AGSC & STARS… “Then and Now”

1. AGSC & STARS… “Then and Now” Presented by Dendy Moseleyto Focus Group for Mississippi Articulation on October 22, 2009 “GET THE GUIDE”

2. Overview NOW…Since AGSC/STARS THEN…Prior to AGSC/STARS & THE FUTURE

3. Articulation Agreements… NOW…Since AGSC/STARS Statewide articulation agreement implemented and maintained by the AGSC through the STARS program. Mandated by state law ACT 94-202. All agreements are now MAJOR DRIVEN! THEN…Prior to AGSC/STARS Some institution specific agreements… Universities set up individual articulation agreements between themselves and primary feeder schools. Agreements were INSITUTION DRIVEN!

4. Transfer Student Protection NOW…Since AGSC/STARS Individual contracts... State approved contract between student and public four-year institutions. Protects students against random changes by universities. Four-year institutions can still change their requirements, but those changes do not directly effect the transfer of course work listed on transfer guides. THEN…Prior to AGSC/STARS None... Four-year schools could change transfer requirements at any moment without notification.

5. Statewide Articulation Committees… NOW…Since AGSC/STARS Over 30 standing academic discipline committees… Each set up to review and make transfer/articulation recommendations to the AGSC for state approval. Today, all institutions have an opportunity to have a voice and vote on articulation issues. THEN…Prior to AGSC/STARS Some pre-professional organizations across the state... No mandates in place to create common transfer agreements between four-year institutions and two-year institutions.

6. Advising… NOW…Since AGSC/STARS Advisors at the community college can now print out transfer guides for their advises… STARS Guides can be obtained in less than five minutes. Advisors can use these documents to assist students as they lay out their first two years of course work. THEN…Prior to AGSC/STARS Full-time advisors or faculty advisors spent hours calling and writing various universities in-state to find out what they would accept or not accept upon transfer... There was no way to keep up with changes made by the four-year institutions. Many of the agreements in oral form…nothing concrete in writing.

7. Two-Year Course Offerings… NOW…Since AGSC/STARS Two-Year College Course Directory more streamlined… Courses are now marked as A, B, C depending on whether or not they are AGSC approved. Institutions offer more sections of the primary AGSC transferable courses (don’t have to offer a few sections of each and every course). THEN…Prior to AGSC/STARS Two-Year College Course Directory lists thousands of possible courses (very cumbersome)… No determinations of which courses will and which will not transfer. Two-year institutions tried to offer hundreds of classes in multiple academic areas.

8. Four Year Degree Audits… NOW…Since AGSC/STARS Many, if not all, four-year institutions have streamlined their degree audit systems to automatically pick up AGSC approved courses for the two-year college system and automatically award degree credit. THEN…Prior to AGSC/STARS Difficult to implement and maintain due to various articulation agreements in place.

9. Recruiting Information… NOW…Since AGSC/STARS Monthly reports sent to each four-year institution that detail transfer guide usage by students at each and every public two-year college in the state. These reports contain numeric usage as well as names, addresses, e-mail, phone-numbers, student’s major and community college information for each “hit”. THEN…Prior to AGSC/STARS None… Unless initiated by four-year institutions.

10. Appeals Process… NOW…Since AGSC/STARS AGSC/STARS Appeals process in place… Protects students who print and follow STARS Transfer guides. Forces institutions to accept coursework and graduate transfer students in a timely manner without hassle. THEN…Prior to AGSC/STARS None... Students who experienced transfer problems had no recourse when they felt that their transfer work was not honored.

11. Academic Costs… NOW…Since AGSC/STARS Millions of taxpayer dollars are saved because students/parents now can obtain state approved transfer guides that, if use correctly, can save them large by not having to retake courses that would not transfer or count toward their bachelor degrees. THEN…Prior to AGSC/STARS Millions of taxpayer dollars were spent by students/parents to re-take courses at four-year institutions because the course they took at the two-year institution was deemed unworthy of transfer credit.

12. STARS Usage… NOW…Since AGSC/STARS Over 400,000 transfer guides have been viewed/printed since the fall of 1998. Over 80,000 in 2007-2008(most ever!) THEN…Prior to AGSC/STARS No state-approved transfer guides printed.

13. & THE FUTURE • FAQ pages for students and administrators • Online help (chat live) • Instant e-mail of transfer guide to student • AGSC/STARS Electronic Newsletter (semi-annual) • Additional research on transfer student success • Work to improve website • Work to improve communications between institutions • Continue to work to improve Area V pages

14. QUESTIONS…

15. CONTACT INFORMATION: Mr. Dendy Moseley Program Coordinator of AGSC/STARS 1101South Brundidge Street Room 107- Extended Learning Center Troy University Troy, AL 36081 334-670-3653 (office) 334-670-3695 (fax) dmoseley@stars.troy.edu