APRIL 2, 2015
GET THE GUIDE
AGSC/STARS
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA
…WORKING TOGETHER TO HELP OUR STUDENTS
PRESENTATION OVERVIEW
Past
Present
•
History
•
STARS Transfer Guides
•
The Problem
•
Area V Pages
The Solution
•
Requirements of Receiving School
•
AGSC
•
System Usage Reports
STARS
•
•
Student Advising
•
Approved Courses
•
Ratified Templates
•
Discipline Committees
•
Points of Contact
•
FAQs
•
Future
•
Technology
•
Reverse Transfer
•
Program Evaluation
THE PAST
LOOKING BACK
HISTORY
Looking back…

Late 1980s - The Problem

Transfer at your own risk

No guarantees

Loss of credit upon transfer

Wasted time and money

Upset students and parents
THE SOLUTION

ALABAMA LEGISLATIVE ACTION – Act 94-202

Address transfer/articulation problems and concerns

Design program that insures seamless transfer of
courses from two-year colleges to public four-year
institutions in Alabama

Created the AGSC

Expanded role and scope of STARS

Set timeline for implementation of program
AGSC
Alabama Articulation &
General Studies Committee

AGSC established to:

Develop a statewide freshman- and sophomore-level
general studies curriculum that can be taken at all
public community colleges and accepted upon transfer
at all state-funded universities

Develop a statewide articulation agreement for the
freshman and sophomore years for the transfer of credit
among all public institutions of higher education in
Alabama

Examine the need for a uniform course numbering
system, course titles, and course descriptions

Resolve problems in the administration or interpretation
of the articulation agreement of the general studies
curriculum

Oversight of STARS
AGSC
Alabama Articulation &
General Studies Committee

Makeup of AGSC:

3 Two-Year Representatives
(represent all public two-year institutions)

2 Regional University Representatives
(chosen from ATHENS, UNA, TROY, UWA, JSU, and UM)

1 Auburn University Representative

1 University of Alabama System Representative

1 University of South Alabama Representative

1 Alabama State Representative

1 Alabama A&M Representative
------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL OF TEN VOTING MEMEBERS
(each voting member has an assigned alternate member)
USA MEMBER REPRESENTATIVES:
• Dr. Mary Angela Coleman (Primary)
• Dr. Eric Loomis (Alternate)
STARS

Statewide Transfer & Articulation
Reporting System
THE FORERUNNER TO STARS WAS TROY
UNIVERSITY'S “COMPUTERIZED ADVISING
SYSTEM” (CREATED IN THE LATE 1980’S).
 Mainframe system connected to
feeder two-year colleges that enabled
students to obtain a printed guide and
contract for their major to transfer to
Troy University.
 Became the model for the statewide
initiative called STARS
 STARS Office resides on the campus of
Troy University
 STARS handles day-to-day operations
and implements all AGSC policy
THE PRESENT
FOCUS ON TODAY
STARS Transfer Guide

What is the GUIDE? Why is it important?
THE STARS TRANSFER GUIDE…
STARS is a web-accessible database system which
provides guidance and direction for prospective
transfer students in the State of Alabama.
The STARS System allows public two-year students in
Alabama to obtain a Transfer Guide/Agreement for the
major of their choice. This guide/agreement guides the
student through their first two years of coursework and
prevents loss of credit hours upon transfer to a public
four-year university in Alabama. Although transfer
guides/agreements can only be printed for two-year to
four-year transfers, the STARS system can still provide
guidance and direction to transfer students who have a
different transfer situation.
STARS Transfer Guide

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
How to use STARS
http://stars.troy.edu/how_to_use_stars.html
STARS Transfer Guide

The parts of the guide…
THE STARS TRANSFER GUIDE…
• AREA I – Written Composition
• AREA II – Fine Arts and Humanities
• AREA III – Mathematics and Science
• AREA IV – Social Sciences
• AREA V – Pre-professional / Pre-Major
______________________________________
TOTAL 60-64 SH
Area V Pages

Additional info provided by four-year
institution….
http://stars.troy.edu/area_V.html
AREA V PAGES ARE…
•
AREA V Pages are web pages maintained by
each individual public four-year institution in
Alabama. The primary purpose of AREA V
pages is to provide transfer students with
additional information about transfer
coursework that can be taken at the two-year
institutions to complete the AREA V
requirements not covered on the official
STARS Transfer Guide. Four-year institutions
can also use these pages to provide
information to transfer students about specific
admission criteria and requirements for
specific academic programs. In addition,
four-year institutions can make strong
recommendations in AREAS I-IV as long as
they do not limit choices by transfer students
in those areas.
What is required of the receiving school?
Accept credit and apply toward major as if it were
earned at the receiving institution

Assuming student follows guide

Assuming student doesn’t change majors

Assuming changes are not based on accreditation mandates
Do not force additional hours upon transfer students
to meet graduation requirements

No “back loading”

Attempt to graduate transfer student in same number of hours
as the native student in the same major
STARS System Usage Reports
Monthly usage reports to four-year institutions…

System usage data

Student contact information

FREE RECRUITING INFO!!
Reports available online…

Two-year usage reports

Major choice reports

Institution choice reports
STARS Usage Reports (Continued)
USA Monthly Usage Reports

Monthly usage reports sent to USA (Dr. Coleman and Dr. Loomis)

They forward to various departments/offices

Five formats (best is probably Excel Spreadsheet)

Information provided for those students who are interested in USA

Student Name

Student Address

Student Phone Number (if provided) and permission to text them

Student Email

Student Major

Student Community College
STARS Usage Reports (Continued)
Student information sent to USA


Since 2000, over 120,000 students have expressed
interest in transferring to USA upon completion of their
course work at their chosen community college.
The past 5 years…(2010-2015) over 56,000 students
have expressed and interest in transferring to USA upon
completion of their course work at their chosen community
college.
I WANT
TO GO
TO USA!
ADVISING
STUDENTS
STARS is effective advising
tool and resource

STARS is not designed to replace advising

It is simply an effective advising tool and resource for
advisors and counselors
STUDENT
ADVISING
Transfer Student Survival Guide
Online Resource
http://stars.troy.edu/survival_guide.html
AGSC Approved Courses
AGSC approves courses for both the public two-year
institutions and the public four-year institutions…

One of the primary functions of the AGSC is to work hand-in-hand with the
established discipline committees (faculty groups) to approve basic general studies
courses for all of the public four-year institutions of higher education and the two-year
college system in Alabama. When a course appears on an approved listing it simply
means that it has been vetted through the AGSC and degree credit should be
awarded upon transfer if the equivalent course is required in the transfer student's
chosen major/program.

The public institutions of higher education in Alabama have all agreed to honor and
accept the courses approved for transfer by the AGSC. In some cases, additional
courses may be required depending on major requirements or accreditation
mandates.

AGSC APPROVED COURSE LISTINGS - http://stars.troy.edu/approved_courses.html
AGSC Ratified Templates
AGSC ratifies templates that become the blueprint for
each of the various Transfer Guides…

Templates are used to establish the degree
requirements for AREAS I-V for each of the
majors/programs offered through the STARS Transfer
Guide System.

All templates are created/developed by one of four
academic groups:

General Studies Academic Committees (GSACs)

Pre-professional Academic Committees (PACs)

University Academic Administrators who are the only
institutions that offered programs in a given discipline
(INSTITUTION SPECIFIC TEMPLATES)

Ad-Hoc Committees (established as needed by the
AGSC)
DISCIPLINE
COMMITTEES
Faculty involvement
and participation
Foundation of AGSC/STARS Program…

General Studies Academic Committees (GSACs)
http://stars.troy.edu/GSACs.html

Pre-professional Academic Committees (PACs)
http://stars.troy.edu/PACs.html
NOTE:
USA MEMBERSHIP TO
GSACs AND PACs APPOINTED
BY DR. MARY ANGELA COLEMAN.
POINTS OF
CONTACT
Representatives
across the state…
Behind the scenes work…

When trying to manage a statewide transfer program, the
only way to effectively communicate across the state is
through designated contact administrators/faculty who
work at each of the public two-year and four-year
institutions of higher education in our state. To fulfill this role,
the AGSC has establish institutional Points of Contact
(POCs). These administrators and their assistants have been
selected by their institution's president or chancellor to
provide maintenance and support on their campuses for
the AGSC/STARS program.
READ MORE…
http://stars.troy.edu/points_of_contact.html
USA POINT OF CONTACT:
Dr. Mary Angela Coleman
Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness
PHONE: (251) 460-6447
E-MAIL: macoleman@southalabama.edu
FAQs
Frequently Asked
Questions…
Two FAQ pages on website…

FAQs for STUDENTS, ADVISORS, and COUNSELORS


http://stars.troy.edu/faqs_stars.html
FAQs for ADMINISTRATORS and FACULTY

http://stars.troy.edu/faqs_agsc.html
THE FUTURE
LOOKING AHEAD
Using Technology to Enhance Program
Internet provides access to AGSC/STARS info…

We are always looking for ways to update
and improve the service using technology

Updates to website

New Web Server (just purchased/installed)

Improve delivery methods

Social Media (Facebook & Twitter)
REVERSE
TRANSFER
Helping students
in a backwards
sort of way…
Possible legislation to implement
reverse transfer statewide…

The process whereby academic credits for
applicable coursework at the university are
transferred back to the community college for
purposes of awarding an associates degree.

A mechanism that allows community colleges to
receive more accurate credit for their role in
educating students.
AGSC/STARS External Evaluation
Has hired external consulting group to evaluate program…

How are we doing?

Are we meeting the objectives of the legislation?

What do we do well?

What areas can we improve upon?

Establishing strategies and goals (short-term and long-term)
QUESTIONS & COMMENTS
AGSC/STARS
Keith Sessions
Executive Director
AGSC/STARS
334.670.3797
THANK YOU!
GET THE GUIDE!
ksessions1@troy.edu
www.gettheguide.net