Atlanta Metropolitan State College Campus Plan Update 2018

Institutional Mission and Student Body Profile

Founded in 1974, Atlanta Metropolitan State College (AMSC or Atlanta Metro or the College) is a public, access institution governed by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG). A core goal of AMSC is to provide a high quality, low-cost, and accessible post-secondary education to residents primarily in the metro-Atlanta region.  While the core priority of the college is academics, AMSC endeavors for each student to take away a holistic and deeper experience that integrates academics and a range of co-curricular activities, including experiential learning, life-skills training, leadership coaching, and civic/community services. The College’s mission specifically addresses the needs of the urban, underrepresented, and under-resourced population who will, upon completion, return to and positively transform the economic, social, and civic standing of society, particularly in the metro Atlanta region.  

For the FY18 academic year, AMSC had an enrollment of 2,501 (fall) and 2,268 (spring). The student demographic was composed of a 3:2 ratio of traditional/non-traditional students; 40% adult learners; 55% part-time students, fully commuter campus, with the race demographic consisting of 92% African-American, 3% Caucasian, 3% Hispanic, and 2% Asian. Thirty-three percent (33%) of AMSC’s students were enrolled in at least one learning support class each semester. Despite the numerous completion barriers for many of its students, AMSC is proud to have the highest three-year, Associate Degree graduation rate (22%) among State Colleges in the USG. Moreover, AMSC leads the USG State College sector in Associate degree graduation rates for both male and female African-American students. Seventy-four percent (74%) of Atlanta Metro’s students receive the Pell grant, and 90%+ receive some form of financial aid. The College’s highest enrolled academic programs, and highest number of degrees conferred annually, are in Business Administration, Allied Health, and Criminal Justice.

AMSC’s 43-year history is replete with success stories of students who enter AMSC, many in learning support classes, who graduate from AMSC, transfer to and distinguish themselves at the most prestigious professional, research, and graduate schools in the USG and nation, and enjoy distinguished careers. Sixty percent (60%) of AMSC’s students are first generation, and 95%+ are Georgia residents, from metro-Atlanta urban communities. The ability of AMSC to contribute graduates to the local workforce in a wide range of occupations, with certificate to bachelor’s degree credentials, is a unique characteristic of the College.

Atlanta Metropolitan State College was approved for a level change in 2012, and is currently a level two SACSCOC accredited institution, with the highest level being the baccalaureate degree. The College has six bachelor’s programs in Business Administration, Digital Media and Entertainment, Applied Mathematics, Biological Science, Criminal Justice, and Organizational Leadership, a fully online e-Major program.  Other AMSC signature programs include the Moses Ector Law Enforcement Leadership Academy (MELELA), a 1+2 Joint Program in Radiologic Technology with Grady Hospital, transfer articulation agreements with Atlanta and Georgia Piedmont Technical Colleges for criminal justice, and a teacher education program offered by Kennesaw State University on the AMSC campus. AMSC engages in numerous metro-Atlanta and community-based partnerships that “connect the college to the community.” AMSC partners are from a range of sectors, including (1) corporate, (2) secondary and post-secondary education, (3) small businesses, (4) medical, (5) entrepreneurships, (6) government, and (7) Faith-Based/Private institutions. AMSC has a $114M economic impact on the metro-Atlanta region.

Atlanta Metropolitan State College has two overarching Complete College Georgia (CCG) priorities: (1) to achieve and sustain, at a minimum, the national graduation rates for associate’s and bachelor’s degree seekers, and (2) to award 600 post-secondary credentials annually, by 2025. Since the initiation of CCG, AMSC has increased its completions from 276/year to a high of 391/year, representing a +42% increase in credentials conferred over a six-year period (graph below).  The high impact strategies presented in this CCG update continues to move the institution closer to its 2025 targets.

Summary of Activities

High-impact Strategy #1: 1-in-3

Strategy 1.0: 1-in-3 (one Associate’s degree in three years) provides a milestone and goal-setting strategy for part-time students to graduate in three years with an Associate’s degree.

Related Goal

Goal 1: Ensure student completion within a limited timeframe

Demonstration of Priority and/or Impact

The College’s “1-in-3” strategy complements its “15-to-finish” strategy. AMSC fully embraces and advises its full-time students to follow the “15-to-finish” strategy put forth by Complete College America and implemented by the USG. With the “15-to-finish” strategy, AMSC advises students to register for 15 credit hours each semester to graduate with the Associate’s degree within two years. A load of fifteen (15) credits has proven practical for AMSC traditional students who have the wherewithal to spend most of their time on campus, with essentially a single primary educational focus and few or no competing interest to attaining the degree.

The feasibility of a 15-credit hour load, per semester, is quite different, however, for commuter, part-time students. This is particularly so for those part-time students with competing interest such as family, with financial responsibilities requiring full-time employment and with limited income. For part-time students facing these challenges, 15-to-finish is impractical to successfully sustain over a two-year period. Nonetheless, completion milestones and goal-setting are arguably more important for part-time students because their drop-out and completion rates are significantly higher than full-tine students.  Thus, “1-in-3” provides a meaningful and achievable alternative, particularly for part-time students who are unable to successfully achieve the 15-to-finish goal. “1-in-3” challenges part-time students to finish the Associate’s degree within three years, 150% of the expected time to completion, based on national estimates.  Atlanta Metro will employ a range of strategies, including academic advising, interventions, and monitoring activities, provided below, to achieve the “1-in 3” objective.

Impact: 

Because part-time students are a majority (60%) of the AMSC student population, this group is essential to CCG success. Fifty-five to sixty percent (55%-60%), approximately 1400 of AMSC students, consistently register part-time status (less than 12 hours) and benefit from this strategy.  AMSC part-time students, including learning support students, graduate at a fraction of the rate compared to that for full-time students. The “1-in-3” strategy reduces the time to completion of part-time students and is projected to have a significant impact on their completion numbers and rates.

Primary Point of Contact

Sharon R. Duhart, Director for Academic Advising and Success, sduhart@atlm.edu

Dr.  Mark A. Cunningham, Vice President, Institutional Effectiveness, mcunningham@atlm.edu

Summary of Activities

Activities to Support the “1-in-3” Strategy

Students who take less than 15 credits per semester must either make up those hours during summer terms or have alternative options and access to complete expanded coursework that are complementary to their work, family, and other responsibilities that compete directly with college completion.  Therefore, the College has implemented the following activities to accommodate the “1-in-3” strategy:

(1) Provide intrusive advising, that aggressively promotes, strongly encourages, monitors, and guides students to follow specifically designed 3-year program/pathway maps to graduation. These maps require strategically outline suggested course schedules for part-time students. To achieve the “1-in-3” goal, part-time students must register an average of 10 credits per semester, including summer terms;

(2) Utilize data-driven decisions and DegreeWorks strategies for integrating and maximizing the efficiency of program maps, advising data, course selection/demands, and historical registration patterns to ensure that students have the on-time courses (campus and online) they need, while also maximizing the allocation of resources by the College. Atlanta Metro tags this outcome as “Smart Scheduling”;

 (3) Monitor off-track students and provide immediate “Early Alert” intervention strategies that put them back-on-track to graduation;

(4) Monitor and provide academic support interventions to increase the earned/attempted credit hour ratio, which has a significant impact on student completion;

(5) Provide multiple registration terms and options for course scheduling during the semester, with various compressed classes and delivery method options;

(6) Provide flexible evening and week-end class scheduling options for working students;

(7) Facilitate consistent support structures and interactions (remote and in-person) such as learning cohorts, study groups, and study sessions to support tangible and intangible student needs.

Measures of Progress and Success

Baseline measures

Fall 2015

Average Registered Hours:

• 13.4 Credit Hours (Full-time Students)
• 7.4 Credit Hours (Part-time Students)

Average Earned/Attempted Hours:

• 79.1% (Full-time Students)
• 72.4 (Part-time Students)

Fall 2016

Completions (Part-time Students within 150% or 3 Years):

• 61% (N = 229) of All Completions

Interim Measures of Progress

Fall 2017

Average Registered Hours:

• 13.5 Credit Hours (Full-time Students)
• 7.2 Credit Hours (Part-time Students)

Average Earned/Attempted Hours:

• 77.5 (Full-time Students)
• 72.2 (Part-time Students)

Completions (Part-time Students within 150% or 3 Years):

• 59% of (N = 229) All Completions

Measures of Success

Annual Target:

• Two percent (2%) increase in average registered hours and earned/attempt ratio  

2025 Targets:

• 15 Credit Hours (Full-time Students)
• 10 Credit Hours (Part-time Students)

Average Earned/Attempted Hours

• 88% (Full-time Students)
• 85% (Part-time Students)

Completion (Part-time Students within 150% or 3 Years):

• 70%

Analysis and Lessons Learned

When comparing fall 2017 CCG results, to fall 2015/2016 baselines, the average registered hours and earned/attempted hours for part-time students are flat. Thus, there were neither gains nor losses with these important completion metrics for part-time students. When the data for these metrics are disaggregated, however, some divisions and majors show statistical differences from others, though the overall average is flat. This lack of precision means that the strategy is not be equally implemented across campus with all divisions and majors.  For FY19, the College will put in place more specific and frequent reporting and monitoring controls to ensure equal implementation of the strategy throughout the campus.

A major challenge to achieving the “1-in-3” strategy is identifying, characterizing, and resolving the barriers to part-time students that prevent them from registering more course credits each semester. The College has learned over time that critical interventions are essential: (1) accessible course times and days, with various delivery methods (2) various types (campus and remote) of “on-time”  academic support, and (3) multiple opportunities for peer-to-peer, student-to-faculty interactions are critically important for the intangibles  (e.g. motivation, completion mindset, ownership, tenacity, follow-through) that are essential for the success of students. The application of these interventions is critically important and should be nimble and dynamic, aligning with the specific needs of the students, which often changes from one semester to the next, and from one class to the next.

An interesting statistic is that for a given three-year period, a higher number of credentials are awarded to part-time students than those awarded to full-time students (59% vs. 41%, respectively). This is partially explained statistically because the College has a higher part-time student population (60:40 part-time/full-time ratio). This finding does, however, demonstrate that part-time students have great potential, and that their completion of the associate’s degree within three years is a realistic, attainable expectation. The goal is to move the percentage completion of part-time students to at least 70% by 2025. 

High-impact Strategy #2: Adult Learners

Strategy 2.0: Increases completion for adult learners (25 years and older).

Related Goal

Goal 1: Increase higher education access for underserved and/or priority communities

Demonstration of Priority and/or Impact

Over a 2- year period, traditional students have a higher number of completions than adult learners. Conversely, over extended, 3-4 year periods, adult learners have a higher number of completions than traditional students. The retention rate of adult learners, however, drops significantly over longer periods, thus adversely affecting their completion.  Given these statistics, the goal of this strategy is to reduce the time and cost to completion for adult learners to further enhance their completion rates. This strategy will also have the net effect of increasing the year-to-year retention rate of adult learners.

Impact: A significant percentage (40%) of AMSC’s student population are adult learners. Improving completion within this cohort will have major impact.  Approximately 300 adult learners are impacted by this strategy, each semester.

Primary Point of Contact

Dr. Kokila Ravi, Director for Distance Education and Specialized Programs, kravi@atlm.edu

Summary of Activities

The College employed several activities to achieve this strategy:

(1) Provide targeted computer and technology support for adult learners, a major barrier to this cohort for taking online courses;

(2) Provide a variety of adult learner focused or “friendly” online courses. Note that these courses have the same rigor, learning outcomes, and content as other courses, but address pedagogical needs specific to adult learners;

(3) Provide multiple registration terms and options for course scheduling during the semester, with various compressed classes and delivery method options;

(4) Provide flexible evening and week-end flexible class scheduling options for working and adult learner students;

(5) Facilitate consistent support structures and interactions (remote and in-person) such as learning communities, study groups, and study sessions to support tangible and intangible student needs.

Measures of Progress and Success

Note: Totals may not equal 100% due to other delivery methods chosen (e.g. eCore, Pinewood Studios)

Baseline measures

Fall 2016

Type Student By Headcount

• Adult Learner: 1233 (46%)
• Traditional Student: 1435 (54%)

Student Self-Selected Delivery Method by Semester Credit Hours (SCH)

• Adult Learners: Campus: 8018(71%) SCH; Online: 3139(28%) SCH
• Traditional Student: Main: 12947 SCH (87%); Online: 1851(13%) SCH 

Student Self-Selected Registration Periods

• Adult Learner:  Full Session: 7561(67%) SCH, 12-Week: 1775(16%) SCH; 10 Week:137(1%) SCH; Mini-mester 7-Week:1684(15%) SCH
• Traditional Student: Full Session: 10990(74%) SCH, 12-Week:2261(15%) SCH:  10 Week:240 (2%) SCH; Mini 7-Week: 1367(9%) SCH

Interim Measures of Progress

Fall 2017

Type Student By Headcount:

• Adult Learner: 965(40%); Traditional Student: 1466(60%)
• Student Self-Selected Delivery Method
• Adult Learners: Campus: 5997(72%) SCH; Online: 2487(28%) SCH
• Traditional Student: Main: 12947(85%) SCH; Online: 1851(15%) SCH

Student Self-Selected Registration Periods

• Adult Learner:  Full Session: 5502(63%) SCH, 12-Week;1374 (16%) SCH; 10 Week:144(2%) SCH; Mini-mester 7-Week:1422(16%) SCH
• Traditional Student: Full Session: 10831(71%) SCH, 12-Week: 2600(17%) SCH; 10 Week:294 (2%) SCH; Mini 7-Week:1404 (9%) SCH

Measures of Success

2025 Target

Number adult learners expanding course selection to non-traditional delivery methods (e.g., online, compressed classes, evening/weekend): 50%

Lessons Learned

The majority of part-time students are adult learners, thus adult learners also benefit from the previous completion strategy targeting part-time students. The major barrier for most adult learners is returning to the classroom after an extended time since high school graduation, with particular challenges in mathematics and technology-based courses. Thus, strategies to expand delivery method options for adult learners involve incorporate better access, as well as additional academic support and training that target the specific needs of adult learners. Emphasizing technology in the College’s First Year Experience courses and redesigned “Adult Friendly” online courses are two successful interventions targeting the specific needs of adult learners. Multiple registration terms and online classes have provided greater access for adult learners and has resulted in higher completion rates with this student population.

The percentage of adult learners in online classes for the FY2017 CCG is flat and has been so for the prior two years. This suggests that the College may have reach the optimum level (28%) and variety of online offerings. The recent launch, however, of a new AMSC online program (Organizational Leadership), co-sponsored as a member of a USG Consortium, has sparked enormous interest, with 30+ students in the first year. This high demand response suggests that there is opportunity for greater online access within the adult learner population. It is encouraging that adult learners continue to perform better in “Adult-Friendly” online courses than traditional online courses. Consequently, the College plans to continue expanding its “Adult-Friendly” courses to more disciplines. While the pedagogy in the “Adult Friendly” classes address technology and other challenges specific to adult learners, the rigor, scope of content, and learning outcome assessments are the same as those of traditional online classes.  

Another completion strategy that the College continues to employ is the offering of multiple registration times - also called “multiple start times” - and various compressed class options each semester. The data results show that adult learners are benefiting and utilizing non-traditional course delivery methods and scheduling at a higher percentage than traditional students. Adult learners utilize mini-mester, 7.5-week classes, at a significantly higher rate (16%) than traditional students (9%).  Adult learners utilize full-term 15-week classes at a lower rate (63%)   than traditional students (71%). When asked why this is the case, adult learners indicate access and capability with work and family scheduling as top priority and the single top reason for their class scheduling and delivery choices.  Except for more difficult classes (e.g. science, math), success rates are not affected by the length of the class. In fact, the pass rates are higher in several compressed courses than those of full-session 15-week courses.

High-impact Strategy #3: Dual Enrollment

Strategy 3.0: Increase access to post-secondary education for high school students via dual credit, Dual Enrollment Programs

Related Goal 3

Goal 6: Shorten time to degree completion through programs that allow students to earn college credit while still in high school

Demonstration of Priority and/or Impact

In addition to the benefit of shortening time and cost to a College degree for high school students, this strategy also creates a pipeline of college-ready students to enroll in AMSC’s baccalaureate programs after high school graduation, thus addressing an essential need of the College to sustain and grow high producing bachelor’s programs.

Impact: The impact for this strategy for FY18 was approximately 300 high school students per semester.

Primary Point of Contact

Mr. Donnie Wright, Dual Enrollment Coordinator, dwright@atlm.edu

Dr. Kimberly Grimes-Solomon, Vice President, Student Affairs, kgsolomon@atlm.edu

Summary of Activities

The AMSC dual enrollment strategies cover a range of activities, including: expansion of the dual enrollment recruiting service area, providing support for DE students with transportation challenges, financial aid/admissions literacy workshops for DE parents and students, personalized DE academic support, DE book loans (to defray cost), specialized DE campus orientations, and day-to-day monitoring of DE student progress to ensure their success. For high school students with the maturity level and academic foundation, increased emphasis has been placed on early enrollment into the DE program for attainment of the Associate’s Degree with the high school diploma.  In the past, this strategy focused on three Early College partnerships (Maynard Jackson, Booker T. Washington, and Carver Early College High Schools). AMSC has expanded its Dual Credit program to   D.M. Therrell High, which the College now provides four (4) APS Early College programs.

Measures of Progress and Success

Baseline measures

Fall 2014

• Dual Enrollment Headcount: 86 Headcount (2.8% of Total Student Population)
• Pass Rates: 89%
• Post-Secondary Credentials Awarded to High School Students: 0

Interim Measures of Progress

Fall 2017

• Dual Enrollment Headcount:  209 Headcount (8.6% of Total Student Population)
• Pass Rates:  82.6%
• Post-Secondary Credentials Awarded to High School Students: 7

Measures of Success

 2025 Target

• Dual Enrollment Headcount: 400 Headcount
• Pass rate: 95%
• Post-Secondary Credentials Awarded to High School Students: 16

Lessons Learned

The 143% increase in the number of Dual enrollment students over a three-year period demonstrates the demand of the DE program. The dual enrollment student’s pass rate of 82%, though representing a decrease from fall 2014, clearly demonstrates the capacity of dual enrollment students to succeed in college level classes. Moreover, increasingly the number of dual enrollment students to graduate from high school with the Associate’s degree (7 graduates, FY2017) is a win-win for all stakeholders of the dual enrollment program and identifies an important cost and completion benefits to students of this AMSC CCG strategy. 

A low student/staff ratio is important for the success of Dual Enrollment (DE) students to provide the range and quality of services and support structure they require. The AMSC Dual Enrollment Coordinator is currently responsible for monitoring the academic success and individual needs of the Dual Enrollment students.  Additional academic and social support structures are essential and must be a top priority to support anticipated growth in proportion to the number of Dual Enrollment and Early College students.

High-impact Strategy #4: Gateway Course Redesign

Strategy 4.0:  Course Redesign for Higher Student Success in Low Pass Rate Gateway Courses (Momentum Year Preparation)

Related Goal 4

Goal 4: Increase degree completion, by increasing student success in gateway courses

Demonstration of Priority and/or Impact

AMSC’s highest attrition and lowest retention rates occur with freshman students who receive failing grades in gateway courses. In addition, data from the USG demonstrate a strong positive association between success in gateway courses and college completion. Thus, AMSC is committed to the USG Momentum Year Program efforts to redesign gateway courses for higher student pass rates and overall completion.  Because AMSC’s gateway courses have high learning support enrollment (35-40%, in FY18), this strategy has a significantly positive impact on the College’s learning support student population, which historically lags behind other students in retention, progression, and graduation (RPG) outcomes.

Impact: This strategy is expected to improve student success in gateway courses and have major impact on student completion, potentially affecting 33% of AMSC’s students, each semester.  

Primary Point of Contact

Vance Gray, Title: Dean, Division of Social Sciences, vgray@atlm.edu

Michael Heard, Vice President, Academic Affairs, mheard@atlm.edu

Summary of Activities

This strategy expands on existing activities of the College to address the challenges that students have with achieving success in gateway courses. Activities to improve gateway course success employs pedagogical improvements, formative assessments which incorporate student feedback and mindset in course implementation, course redesign, and high-level training of course instructors to better align teaching strategy with student learning styles. To date, AMSC has employed national best-practice strategies to improve completion of learning support students by eliminating pre-requisite learning support courses and replacing them with co-requisite learning support courses. This change has integrated learning support students earlier into college level gateway courses and provides the “on-time” math and English academic support for student success in the respective gateway courses.  The AMSC Momentum Year strategy will further expand benefits to all students in gateway courses. More details of the AMSC Momentum Year strategy is provided at the end of this report.

Measures of Progress and Success

Baseline measures

Fall 2016

• Pass rate of LS College Algebra Students (MATH 1111) with Co-req Students: 60.6% (N = 127)
• Pass rate of LS College Algebra Students (MATH 1111) After Completing Foundation Math: 57.1% (N = 91)
• Pass rate of Non-LS College Algebra (MATH 1111) Students: 58.4% (N = 404)
• Pass rate of LS English Composition (ENGL1101) Students with LS Co-Req Requirements: 59.6% (N = 52)
• Pass rate of Non-LS English Composition (ENGL1101) Students: 70.2% (N = 531)

Interim Measures of Progress

Fall 2017

• Pass rate of College Algebra (Math 1111) Students with LS Co-req Requirement: 66.3% (N = 249)
• Pass rate of Non-LS College Algebra (MATH 1111) Students: 65% (N = 320)
• Pass rate of English Composition (ENGL 1101) Students After Completing Foundation Math: 57.1% (N = 91):
• Pass rate of English Composition (ENGL 1101) Students with LS Co-Req Requirements: 50% (N-76)
• Pass rate for Non-LS English Composition (ENGL 1101) Students: 68.3% (N = 419)

Measures of Success

Annual Target:

• Three percent (3%) annual increase in the LS Co-Req pass rates of gateway Math and English courses; The overall goal is to sustain high academic performance of LS co-requisite students in gateway courses indistinguishable from that of non-LS students

2025 Target:

78% Pass rate of LS Co-Requisite students in gateway Math and English Courses

Lessons Learned

The Math course pass rate for the co-requisite learning support model continues to show gains over the previous years (66.3 for FY18 vs 60.6 for FY16), representing a 9.4% increase. For FY18, LS Math Co-Requisite students performed at higher pass rates (66.3%) than those (57.1%) of LS English Co-Requisite students. For Math 1111, LS students perform essentially at the same level (66%) as non-LS students (65%). Conversely, English non-LS students are performing higher (68%) when compared to learning support students (57%). The improvement in LS Math student’s results are explained in part by the emphasis placed, over the past six years, by the College on improving LS and gateway math courses, including a 5-year QEP program that focused on improving LS student success in math, and included significant training for faculty teaching LS Math classes. For the current classes, the percentage enrollment of learning support students is on average 30-35%.

As the class percentage of LS students increases, it is unclear if the current success of the co-requisite model is sustainable. The fall 2018 gateway courses will provide important data to assess the impact of increasing LS student percentages in gateway courses. An increase in LS student percentages in AMSC gateway courses is expected to occur for fall 2018 when the ACCUPLACER test is no longer a requirement for admissions. Class performance is stronger when the same instructor teaches both the gateway and learning support co-requisite courses. Many unexpected factors come into play when integrating LS students into gateway courses, such as the social dynamics and interactions between LS and Non-LS students in the class; Being careful to not stigmatize students who require an additional one-hour LS co-requisite class is important. The difficulty in the process of mainstreaming LS students into rigorous gateway courses should be comprehensively planned and implemented.

High-impact Strategy #5: Continuing and Returning Students

Strategy 5.0: Utilize various intervention strategies to improve retention, progression, and graduation (RPG) rates, particularly targeting continuing/returning students

Related Goal 3

Goal 6: Increase RPG rates of students

Demonstration of Priority and/or Impact

Though the drop-out rate is highest for freshman, the cohort with the highest number of drop-outs are continuing/returning students.  For all students, fewer student drop-outs occurs from the spring to fall semester (67% retention rate), when compared to fall to spring semester (50% retention rate). Though the College has reduced this semester-to-semester retention rate differential from the previous year, there is still significant work to be done.   Funds for a College education continue to be the primary barrier impacting progression of students to graduation. While AMSC has among the lowest tuition and fees in the USG, room, board, and books costs remain difficult for students to identify adequate funding support.

Impact: Collectively, these strategies can potentially impact up to 1900 students, each semester.

Primary Point of Contact

Dr. Curtis L. Todd, Associate Professor, Social Work, ctodd@atlm.edu

Summary of Activities

Multiple activities and strategies are targeted for continuing/returning, and full-time first-time students. These activities include:

(1) Intrusive advising, RPG monitoring, and a range of student services to support completion;

(2) Intensive advertising of pre-registration across multiple media methods: website, email, text, on campus “Did you register?” campaigns;

(3) Careful monitoring of student pre-registration completion and course selection inventories by faculty advisors of continuing/returning students to track advisee pre-registration progress; as well as faculty advisors contacting students who did not pre-register, answering their questions, and removing pre-registration barriers. Data clearly show that students who pre-register are more likely to return the subsequent semester, particularly, for spring to fall semesters, as indicated earlier, where a larger attrition gap exists, when compared to fall to spring semesters;

(4) Appropriate registration opportunities and sites, with adequate support staff at dedicated times, including day, evening and weekend hours, for traditional students and adult learners;

(5) GAP Funding – the College provides funding of small dollar amounts (up to $1500) for students who demonstrate great promise, but whose financial needs prohibit them from registering and completing their degree;

(6) Emergency Funding – students who demonstrate emergency need may receive funding support for unexpected emergencies that prohibit them from registering for and attending classes.  These emergency funds, granted once per year per student, while funds last, are designed to provide financial support to low-income students who otherwise do not have the financial wherewithal to attend and complete college.

Measures of Progress and Success

Baseline measures

• Continuing/Returning All Student Retention Rates
• 1-Semester Retention Rate – Continuing/Returning Students: 70.7% (Fall 2016 to Spring 2017)
• 1-Semester Retention Rate – Continuing/Returning Students: 47.8% (Spring 2017 to Fall 2017)
• First-time Full-time Student Retention and Graduation Rates
• Retention Rate (1 Year) – 57.3% (Fall 2014 to Fall 2015)
• Graduation Rate (3-Year) - 15.7% (FTFT2013)

Interim Measures of Progress

• Continuing/Returning Student Retention Rates
• 1-Semester Retention Rate – Continuing/Returning Students: 67.0% (Fall 2017 to Spring 2018)
• 1-Semester Retention Rate – Continuing/Returning Students: 50.4% (Spring 2018 to Fall 2018)
• First-time, Full-time (FTFT) Student Retention and Graduation Rates
• Retention Rate (1 Year) - 53.2% (Fall 2016 to Fall 2017)
• Graduation Rate (3-Year) -  21.8% (FTFT2014)

Measures of Success

Annual Targets

• Retention Rates (By semester): Increase 3% annually
• Graduation Rate (3-year)/Retention Rate (1-Year): Increase 2% annually

Targets

• Retention Rates (By Semester): 85% (Spring to Fall); 90% (Fall to Spring)
• Graduation/Retention Rates for FTFT: Sustain at least national levels for retention (1 year) and graduation rates (3-year, Associates Degree)

Lessons Learned

The success of RPG is a comprehensive campus-wide effort, and a result of the combination of all strategies listed in this report. The greatest success occurs when there is a collaborative effort, connecting all the parts of the CCG plan. The semester-to-semester retention rate is a relatively accurate RPG indicator. The 3-year Associate’s Degree graduation rate (22%) is very promising and serves as a crown achievement for the College and is also serving as a driving force for future AMSC CCG successes.

Observations and Projections

Atlanta Metropolitan State College is pleased to report the completion of its Momentum Year (MY) Plan, a USG initiative that will empower institutions to address critical needs of students in gateway courses and lead to improvement of completion goals. AMSC projects that implementation of the MY Plan will have a positive impact on its CCG outcomes. Following is an overview of the AMSC MY Plan.

Mission

Implement USG’s Momentum Year – “a starting point that helps students find their path, get on that path, and build velocity in the direction of their goals.”

Goals/Objectives

AMSC’s Momentum Year Strategy focuses on catapulting students toward completing key first-year metrics (measures of success), closing achievement gaps, and boosting retention, progression, and graduation rates at the College and among the state college sector within the USG. Following the 2017 USG Advising Summit, AMSC prepared an Inventory of practices that better enable students to enter and complete programs of study and academic pathways that prepare them to succeed in further education and career advancement. We address three (3) essential principles of the Momentum Year: (1) Purposeful Choice; (2) Academic Mindset; and (3) Pathway/Programs of study. This activity enabled the College to commit to understanding some of the key issues AMSC students face (identifying the problems), generating campus and stakeholder buy-in, and adoption of an action plan to achieve progress toward milestones and measures of success that will allow for continuous improvement to sustain the strategy. 

Momentum Year Strategic Timeline

Implementation Plan Developed, Inventory Collection: September 2017 – March 2018

Self-Study, Gathering Baseline Data, Momentum Year Summit: April 2018 – August 2018

Current Year Strategy 2018 – May 2019:  Strategic Activities

In keeping with the mission and initiative to achieve results toward the USG Momentum Year:

What are we going to do in 2018 – 2019?

• Advise students to enroll in core English and Math in the first year. (Pathway/Programs of Study)
• Advise students to enroll in nine (9) credit hours in their Academic Focus Area (Purposeful Choice)
• Advise student to enroll in 12 to 15 hours per semester or 30 hours in their first year (fall, spring, and summer). (Purposeful Choice)
• Encourage students to engage with surveys and campus academic and student activities that assist in the development of a positive academic mindset (Academic Mindset)

How we will achieve the goals? Reporting – Measures of Success

• Increase the number of students who attempt, and complete both English 0999/1101 and Math 0999/1111 in their first year;
• Increase the number of students who take an introductory course(s) in their academic focus area in their first year;
• Incorporate key learnings in from “Getting to Know Our Students: Mindset Survey” into First-Year Experience (FYEX 1630) course and New Student Orientation (Engagement) to incorporate a better understanding of the attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of AMSC students into onboarding and curriculum components designed to enhance the success of students;
• Redesign: Gateways to Completion (Accounting, American Government, English Composition (1101/0999), College Algebra 1111;
• Implement more broadly aligned Math Pathways Math 1101 and Math 1111; (Academic and Career Fit).