AzCAS and Advising for the "New Transfer Model"

1. AzCAS and Advising for the "New Transfer Model" 2003 Arizona Academic Advising Conference Casey Self, ASU Amy Fountain, Arizona CAS Team

2. Preview! • Overview of the ATASS system • The Transfer Model – Advantages for Students, Resources for Advisors • Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) • Common Courses • Transfer Pathways • Questions and Contact Info

3. ATASS Overview - Goals • To ensure that community college students may transfer to Arizona public universities without loss of credit toward a baccalaureate degree

4. Statewide Committees Note: The Arizona CAS Implementation Team & CAS Users Group also report to APASC via the Statewide Staff

5. ATASS Overview - Advising • Academic Advising Articulation Task Force (AAATF) • Meets twice a year • Met October 6, before this conference • Addresses advising issues related to transfer • Transfer Student Ombudspersons (TSO) • At least one TSO on each campus • Works with other TSOs to solve student transfer issues • TSOs are also members of the AAATF • Statewide Advising Directory • Under construction, needs links from your school!

7. ATASS Overview – Statewide Staff • Articulation Facilitator – Dr. Gretchen Schmidt • Leader of statewide Quality Team • CAS Transfer Analyst – Dr. Amy Fountain • Business analyst for CEG and CAS • CAS Technical Analysts – Ms. Rebecca McKay • An additional technical analyst will be hired in 2004

8. Changes at the State Level • Dissolution of State Board of Directors for Community Colleges • Arizona Community College Association assuming coordinating responsibility • University Changing Directions Initiative • Continued commitment and oversight by both sectors

9. Finding Policy Information on CAS • “Arizona Transfer Policy Updates” contain new policy initiatives or changes that might affect advising for the Transfer Model.

11. Overview of the Model • Arizona General Education Curriculum • Best advice for the totally undecided student • Use in conjunction with transfer guides for decided students • Common Courses • Designed for students who know their major, but not their university • Can also be used by students exploring several majors, common courses are “safe” choices • Transfer Pathways • For students who have decided on their major, but not their university – or – • For students who wish to complete a Transfer Associate’s degree

12. AGEC - Definition • 35 Semester hour general education block • Each Arizona Community College has an AGEC • AGEC-A for liberal arts degrees (college algebra or college math) • AGEC-B for Business degrees (brief calculus) • AGEC-S for Science degrees (calculus, and physics, biology or chemistry) • The only differences between these AGECs are the math and science requirements • AGEC-S > AGEC-B > AGEC-A

13. AGEC - Advantages • Completed AGEC satisfies all lower-division General Education requirements at ASU, NAU, UA • Completed AGEC guarantees admission to ASU, NAU, UA • Completed AGEC seems to increase student success after transfer!

14. AGEC - Advantages For students from Pima to UA, Transferring Fall 2001 (1 year retention) Thanks to Dave Padgett of Pima Community College for sharing these statistics!

15. AGEC - Advantages For students from Pima to UA, Transferring Fall 2000 (2 year retention) Thanks to Dave Padgett of Pima Community College for sharing these statistics!

16. AGEC - Advantages For students from Pima to UA, Transferring Fall 2000 Thanks to Dave Padgett of Pima Community College for sharing these statistics!

18. Common Courses - Definition • Common Courses are recommended lower-division preparation for a major offered by two or more of the public universities • Common Courses are decided upon by faculty committees called Articulation Task Forces • Common Courses will satisfy major, minor, prerequisite or elective requirements for all majors with which they articulate.

19. Common Courses - Advantages • Common Courses are ‘safe’ choices for a student who’s undecided about which university to attend • Common Courses provide an alternative for students exploring a number of possible majors – they will transfer to all universities as elective or better, and could apply to completion of a major or minor.

22. Pathways - Definition • Transfer Pathways are an advising tool to help students identify their best transfer strategy. • Most include an Associate’s degree (AA, ABus, AS), as well as an AGEC (A, B or S), and common courses. • If common courses are required for the pathway to work for a student, the pathway is an “SR” (Special Requirements) • If common courses are recommended, the pathway is a “GR” (General Requirements) • Degrees marked as “TG-XR” (Transfer Guide, Exceptional Requirements) may not be able to accommodate an AGEC and common courses before transfer.

23. Pathways - Advantages • Students who complete an SR or GR pathway will earn an associate’s degree. • Students who complete an SR or GR pathway will earn an AGEC. • Students who complete an SR or GR pathway, and transfer into one of the university majors that articulates with that pathway will have no more than 56 credits left to complete at the university.

25. Questions & Contacts • Casey Self, ASU (casey.self@asu.edu) • Amy Fountain, CAS Team (amy.fountain@asu.edu) • CAS Advising Tab • (http://az.transfer.org/cas/advisors) • Your CAS Team • (http://az.transfer.org/cas/students/your_cas_team.htm)