South Georgia State College, a state college of the University System of Georgia, is a multi-campus, student-centered institution offering high-quality associate and select baccalaureate degree programs. The institution provides innovative teaching and learning experiences, a rich array of student activities and athletic programs, access to unique ecological sites, and residential options to create a diverse, globally-focused, and supportive learning environment.
(SGSC Mission Statement, approved 2012)
In academic year 2022-2023, SGSC offered three associate degree programs (A. A., A. S., and A. S. in Nursing) with nineteen academic transfer pathways--and seven bachelor’s degree programs (B. S. in Nursing, B. S. in Biological Sciences, B. S. in Management, B. S. in Long-Term Healthcare Management,
B. S. in Public Service Leadership, B. S. in Elementary/Special Education, B. S. in Mechanical Engineering Technology). Associate’s degree-level students comprised 84% of SGSC’s fall 2022 enrollment.
SGSC’s mission, completion priorities, and student body demographics clearly align. The institution consistently enrolls primarily “traditional” students (82% fall 2022, excluding dual-enrolled). However, a variety of student-support services for all students is extremely important at SGSC, where for fall 2022 53% of all students were Pell grant recipients (59%, excluding dual-enrolled), over one-third of entering freshmen were enrolled in an LS math corequisite course, one-third were first-generation college students, and 18% were non-traditional (adult learners). Such student demographic data has led SGSC to employ Momentum Year/Mindset strategies focusing on helping at-risk students to succeed and earn a degree, preferably at SGSC but also as potential transfer students to other USG institutions.
The “Enrollment and Demographic Trends” and “Underserved Enrollment Trends” tables (Appendix Tables A and B, respectively) provide a good look at the SGSC student body’s characteristics. In addition to the data in the tables, it is noteworthy that 95% of SGSC’s total fall 2022 enrollment were Georgia residents (typically SGSC enrolls students from approximately 70% of the 159 Georgia counties), 12 other states, and 13 foreign countries. The students represented in these enrollment demographics help “to create a diverse, globally-focused learning environment” (SGSC Mission Statement).
Benchmark, Aspirational, and Competitor Institution and Student Achievement
In selecting a benchmark, aspirational, and competitor institution, SGSC focused on performance in three specific areas related to student success. As required in SACS COC standards (8.1, Student Achievement), all three areas are identified in the SGSC website’s information on student achievement. Because SGSC, like her seven sister institutions in the USG’s state college sector, is primarily an associate’s degree-granting institution with a select number of bachelor’s degree programs (see Mission Statement), the retention and graduation rate student achievement focus is on associate’s degree-seeking students. Among the measures included in SGSC’s student achievement goals are the following (achievement targets are discussed below):
- One-year retention rates for full-time associate degree-seeking student cohorts, fall 2018 – fall 2022
- Three-year graduation rates for full-time associate degree-seeking student cohorts, fall 2016 – fall 2020
- Numbers of all degrees awarded, FY 2019 – FY 2023 (included here with the number and percentage change in degree awards since FY 2019—during the COVID-19 pandemic--for comparison with other USG state college sector institutions)
Prior to last years’ annual college completion report (2022), these three student achievement measures had been considered within the separate strategy of “academic advising.” That strategy is now addressed in relation to student achievement aspirations and promoting fuller student schedules and Area A completion. Although budget cuts due to the COVID-19 pandemic and concomitant enrollment declines have eliminated all but one of SGSC’s professional advisors (assigned to our Office of Student Success), necessitating a return to a faculty advising model, we continue to employ efficient academic advising to help eliminate barriers to student progress and to bolster student retention and graduation rates. Our Associate Vice President of Student Success, Registrar, and some Student Success personnel also engage in student academic advising.
Since SGSC is a member institution of the USG and is classified by the System as one of eight “state colleges,” all of whom have quite similar missions and follow the same USG directives, policies, goals, initiatives, and strategic plan, it makes sense to choose benchmark, aspirational, and competitor institutions from among the USG state colleges. That sector’s data on the bulleted student achievement measures above continues to identify Georgia Highlands as a high-performing institution in the state college sector and a good benchmark, aspirational, and competitor institution.
The data in Appendix Table C shows that the one-year institution-specific retention rate for SGSC’s FTFT associate degree-seeking students has remained consistent at a 48.5% five-year average from fall 2018 through fall 2022 cohorts, while the institution-specific average for all eight USG state colleges for the same period was 54%. The Georgia Highlands average for the period was 62.8%, well above the SGSC and System averages. SGSC’s goal is a one-year FTFT associate’s degree-seeking student retention rate of 55% for the fall 2025 student cohort, and the fall 2021 and fall 2022 cohort rates of 50.3% and 52% are a good start from the 47% average for the prior three years.
While the SGSC-specific one-year retention rate for FTFT degree-seeking students has been consistently lower than the average for all eight USG state colleges, the one-year retention rate of former SGSC students within the USG over the five-year period averages 63.3%, while for the same period the average for all USG state colleges is 62%. Given the A. A. and A. S. transfer mission of USG state colleges and the ease of transfer among USG institutions facilitated by a common core curriculum, it is significant that SGSC prepares students well for receiving institutions. SGSC’s goal is to attain a one-year retention rate within the USG of 65% by the fall 2025 cohort.
The three-year graduation rate data in Appendix Table D compares the five-year SGSC rates to the average rates for the same period for all eight USG state colleges. “Institution-specific” refers to students graduating from SGSC, “System-wide for SGSC” refers to former SGSC students who graduate from any USG institution, and “System-wide for all state colleges” refers to students who began at a USG institution, transferred to another USG institution, and graduated from the USG institution to which they transferred.
The table shows that the three-year institution-specific graduation rate for SGSC’s FTFT associate degree-seeking students is at a five-year average of 19.5% (fall 2016 through fall 2020 cohorts), while the institution-specific average for all eight USG state colleges is 15.6% for the same period. The Georgia Highlands State College average rate for the five-year period is 18.5%, significantly higher than the average state college rate, but, for the first time in our college completion reporting, below the SGSC average. The rationale for an SGSC metric goal of a 25% three-year FTFT associate’s degree-seeking student graduation rate for the fall 2023 cohort is based on the fall 2020 cohort rate of 26.7%, which is well above the Georgia Highlands fall 2019 rate of 19.7% and the highest (by far) three-year graduation rate in the state college sector for the fall 2020 cohort. Georgia Highlands had the second-highest fall 2020 rate in our sector (16.2%).
It is noteworthy that SGSC’s institution-specific graduation rate has typically been exceeding the average graduation rate for all USG state colleges. In addition, the rate for the most recent student cohort of former SGSC students transferring to other USG state colleges (27.2%, fall 2020) far exceeds the average rate for all USG state college associate’s degree-seeking students transferring within the System (15.6%, fall 2020). SGSC had definitely made significant progress in three-year graduation rates!
The percentage change in the number of degrees awarded can be compared among the eight state college sector institutions to give a good idea of how SGSC performs with that important student achievement metric. Appendix Table E shows the total number of degrees (certificates excluded), as well as the number and percentage change for the period FY 2019 through FY 2022 for the eight USG state college sector institutions. It is noteworthy that only three USG state colleges show a positive change in the number of degrees awarded during the period (Atlanta Metro, Coastal Georgia, and Georgia Highlands). SGSC shows the smallest decline by far (-5.08%) among the other five institutions. The comparison period obviously includes the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which probably best explains the decline in degrees awarded—just as similar declines in enrollment during this period are probably best attributed to the pandemic.
Appendix Table F, Degrees Conferred by Degree Offered, shows that during the first three years of the five-year period FY 2019 through FY 2023 SGSC had a significant increase in the number of degrees awarded. However, FY 2022 and FY 2023 both show a decrease in degrees awarded, undoubtedly related to the enrollment decreases experienced during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the past several years of Momentum/Mindset focus, there has been a significant increase in the number and type of student success strategies created to foster student achievement. The two SGSC campuses have academic success tutoring centers, STEM centers, writing centers, and 24/7 tutoring availability through tutor.com. In addition, there is a student success program for residential students on the Douglas Campus (there are no residence halls on the Waycross Campus). SGSC would like to increase the number of degrees awarded to 350 for FY 2024 and continue to increase in subsequent years to return to pre-Covid numbers of degrees conferred, but this measure obviously is highly dependent on future enrollment, which would also have to return to pre-Covid numbers.
Student Success Inventory
The SGSC student success inventory update discusses the strategies of the SGSC Momentum Plan. The strategies reviewed are as follows:
- The SGSC “Big Idea”: Concierge Coaching for at-risk students
- <“Boost” Mindset training for students and Mindset-promoting intervention/activities for faculty
- Creating fuller student schedules and promoting Area A completion
- Establishing student connections with potential careers
- Continuing to promote undergraduate research