Verifying the Completion of Degree Requirements

Amelia Jackson Assistant Registrar for Degree Audit University of Colorado Boulder

Gwen Persons Graduation Certification Specialist University of Colorado Denver

University of Colorado

• Tools used to assist with the certification process

– DARS Degree Audit Reporting System– BAS Batch Audit Software & Reports from

Batch audits– Singularity Document Management System

CU Boulder’s Process

• Individual DARS audits used year round by both Students and Advisors

– Continuous use helps identify issues early on

– Running an updated audit prior to course registration, lets the student see what requirements they are lacking and allows them to link to course descriptions for better course planning

– Helps students stay on track to earning their degree

Individual Degree Audits

• Used year round by both Students and Advisors

– Continuous use helps identify issues early on

– Running an updated audit prior to course registration, lets the student see what requirements they are lacking and allows them to link to course descriptions for better course planning

– Helps students stay on track to earning their degree

Exceptions Processed in the DARS System

• Advisors process exceptions to students degree requirement in DARS

– keeps an electronic record of the exception (with approval information)

– Helps the student have an accurate picture of where they are with completing their degree requirements

CollegeSource’sBatch Audit Software (BAS)

• Large batches of individual audits for each college

– Output is a PDF of continuous individual student audits

– Files are archived in Singularity as individual audits under each specific student as well as the entire large file

Graduation Check Batch Run Schedule

Run # Information on when the run will occur

1st Run Day after Census

2nd Run 4 weeks after initial run

3rd Run 1 week after the deadline for students to apply to graduate and have their name appear in the commencement program

4th Run Day after our I/F conversion grading process for the semester

5th Run Day after our final confirmed lists are due from our colleges

6th Run 3 Days before Degrees are posted on Transcripts

Reporting off of the Batch Audit Runs

• High level Yes/No statusYes = No =

Including “IP” (In-Progress) courses =

– After registration for the next term, two reports are provided

1) Includes “IP” courses

2) Excludes “IP” courses

Ways advisors are using the report

• Identify which students are not meeting their requirements early on in the semester– Add missing exceptions– Move the student to a future term if they will not be able

to meet the requirements by the end of the term• Identify if there is an encoding issue within the audit if

all pending graduating students in a major are not meeting requirements– Sent to the degree audit staff to review encoding and

correct where needed

Denver’sMilo the Lynx

Boulder’s Chip the Buffalo

University of Colorado Denver

• Tools used to assist with the certification process

– DARS Degree Audit Reporting System– BAS Batch Audit Software & Reports from Batch audits– Singularity Document Management System– A-PDF– PeopleSoft

University of Colorado Denver

• Special circumstances– Full undergraduate degree audit implementation

began Fall 2013– Basic degree requirement check is Phase 1 of larger

graduation certification initiative– Ultimate goal: full centralized graduation clearance

using degree audit

CU Denver’s Process

• Basic campus degree requirement check– GPA– Total hours

• Other requirements checked by individual schools and colleges (for now)

Pilot to Permanent

• In Pilot stage from Fall 2012-Summer 2013• Permanent process implemented Fall 2013

– Phased down from a Registrar/Dean process– Working group of Advisors and Registrar staff

convened– Timing aligned with campus graduation procedures

What Do We Check?

• Basic campus degree requirement check– Minimum 2.0 GPA– Minimum 120 applicable hours

• Non-applicable repeat credit removed (including repeat from transfer credit, cross-listed, renumbered and no co-credit groups)

– Missing grades from previous semesters indicated

Batch Audit Process

• Specialized audit runs 5 times per semester: Check Timing Population

Pre-Check (optional) 2 weeks to 1 month prior to term

List provided by School/College

Census Check Day after Census Graduation Roster (ISIS)

Mid-Semester Check Halfway through term Graduation Roster (ISIS)

Grade Post Check Day after Grades Post Graduation Roster (ISIS)

Degree Post Check Day after Degree Post Degrees conferred list

Outcomes

• Report summarizes data from batch audits– Merged with report including biographical info and additional

detail from student information system

• “Issues List” submitted to DA Coordinators • A final “Watch List” submitted to Registrar and Advising

Directors at end of semester

• Registrar holds degrees until issues are resolved

Reporting and Archiving

• Service Indicator mass applied/mass released at each check– Reason codes for each check; Okay vs. Issue

• Batch transcripts run off of Service Indicator

• Batch transcript and batch audit PDFs split by student number and archived in Singularity

Lofty Goals• Full graduation requirement check

– Degree audit fully implemented Fall 2013– Will begin checking students as early as Fall 2015

• Piloting a 90 Hour Check - Summer 2014– Students with 90-120 transcripted hours– Reporting GPA, non-applicable repeat and

missing grades from completed terms

Questions?

Comments?Share how your institution verifies the Completion of

Degree Requirements

Thank You for Attending

Amelia R. Jackson Assistant Registrar for Degree Audit University of Colorado Boulder amelia.r.jackson@colorado.edu

Gwen Persons Graduation Certificate Specialist University of Colorado Denver gwendolyn.persons@ucdenver.edu