS customizations in 9.0 • Strengthen electronic tools available to faculty and students in articulation process

9. Office of Transfer Articulation Services (what will they do?): • Evaluate external transcripts for transfer students • Coordinate appeals of course equivalency decisions • Work with departments and units to develop new transfer equivalency decisions • Work with departments and units to revise and develop new transfer policies, particularly regarding prior learning assessment such as credit by exam • Work on PeopleSoft upgrade to streamline the transfer evaluation data entry process • Work with PeopleSoft integration with TES/College Source 9

10. ULtra: UofL Transfer and Adult Center Goal: Expand ULtra model to serve all transfers, including returning adults, ‘swirling’ students, and ‘stop-outs’. • Add one new transfer counselor • Shift one admissions counselor senior position and change title to transfer counselor • Oversee Project Graduate and Kentucky Adult Learner Initiatives (KALI)

11. ULtra Services (what will they do?): • Coordinate transfer admissions and perform initial transfer counseling • Support recruitment activities, outreach, and communication • Manage readmission decisions • Enhance KCTCS advisor relations • Maintain academic program plans on website • Continue to serve JCTC students with physical presence on campus

12. Office of Admissions Resources for ULtra • Staff with recruitment expertise • Communications and e-recruitment staff and products • Systems staff for use of PeopleSoft to serve student populations. • Grant writing support staff • Additional counseling resources • Transfer orientation organization and planning • Improved coordination of services to Ultra JCTC students.

13. Office Space • Transfer Articulation will occupy its current space and will create a small computer lab where transfer students can research courses and prepare appeals • ULtra will occupy the newly renovated Houchens LL08 along with the Office of Military and Veteran Student Services • ULtra@JCTC will continue at Jefferson Education Center, 2nd & Broadway

14. Transfer Advisory Committee Office of Admissions Transfer Articulation Mindy Steinberg ULtra Kathleen Mandlehr Program Coordinator Transfer Counselor** 1-Program Coordinator 4-Transfer Credit Specialists 1-Program Assistant** Transfer Counselor Adult Transfer & Project Graduate Coordinator ULtra-JCTC Transfer Coordinators (x2) Graduate Assistant ** - Proposed New Position

15. Future Initiatives Establish advising support in the Houchens Building Manage all communications utilizing Customer Relations Management (CRM) PS module Assess effectiveness in consultation with the Transfer Advisory Committee Collaborate with First Year Initiatives Office Reorganize and refocus Division of Continuing Studies 15

16. Questions and concerns may be addressed to: Dale B. Billingsley, Vice Provost Undergraduate Affairs Office of the Provostdbbill01@louisville.edu -- (502) 852-5209Jenny Sawyer, Executive DirectorOffice of Undergraduate Admissionsjenny.sawyer@louisville.edu – (502) 852-8531