College of Sciences and Health Professions Advising Center
2012-13 Annual Report (Fiscal Year)
Prepared by Kristy Tokarczyk, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Programs
2012-13 Highlights
New Programs/Initiatives
During Fall 2012, a new program was piloted in which all entering freshmen who placed below college-level math
and English received advising from Student Success Specialists, supervised by the Director of University Advising,
David Bowditch. The program sought to provide intrusive advising as a strategy for increasing the academic success
and retention rates of this at-risk population. COSHP majors amongst these students did not have interaction with
the COSHP Advising Center until they completed a minimum of 20 credit hours with a minimum 2.0 GPA. As a result
of this program and multi-term registration, students are advised outside of the COSHP during their first year and
also select their second year courses with their assigned Specialists. For the upcoming academic year 2013-14, the
program was expanded to include all first-year students.
During Fall 2012, a new initiative was launched which sought to limit the enrollment options of first-year students
who placed below college-level math and English. The Freshmen Foundations initiative grouped together clusters of
common first-term courses, designed to ensure that remedial students were taking courses with high
completion/pass rates and that were otherwise sensible given their remedial needs. For the upcoming academic
year 2013-14, the initiative was expanded to include all first-year students.
During Fall 2012, new software was purchased for advising centers across campus. Starfish Retention Solutions
receives data from PeopleSoft and features appointment calendars and a shared area for advising notes. In addition,
Starfish allows students to view their advisor assignment as well as schedule appointments directly through the
system. Instructors are also able to use Starfish to send alerts for student attendance concerns, poor academic
performance, etc. Although the COSHP Advising Center was not an early-adopter of this software, we did transition
fully to the new system in March 2013. Starfish replaces our previous Appointment Plus scheduling system, the
previous Early Alert system, and the majority of the Services Tracking feature in PeopleSoft.
Staffing Changes
During both the Fall and Spring semesters, the COSHP Advising Center was able to continue our tradition of
proactive outreach with the assistance of graduate-level students. In Fall 2012, we hosted LeighAnn Scheidler
(Graduate Assistant), and in Spring 2013 we hosted Terry Kos (Graduate Intern). Their assistance allowed us to
provide intrusive services that would otherwise not be possible. In addition, Terry’s experience with us also assisted
him in finding employment as an advisor at Lorain County Community College. For more details regarding their
outreach efforts, see the table on page 2.
In September 2012, Kerri Caine joined the COSHP Advising Center staff as the Coordinator of the M.D. Partnership.
In this newly-created position, Kerri plays a vital role in moving the NEOMED Urban Health Partnership forward.
Many of the duties now performed by Kerri were previously performed by the Coordinator of Pre-Professional
Programs. Thus, the addition of this position allows the Coordinator of Pre-Professional Programs to dedicate more
time to programming and, in general, spend more time working individually with pre-professional students.
In early Spring, the Coordinator of Pre-Professional Programs position was vacated when Cheryl Laubacher
submitted her resignation. We are pleased to have Brittany Garner joining us as the new Coordinator for PreProfessional Programs, beginning July 1, 2013.
In April 2013, Rochelle Lappis joined the COSHP Advising Center staff as an Academic Advisor. Rochelle replaced
David Melnick, who resigned near the end of the Fall 2012 term, and assumed his student caseload and academic
liaison assignments. She brings with her a wealth of experience as an advisor and administrator in higher education,
most recently serving as coordinator for the PSEO program at Lorain County Community College.
1
2012-2013 Advising Caseload Breakdowns
(based on Fall 2012 data)
Rochelle Lappis
Approximate caseload size: 1,000 active students/700 enrolled students
Caseload includes: Chemistry, Environmental Science, Geology, Mathematics, Pharmaceutical Science,
Physics, and Psychology (last names M-Z and Lakeland Partnership)
Barb Legan-Turner
Approximate caseload size: 975 active students/675 enrolled students
Caseload includes: Health Sciences (Associate Degree Completion, General Interest, Pre-Occupational
Therapy, Pre-Physical Therapy and Pre-Podiatry tracks)
Provides both General Education and Major advising
Casey Mawson
Approximate caseload size: 950 active students/550 enrolled students
Caseload includes: Health Science (Pre-Physician Assisting track ONLY), Psychology (last names A-L
and Lorain Partnership), Speech and Hearing, and Science Undecided
Corey Piazza
Approximate caseload size: 1,100 active students/ 700 enrolled students
Caseload includes: Biology, Biology-Medical Technology, Pre-Dentistry, Pre-Medicine, Pre-Pharmacy,
and Pre-Veterinary Science
2012-2013 Intrusive Outreach Efforts
Type of Outreach
Fall 2012
Spring 2013
Total by Type
262
176
438
167
236
403
128
147
275
198
127
325
645
135
780
N/A
132
132
205
N/A
205
1605
953
2558
New Student
Calls made to newly admitted and registered students assigned to a COSHP
advisor to welcome them and remind them of advising services and location
Midterm Grades
Calls made to all registered students assigned to a COSHP advisor with one or
more failing/unsatisfactory grade(s) requesting that they come in to speak with
an advisor
Probation
Calls made to registered students on academic probation and assigned to a
COSHP advisor reminding them that regular advising meetings are a condition of
their probation
No Major
Calls made to all COSHP Undecided students and students with Pre-Professional
designations but no declared degree plan encouraging them to select a major
Graduation Application
Calls made to remind all COSHP students with more than 90 earned hours
regarding the graduation application process and deadlines
Dismissed Students
Calls made to students previously dismissed from the COSHP providing
information regarding the readmission process
Not Enrolled
Calls made to all COSHP students registered for Fall 2012 but not yet registered
for Spring 2013
Total Calls Made
2
2012-2013 COSHP Advising Center Traffic
Contact Type*
Triage Walk-Ins
Weekly Walk-Ins
Appointments Held
Orientation Appointments
Total In-Person Contacts
Fall 2012
Spring 2013
2012-13 Year
Summer 2012
Fall 2012
Spring 2013
Summer 2013
2012-13 Year
Summer 2012
Fall 2012
Spring 2013
Summer 2013
2012-13 Year
Summer 2012
Fall 2012
Summer 2013
2012-13 Year
Summer 2012
Fall 2012
Spring 2013
Summer 2013
2012-13 Year
2012-13 Total
375
330
705
47
209
236
40
532
383
1252
995
255
2885
64
5
88
157
474
1861
1580
364
4279
Change from 2011-12
16.1%
14.6%
15.4%
14.6%
16.8%
21.6%
(2.4%)
16.9%
15.7%
(10.5%)
(34.9%)
(33.3%)
(17.7%)
(28.1%)
(120%)
25.7%
3.8%
4.4%
(1.3%)
(17.3%)
(18.4%)
(8.1%)
In-Person traffic patterns in the COSHP Advising Center continue to evolve. As the student headcount in the COSHP continues
to grow and as new staff positions are added, more students are seeking service from the COSHP Advising Center. Each staff
member provides nearly 6 hours each week of walk-in availability, which reduces the total number of possible appointments
but provides additional flexibility for students. This year’s traffic in particular was impacted by two simultaneous vacancies in
early 2013, which limited our capacity. Although it is not apparent from the chart above (due to the vacancies), the
implementation of multi-term registration has made the time period March through May the busiest season for advising.
The numbers above do not include scheduled appointments which the student failed to honor. For the 2012-13 year, this
amounted to an additional 587 appointment slots which were occupied by a student but did not result in a held meeting.
*Contact Type Definitions:
Triage Walk-Ins - service that occurs at the beginning of the Fall and Spring semesters. During this time, the Advising
Center operates on a first-come, first-served basis in order to accommodate increased student traffic.
Weekly Walk-Ins - service that occurs throughout the year, and is similar to faculty office hours with each advisor
offering several hours of availability each week.
Appointments Held - individual appointments scheduled in advance through the Advising Center and held.
Orientation Appointments - individual appointments scheduled in advance through the orientation program.
Staffing notes:
January through April 2013 – General Education Advisor vacancy
March through June 2013 – Pre-Professional Coordinator vacancy
3
2012-2013 Post-Appointment Student Survey Data
(N= 286)
Ranking Academic Resources
Students consistently rank their College Advisor as one of the most important resources that they use when making academic
decisions.
59% of respondents ranked their College Advisor as the most important resource for academic decisions.
91% of respondents ranked their College Advisor as one of the three most important resources.
Grad Express Degree Audit = 57.5% of respondents ranking it as one of the three most important resources.
Faculty/Professors = 38% of respondents ranking it as one of the three most important resources.
Undergraduate Catalog = 27.1% of respondents ranking it as one of the three most important resources.
CSU Website = 23.1% of respondents ranking it as one of the three most important resources.
Classmates or Other Students = 22.6% of respondents ranking it as one of the three most important resources.
Friends and Family = 16.3% of respondents ranking it as one of the three most important resources.
CSU Staff = 13.1% of respondents ranking it as one of the three most important resources.
Reasons for Advising Appointment
Course selection/scheduling and Check Sheet/ Academic Requirements remain the most frequently-cited reasons for an
appointment, even with other available resources like Grad Express Degree Audit.
Appointment Topics
(self-reported; students could select more than one category)
Response %
Course Selection/Scheduling
58.4%
Check Sheet/Academic Requirements
48.4%
Pre-Admission Advising
12.2%
College or University Petition
3.6%
Transfer Credit Evaluation
17.2%
Graduation Application
24.4%
Declaration/Change of Major/Minor
11.8%
Exploration of Major/Career
8.6%
Academic Problems
3.6%
Personal Issues
1.4%
Other
2.7%
4
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
189
(86.7%)
193
(87.7%)
156
(75%)
151
(72.9%)
160
(77.7%)
124
(63.3%)
24
(11%)
23
(10.5%)
36
(17.3%)
33
(15.9%)
30
(14.6%)
31
(15.8%)
4
(1.8%)
3
(1.4%)
9
(4.3%)
14
(6.8%)
11
(5.3%)
36
(18.4%)
1
(0.5%)
0
(0%)
2
(1%)
1
(0.4%)
2
(1%)
2
(1%)
0
(0%)
1
(0.5%)
5
(2.4%)
8
(3.9%)
3
(1.5%)
3
(1.5%)
179
(82.1%)
141
(75.4%)
173
(79.7%)
136
(72.7%)
140
(75.3%)
29
(13.3%)
28
(15%)
35
(16.1%)
35
(18.7%)
28
(15.1%)
4
(1.8%)
15
(8%)
3
(1.4%)
13
(7%)
15
(8.1%)
2
(1%)
1
(0.5%)
2
(0.9%)
1
(0.5%)
1
(0.5%)
4
(1.8%)
2
(1%)
4
(1.8%)
2
(1%)
2
(1%)
179
(82.1%)
165
(75.7%)
178
(81.7%)
174
(79.8%)
171
(78.4%)
27
(12.4%)
37
(17%)
28
(12.8%)
33
(15.1%)
31
(14.2%)
6
(2.8%)
14
(6.4%)
6
(2.8%)
6
(2.8%)
7
(3.2%)
4
(1.8%)
2
(0.9%)
3
(1.4%)
1
(0.5%)
4
(1.8%)
2
(0.9%)
0
(0%)
3
(1.4%)
4
(1.8%)
4
(1.8%)
Overall %
Favorable
During the advising appointment:
My advisor listened to my concerns/questions
There was adequate time to deal with my concerns/questions
I learned more about my requirements and chosen program of study
My advisor helped me identify and set realistic academic goals based on my academic
history
I learned about my progress toward graduation
I learned about other campus resources that I may need
97.7%
98.2%
92.3%
88.8%
92.3%
79.4%
As a result of the discussion that I had with my academic advisor:
All of my questions/concerns were addressed or I was directed to the appropriate resource
I understand how to use CampusNet for course selection and registration
I understand what I needed to do, the steps I need to take, or the decisions I need to make
next
I understand how to pick the appropriate Gen Ed courses
I understand how to access and interpret Grad Express Degree Audit
95.4%
90.4%
95.8%
91.4%
90.4%
Based on my recent visit, advising is:
Welcoming
Accessible
Professional
Knowledgeable
Supportive
94.5%
92.7%
94.5%
94.9%
92.6%
5
Based on your recent visit, how satisfied are you with advising at Cleveland State University?
Very Satisfied
Satisfied
Neutral
Unsatisfied
Very Unsatisfied
Overall % Favorable
172
(79.3%)
29
(13.4%)
9
(4.1%)
2
(0.9%)
5
(2.3%)
92.7%
Select comments/feedback:
I was pretty nervous before I met my counselor. She put me at ease right away. A felt a sense of relief when I walked out of her office. She helped me schedule
my entire 2013 fall term and 2014 spring term except for one class. I am definitely going to be seeing her again when I need help.
As a student transferring in with over 60 credits, I was slightly concerned about how my credits would work at CSU. The adviser I met with was extremely prepared
and very helpful. The appointment was simple and we got everything done in a very decent amount of time. The advising at CSU seems to be much more efficient
than the advising at my current college and I am very glad that I will be working with the advisers at CSU now instead.
I was more than pleased with my visit today. I feel so much better and more prepared for what I need to be doing. I only have positive things to say about my
counselor!!
I appreciate all the help I am able to receive from CSU and I feel confident that I will be able to get through college with very little difficulties.
The new system for academic advisement has improved 100x over the old system. This is the first time I went in, was given clear expectations for graduation that
actually agreed with what I understood were the requirements when I began my major, instead of telling me I needed to meet different requirements every time I
went in for advisement which was the way it worked in the past.
Corleen Piazza is wonderful. I would never been able to embark on my dream and organize my schedule without her. Thank You!
I just love Corey P!! She understands I'm struggling trying to make it through, but she is so very supportive. I couldn't do this without her help.
I have met with Casey Mawson a few times throughout my undergraduate program at Cleveland State. She has always been very kind and knowledgeable in
meeting my academic needs and concerns. I am very pleased to have her as my advisor!
Casey is simply the best academic advisor I've ever had in my undergraduate experience. I have been to a total of five different universities and she easily
outshines all of the various academic advisors I've had. I had many questions and potential problems with my graduation date and she completely resolved all of
them. I strongly recommend her to anyone who wants a productive appointment that accomplishes many important things.
Every appointment I have had with Barb Turner is always helpful. She is very good at helping you understand what you need to get done to graduate as well as
giving you many options of the different paths you can take to get there. She is very welcoming and encouraging. I have heard others complain about their
advisors and feel very lucky that I have had such a great experience with my advisor.
Barbara Turner was physically not feeling good, yet she honored her appointment time with me, and did so with spirit, enthusiasm and effort. I really appreciate
this.
David Melnick made me feel very at ease and comfortable with scheduling of classes. He answers all my questions, alleviates my worries, and steers me to the
proper direction. I am extremely grateful.
6
2012-2013 College Petitions Activity
Type of Petition
# Filed
# Approved
# Denied
# Withdrawn or
Incomplete
21
16
5
0
15
15
0
0
Credit Overload
(requesting more than 19 credit hours of enrollment for any term)
Extension of an Incomplete
(requesting up to one additional semester beyond the university-stated deadline for
the completion of Incomplete courses)
Grade Dispute
2
(requesting re-evaluation of a final course grade due to documented instructor
miscalculation or unfair grading practice)
Forwarded to Dean’s Office with recommendations
Late Add
(requesting to register for a course (or courses) after the university-stated deadline
for late registration has already lapsed)
6
5
0
1
57
39
16
2
25
17
7
1
11
10
1
0
137
102
29
4
Late Withdrawal
(requesting to withdraw from a course (or courses) after the university-stated
deadline for withdrawal has already lapsed)
Readmission
(requesting to be readmitted to Cleveland State University and the COSHP following
academic dismissal)
Waiver of a Graduation Requirement
(requesting a waiver of credit hours in either the total number of credit hours (128)
or the number of upper division credit hours (42) required by the COSHP for
graduation)
Totals
2012-2013 Academic Standing Review
Term
Summer 2012
Fall 2012
Spring 2013
Totals
Placed on
Probation
54
188
204
446
Change from
2011-12
(9.3%)
11.2%
17.9%
11.2%
Dismissed
6
35
91
132
Change from
2011-12
500%
(5.7%)
68.5%
43.5%
Returned to
Good Standing
0
4
0
4
Total
Reviewed
60
227
295
582
2012-13 Academic Standards Committee Members
Andy Resnick (Physics, Chair)
Barb Modney (BGES)
Carol Phillips-Bey (Mathematics)
Bin Su (Chemistry)
Kathie Judge (Psychology)
7
2012-2013 Dean’s List
Term
Summer 2012
Fall 2012
Spring 2013
Totals
# Students Awarded
147
933
913
1993
Change from 2011-12
8.9%
8.2%
17.5%
12.3%
2012-2013 Valedictorian and Outstanding Seniors Selection
Fall 2012
15 candidates for Valedictorian identified and reviewed.
Elected 1 COSHP Valedictorian and 4 COSHP Outstanding Seniors.
Brittany Elmlinger (Health Sciences, Biology minor) – Valedictorian
Maral Demirjian (Speech and Hearing, Linguistics minor) - Outstanding Senior
Robert Huber (Health Sciences and Anthropology) - Outstanding Senior
Anne Kelly (Health Sciences Pre-Physical Therapy) - Outstanding Senior
Rayna Steigman (Psychology, Business minor) - Outstanding Senior
The COSHP Valedictorian, Brittany Elmlinger, was also selected as the University Valedictorian.
Spring 2013
32 candidates for Valedictorian identified and reviewed.
Elected 1 COSHP Valedictorian and 6 Outstanding Seniors.
Jasmine Manouchehri (Biology, Chemistry minor) - Valedictorian
Mark Biro (Biology, Chemistry minor) - Outstanding Senior
Ahmad Maarouf (Biology and Chemistry) - Outstanding Senior
Shane Poloha (Mathematics) - Outstanding Senior
Lillya Velet (Biology, Chemistry minor) - Outstanding Senior
Jessica Willesch (Psychology, Sociology minor) - Outstanding Senior
Stephanie Wisniewski (Health Sciences Pre-Occupational Therapy, Psychology minor) –
Outstanding Senior
8