Students are calling the redesigned degree audit a beneficial change to the scheduling process.
Sheri Thompson, communications and planning officer for Information Technology Services, said although students had the opportunity to preview the new degree audit look in August, the system did not default to the new version until the past few weeks.
The degree audit application allows law students and undergraduate students to create an unofficial degree audit report for their degree program or an alternative major offered by the University. The report explains which courses are needed for a student’s selected program.
The Registrar’s Office coupled with ITS in April 2007 to test different versions.
Rakima Dolliole, business sophomore, said she used the degree audit for course scheduling before the system automatically defaulted to the new version and still saw the old version.
“I didn’t like the old degree audit,” Dolliole said. “I didn’t look at it because it was too hard to read. I would have to go to the counselor because I couldn’t understand it.”
The modified format offers students more viewing options. Students can selectively view completed courses, courses in progress or only those course requirements not met. The updated version combines notations and color codes to help students understand their academic progress. Gray check marks designate completed course requirements, yellow represents courses in progress and red X-marks indicate course requirements not met.
This coloring system created a “collapsible” report enabling students to focus on the courses they still need to take rather than the entire report. Students can “expand” all requirements or “collapse” certain requirements.
Manisha Gonsalves, biology senior, said the color-coordinated degree audit makes it easier to see the classes left to take.
“And the cross marks make it easier to see just the parts you need,” she said.
Pattie Beste, senior associate registrar, said student complaints in the past few years triggered the University to design a new degree audit students would feel more comfortable with.
“Too many students were getting confused by all of the information presented in the original degree audit,” Beste said. “The new version draws student attention more quickly. They can see the more important information more easily now, or they can still look at everything all together.”
Beste said the analysis team conducted focus groups with the instrument before implementing the new layout.
“We got a lot of positive feedback,” she said. “Students were getting more information they needed to garner from the degree audit.”
Randy Fontenot, University Center for Freshman Year counselor, said most students he meets are unaware of the online tool.
“For most freshmen, the first time they have seen it is when they come in here,” Fontenot said. “But some freshmen do have it printed out and know how to read it, which is impressive. I definitely don’t think the freshmen know about the new one.”
Chi Phan, biology freshman, said he did not know what a degree audit was.
“I saw it on my PAWS desktop, but I thought audit meant cancel or something. So I never clicked on it,” Phan said. “I need to check it out now because this would help a lot with my scheduling.”
Andrew Cretini, pre-nursing freshman, said he has never heard of the degree audit.
“I have no idea what it is,” he said. “[UCFY counselors] didn’t mention it the first time I came for an appointment. I would probably look at it now to check it out.”
The report still displays general requirements for a student’s degree program, including current academic standing, advanced hours requirements, elective limitations and total credits applied to major degree programs. Also, students can still compare their overall grade point average to the required GPA for their major. Beste said the original degree audit format is still available to students if they prefer the old layout.
——Contact Natalie Messina at [email protected]