General Academic Programs Update
for
Advisor Briefing Day
Kriss H. Boyd, Ph.D.
Russ T. Graves, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Director, Blinn TEAM Program
General Academic Programs
General Academic Programs
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
General Academic Programs
•
•
•
•
•
General Studies major
Texas A&M Blinn TEAM Program
TAMUG to TAMU Change of Curriculum
Aggie Gateway to Success
FOCUS Learning Community
GEST Spring 2013 - Fall 2013
• The only freshmen that will be admitted to GEST will
be in Gateway. No transfers will be admitted.
• Students will be able to change majors to GEST for
the second semester.
• We will meet with students this fall and enter the
change of major for spring once they submit an
online request.
GEST Spring 2013 - Fall 2013
• If students do not submit an online request after they
meet with a GEST advisor, they will not be posted as
GEST.
• Students must identify a realistic major and list the
course/GPA requirements for the major on the online
form.
• If there are special circumstances and you want to
support a student, please let me know.
GEST Spring 2013 - Fall 2013
• Students will only be guaranteed one semester in
GEST.
• The most important issue is whether a student can
get to a desired major in one or two semesters.
• There will not be an absolute maximum hour limit for
GEST, but it will be rare for us to approve juniors.
TAMU-Blinn TEAM Program
TAMU-Blinn TEAM Program
TAMU-Blinn TEAM Program
• TEAM students enter colleges/departments in three ways:
1. Transfer Admission
2. Change of Curriculum Following Completion of TEAM Automatic Admission
Criteria (2 year program, but can be completed early)
•
15 A&M hrs/3.0 GPA, 45 Blinn hrs/3.0 GPA
3. Readmission
TAMU-Blinn TEAM Program
TEAM Transfer Admission
• TEAM students are anxious to earn full admission
– Identify TEAM applicants by “ADTB” code on Transfer Tracking Report or look for
A&M course work in Howdy
• TEAM students approved for transfer are continuing students who can
register at their assigned preregistration start times
– TEAM students admitted by transfer are not required to attend a TSC
• Students can be blocked and required to attend a TSC College Meeting
• Admissions will change admit status/major
– Changing admission status does not update all Compass screens
– If major is still TEAM, confirm admission on SAAACKL and change
major/max hours (from 5 to 19) on SZAREGS
TEAM Change of Curriculum (C/C)
• Upon completion of TEAM, students are no longer able to enter GEST
– Will approach departments seeking C/C
– Departments with closed application windows: Be aware TEAM students were
not eligible to apply for C/C during the semester
• Flexibility of your deadlines will help reduce closet majors
• Please do not accept ineligible students via C/C
– Freshmen are not eligible
– Sophomores who did complete TEAM criteria are not eligible
• Will have hold prompting advisors to check eligibility with GAP
• Mays Business School has worked with GAP to establish customized
criteria for TEAM C/C
– GAP welcomes discussions with departments to create such agreements
TEAM Readmission
• Students who do not matriculate via Transfer or TEAM completion may
be able to qualify for Readmission
– Historically 16-17% of TEAM students have gained Readmission
• GEST no longer readmits students; students will contact you!
• To qualify for Readmission, TEAM 2-year contract must have expired and
student must:
– Miss at least one regular semester at A&M
– Meet college/department Readmission criteria
TAMUG Change of Curriculum (C/C)
TAMUG Change of Curriculum (C/C)
•
GAP was appointed to coordinate TAMUG-to-TAMU C/C process in the ’90s
– Logical decision
• Needed to be outside Office of Admissions
– (TAMUG students are already Aggies)
• Majority of students C/Cd into General Studies
– GAP was tasked with enforcement of university campus transition policy in
support of:
• TAMUG retention efforts
• TAMU enrollment management objectives
• Fair standards
TAMUG Change of Curriculum (C/C)
• Since 1998:
– Number of Fall C/C requests has grown from 30 to 300+
– 20+ departments developed their own C/C processes
• No standardization of application, GPA, deadline, etc.
• Some students have circumvented GAP oversight and applied directly to
departments
– Incidents of departments accepting students without awareness or regard for
the university policy
• New C/C Policy effective immediately
– Decentralized, GAP no longer involved
– Students will contact departments directly
TAMUG Change of Curriculum (C/C)
• TAMUG Students must:
– Complete a minimum of 27 TAMUG (not total) credit hours with a minimum
2.5 GPA while enrolled as a student in residence on the TAMUG campus
• Must have 2.5 GPA even if the department’s required GPA is <2.5
• Longitudinal data analysis of TAMUG transitions revealed a median term GPA
drop of .5 during first semester at TAMU
– Be responsible for learning the department’s specific C/C requirements
(application deadlines, prerequisite courses, etc.)
– Submit C/C request or application in accordance with departmental policies
TAMUG Change of Curriculum (C/C)
• Advisors should be aware that:
– Attendance at a mandatory departmental change of major meeting is a
hardship for TAMUG students
• Involves 6-hour round trip in mid-week, missing class, heavy traffic, etc.
• Some application deadlines and change of major meetings had already
occurred before TAMUG students were notified of this new policy
– Applications not available online present the same hardships
– TAMUG students are accustomed to a relaxed, small campus environment
and tend to show up at advising offices without appointments
– You should identify & track TAMUG applicants
• Agencies on both campuses will want to know which students are in transition
– Proactive campus recruiting visits to TAMUG have produced results for
several departments
TAMUG Change of Curriculum (C/C)
• When changing a TAMUG student’s major an advisor should:
– Change the major in SZAREGS
– Change the catalog term in SZAREGS
• Change from TAMUG to TAMU term (i.e., change 201232 to 201231)
–
–
–
–
–
Change Site Code in SGASTDN from “GV” to “CS”
Notify the Registration Office (845-7117) for a Registration Time Ticket update
Notify CIS*
Notify Transportation/parking*
Notify Housing*
*Students can’t buy parking permits, apply for on-campus housing, etc., if they
are not coded as TAMU students by these agencies. It’s possible that scripts
may be created to update these agencies’ reports.
General Academic Programs Update
Questions