New tool simplifies calculating graduation requirements
Planning a class schedule and working toward graduation just got a little easier.
Students can now see how their credits line up for university, department, second major and minor requirements. They can also see how their GPAs break down by category for their major, double major and overall through Degree Audit, a new program at Utah State University.
Degree Audit became available April 1 and is accessed by logging onto www.usu.edu/registrar/quad and clicking on Degree Audit.
By selecting “modeling” in the Degree Audit program, students can also choose a different major to see what requirements their classes count for and if they could graduate sooner with a different major.
“[Degree Audit] will help students make informed decisions before having to visit with an adviser,” said associate registrar Heidi Jo Beck. “It goes through exactly what you need to do. When there are options, it tells you what you can take. It tells you what you’ve already taken and what it fulfills.
“Degree audit is a tool and does not replace advising” Beck said.
Students seem to like the program but agree it does not beat meeting with a counselor.
“Degree Audit is a great tool for long-term planning, but is not the same as talking to an adviser,” said Matt Ethington, a junior majoring in accounting.
Eli Bingham said he checked out his profile under Degree Audit before visiting his adviser to choose classes for the fall semester.
Beck said she hopes Degree Audit will make time spent with advisers more meaningful, instead of just going over what classes to take. Advisers can keep notes of visits with students under their profile.
Bingham said the list of classes students need to take is very helpful and lets them see what they need to work on to finish up.
The report is a little long, Beck said, “but we’d rather have it give the information you need than be short and incomplete.”
So far, the program only helps with planning a bachelor’s degree, Beck said.
In the Degree Audit system, students can see how their credits transfer from other schools and puts more power into students’ hands to take control of their education because now they can be more responsible for making sure their courses are accounted appropriately.
“Being a transfer student, Degree Audit is critical in making sure of all my credits transfer for my major,” said Snow College transfer student Maren Vanhille, a junior majoring in communicative disorders. “This program has really helped inform me.”
Jacoba Larsen, a senior in economics, transferred to USU from BYU-Idaho, which has a Degree Audit program.
“It’s about time they got it,” Larsen said. “I loved it at BYU-Idaho back when I actually needed it. It was nice when I was trying to pick a major because I could see how long each [major] would take.”
Associate and master’s degree help will be implemented in the new Banner system. The complete Degree Audit program should be in place August 2005, Beck said.
Many schools in Utah have a Degree Audit program. Beck said BYU’s system has been in place for about 14 to 15 years, Utah Valley State College for about 10 years. USU will be using the same program UVSC and Salt Lake Community College use.
Two years ago students increased their second tier tuition money. They wanted a Degree Audit program because they thought it would help advising, Beck said.
The colleges of Business, Education and Human Services, and Science have used the system the most, Beck said.
“We are hoping students are finding it and using it,” Beck said.
Bingham found out about the program through an e-mail from the College of Business.
Ethington said, “Degree Audit makes it easier to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m excited to use it for the next semester. Too bad we did not have it when I was a scared freshman.”
-lindseykay@cc.usu.edu