New Advising Tool Removes Guesswork from Tracking Student Progress
New Advising Tool Removes Guesswork from Tracking Student Progress
October 2011
Last month, GW launched its new online degree advising tool for Columbian College undergraduates, allowing students and their advisors to track progress toward graduation with the click of a button. DegreeMAP, which stands for Measuring Academic Progress, complements and supplements the advising process, helping students have a better understanding of degree, GPA, and major/minor requirements.
“Because students have access to this information at their fingertips, they will be able to plan ahead and feel confident that they are making the right choices,” said Columbian College Director of Academic Advising Anna Regan. “But, while students can get all the information they need from this new technology, they are encouraged to meet regularly with their professional and faculty advisors to make sure they are making the best possible use of that information.”
In addition to enabling students to view a full list of the courses that they have completed, DegreeMAP features a planner, which can be used to map out future classes; and a calculator for determining how well a student needs to do in his or her remaining courses to achieve a certain GPA.
“It helps me organize everything, and it points out what I might have missed on my own,” said junior English major Michal Abraham.
And the new technology is allowing students and advisors more time to discuss the bigger picture, such as choosing a major or minor, or advice on pursuing interests outside of a chosen field of study.
Despite DegreeMAP’s relative success and accuracy in its early stages, the system is still experiencing some kinks.
“A couple of my classes and requirements are not currently accounted for, but I contacted my advisor, and she got back to me quickly, assuring me that everything was accounted for,” said Rachel Lautenschlager, a senior majoring in Judaic Studies.
For more information about DegreeMAP, click here.
