Supplemental Updates for Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College - 2023

15-TO-FINISH

ABAC continues to preregister first-year students before their scheduled orientation session. Academic Support preregisters all full-time first-year students for 15 hours; however, several of these students choose to take less than 15 hours. The importance of 15-to-finish begins with the information given to interested students before admission and is incorporated into orientation and new faculty advisor training each fall and spring semesters. Financial aid counselors also encourage students to take 15 hours a semester to graduate on time. Plus, the program maps incorporate the 15-to-Finish initiative. Below is a chart showing ABAC’s progress toward this goal:

Note. FYS = First-year students

Measures of Success

• The number of first-year students taking 15 or more hours their first semester remained above the 50% mark – which was the original goal for the 15-to-Finish initiative. Additionally, the percentage of first-year students enrolled in 15 hours during their first semester for Fall 2022 is higher than the previous three fall cohorts.
• The average number of credit hours taken per student increased slightly over Fall 2021 students.

Lessons Learned

ABAC has been consistent in delivering the message 15 hours a semester to graduate on time. The 15-to-Finish initiative began in 2012 and has become part of the ABAC culture and a norm for full-time first-year students. ABAC would like to see 60% of full-time first-year students enrolled for 15 hours during their first semester. An increase is expected in this initiative due to the implementation of the FLEX program described under section two as part of the College’s student success inventory programs and projects.

90-HOUR CHECKS

ABAC realizes that the path to graduation should be easy for students to navigate; however, changes in policies and programs can occasionally throw a student off track. ABAC has helped remove barriers to graduation by implementing 90-hour checks for all bachelor’s degree-seeking students who have earned 90 or more credit hours. The checks ensure that each student is on track to graduate within one academic year. In addition to the 90-hour reviews, ABAC enacted a policy for students to apply for graduation the semester before they graduate. An additional check of requirements is done by both the student’s advisor and an Academic Support Counselor, thus further easing the graduation process and reducing potential barriers to graduation. Below are the updated results for the 90-hour checks:

The table above shows the number of students identified as being off-track for the term given, the number that graduated within one year of being off-track, followed by the percentage. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 90-hour checks were not completed for spring 2020 due to the campus closure and other high-priority needs upon reopening. For fall 2022 and spring 2023, the data will be reported after one year, the end of fall 2023 and spring 2024, respectively. This high-impact strategy continues to be a success for the students and the institution by keeping students on track to graduate.

Measures of Success

• Increase in third-year retention rates.

Institutional Third-Year Retention Rates for ABAC and Peer Institutions

The graph above indicates that ABAC’s third-year retention rates have continued to exceed the average of its peers per cohort year since 2010. Data were pulled from USG Qlik.

• Another measure of success is the growth in the number of students graduating within one year after being identified as off-track. The table above indicates an overall increase in students who graduate within one year after being identified as off-track.
• An overall increase in the conferment of bachelor’s degrees is also a measure of success.

Number of ABAC Degrees Conferred in the Past Five Fiscal Years

For FY 2023, a decrease in the number of bachelor’s degrees conferred can be seen in the table above. The annual number of bachelor’s degrees awarded also dropped by a small amount in FY 2021. The dips in bachelor’s degrees awarded tend to follow dips in new student enrollment. Data were pulled from USG by the Numbers.

Lessons Learned

During the 2014-15 academic year, the number of baccalaureate students who reached 90 hours without completing high school requirements or the core curriculum was alarming. Due to these deficiencies, Academic Support implemented 90-hour checks to keep students on track for graduation. The effects of the 90-hour checks can be seen in the number of students graduating within one academic year after being identified. Additionally, the results of this high-impact practice can be seen in the College’s third-year retention rates and the number of bachelor’s degrees conferred. Academic Support, School Department Heads, and faculty advisors continue to work with students who are determined to be off-track to help remove or solve the identified barriers to allow for on-time graduation.

Section 4

OBSERVATIONS AND NEXT STEPS

In addition to the Momentum Year and Momentum Approach implemented initiatives, the high-impact strategies listed in section three have aided ABAC in increasing student outcomes, which are seen through our institutional retention and graduation rates. Also, these strategies and initiatives tie into our institutional mission “to engage, teach, coach, mentor, and provide relevant experiences that prepare the graduate for life.” Our success comes from faculty and staff collaboration and administrative support to increase student achievement and the College’s retention and graduation rates.

ABAC’s next phase, which began during Momentum Summit XI and will continue for this upcoming academic year (2024-25), focuses on increasing student engagement and adding a workforce/continuing education lens to our approaches. The creation of a centralized Career Center is starting to produce positive student results (section two). Expanding these services and programs will aid ABAC in reaching its career readiness KPIs and better prepare ABAC graduates for life after graduation. Additionally, a joint initiative between the Career Center and Student Affairs, currently called Thunder’s Bucket List, will add career preparation and student involvement milestones to students’ academic pathways. ABAC is committed to the Complete College Georgia Initiative but realizes success also comes from campus engagement and preparing for a fulfilling career or continuing education after walking across the stage and earning a degree.

Student Success and Completion Team