Georgia State has joined six other programs throughout the country in the quest in better assisting degree completion as the Student Advisement Center launches their new advisement program, Georgia State’s Graduation and Progression System (GPS).
“National data shows that advising is one of the most important aspects for student success and retention,” said Director of the Student Advisement Center Carolyn Cohen.
Through Georgia State historical data, GPS helps predict a student’s success in their major with the Major Matcher feature. In addition to the Major matcher feature, advisors are able to track students’ progress for degree completion on a daily basis.
“We have found at Georgia State that timely interventions in a student’s academic career help ensure that they remain on track academically and efficiently use the time and financial resources that they are investing in their education,” said Cohen.
Most of the advisement department launched the program during the first week of class this semester. The remaining Offices of Academic Assistance began GPS on October 18and plan to receive more feedback on the program.
“The Student Advisement Center, as well as the Offices of Academic Assistance for the Robinson College of Business and the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, has received very positive feedback from our students,” said Cohen.
“I think the GPS program is beneficial,” said Georgia State junior Johnathan Moore. “If students are unaware of their progress or are not able to correctly read their academic evaluations, the program can let them know.”
According to Cohen, the Student Advisement Center hopes Georgia State’s GPS program will decrease the amount of time students need to complete their degree at Georgia State and increase “outreach to students” on completing their degree on time.
In addition to the GPS program, the Student Advisement department is also relocating. Georgia State will be opening the new University Advisement Center (UAC), which will serve students from their freshman year through their junior year of college, in the SunTrust Tower during the middle of spring semester.
“We are excited that through this initiative and with the hiring of new advisors the advisor to student ratio will be approximately 1-300 for every advisor,” said Cohen.
Students are hopeful about the GPS program and the opening of the UAC in the SunTrust Tower. Georgia State sophomore Marlena Collins says the relocation to SunTrust will help accommodate more students with a larger office space.
“Both of these changes will benefit the whole Student Advisement operation,” said Collins. “Hopefully by this time next year, the Student Advisement department will be more accessible and knowledgeable than ever before.”
Moore agrees that the changes will benefit both students and advisors.
“That’s a really good idea,” said Moore. “More advisors will cut down the hassle and stress during the year, especially during Open Advisement.”
Cohen believes these recent changes in the advisement department will bring forth academic success for students in a timely manner.
“By providing quality academic advising, helping students with major selection, tracking student progression through technology such as GPS, reviewing important academic policies, and effectively articulating transfer credit, the UAC will help students lay the foundation and develop a plan for how they can graduate in a timely manner from Georgia State,” said Cohen.
