A core tenet of the Atlanta Metropolitan State College (also referred to as AMSC or “The Institution”) mission is to provide “educational access to a diverse student population.” AMSC serves a diverse student population:
- (45%) adult learners (25 years and older) vs. 55% traditional students (under 24 Years old)
- 55% first-generation
- 60% Part-time vs. 40% Full-time
- 70% Associate Degree Students vs 30% bachelor’s degree Students
This campus update continues to build on AMSC’s core mission themes, in which completion is a top priority. The institution’s plan and strategies for this update place emphasis on first-year students, taking into account their unique academic and support needs. Because AMSC, as other University System of Georgia (USG) State Colleges, is an open-access institution, a significant number of high impact practices is built into the first-year freshman experience to ensure they have real-time, individualized teaching and learning opportunities to provide the best path to their success. The literature shows that students who perform well in at least four of their freshman gateway courses have significantly higher graduation rates than other students.
Another unique characteristic of the AMSC student population is the high percentage of adult learners. A variety of course modalities and pedagogies are important to provide AMSC's adult learners the flexibility they need to work and maintain family lives while completing a degree. The options for adult learners include a range of modalities, including on-campus, online, and hybrid classes. Recently, the institution added high-flex classes to its modality options, giving adult learners even more flexibility for when and how they take their classes. AMSC offers its adult learner population a range of associate and bachelor programs, with four-degree programs available fully online. The institution provides academic coaching and mentoring for first-generation and other students who do not have high-level family support. A revised New Student Orientation (NSO) Program has been recently implemented that takes into account accessibility and relevancy, providing students a more comprehensive introduction to the College’s programs and academic support services.
Because AMSC serves a high part-time student population, it recognizes and addresses the various challenges these students face. While many students strive to register for 12 or more credits per semester, the work schedules and family responsibilities often prohibit a full load as a practical option for others. Alternatively, part-time students are advised, when possible, to take at least 10 credits per semester, including summer terms. In doing so, they will graduate within three years, or 150% of time expected, a national standard upon which graduation and retention rates are based. Evening, weekend, and early morning classes, multiple registration periods, compressed courses offerings, and prior learning credits are strategies AMSC utilizes to provide part-time students the options they need to complete their coursework and attain the degree.
This update provides both the successes and challenges the institution has faced over the past academic year, as well as its plans for providing future programs and support services that will provide students the wherewithal to a college degree and a successful pathway to their career goals and aspirations.
