Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: This podcast is produced by members of the University of Alabama Parent Advisory Council and reflects the personal views, experiences, and opinions of the hosts and guests. These views are independent and do not represent, reflect or speak on behalf of the University of Alabama, its administration, faculty, staff, or affiliated organizations. The content shared is for general informational and conversational purposes only. It is not intended to provide academic, medical, legal, financial, or institutional advice. While we aim to share thoughtful and helpful perspectives, we make no guarantees regarding accuracy, completeness, or timeliness. Listeners are encouraged to verify information independently and rely on official University of Alabama communications for policies, decisions, and guidance. Listening to this podcast is voluntary and any actions taken based on the content are done at your own discretion and risk.
Welcome to Parent Perspectives. Navigating the University of Alabama experience as a parent can be exciting, overwhelming, and full of questions. And you don't have to do it alone. Parent Perspectives is a podcast by parents, for parents and with parents created to share real conversations, trusted insights, and firsthand experiences from those who've been there. Whether your student is Bama bound, settling into freshman year, or finding their stride on campus, this is your go to source for all things Bama student related. From academics in campus life to traditions and the moments that matter most, we cover what parents want to know honestly and thoughtfully. Tune in and feel confident knowing you're part of a supportive Bama parent community.
[00:01:51] Speaker B: Welcome to the University of Alabama Parent Perspective Podcast. One of the biggest questions that parents have throughout their students experiences how do we know if we're on track to graduate? The good news is the University of Alabama provides several tools and support systems to help students plan their academic journey from degree works to four year academic plans, advisors and registration resources. Today we'll walk through how these pieces work together so parents can better understand how students successfully navigate their path to graduation. So before we jump in today's conversation, let's meet our guest. Joni, can you introduce yourself and tell us about your role at the university?
And how can you help students navigate academic planning and degree process progress?
[00:02:38] Speaker C: Thank you Amber. Thank you for having me today. I'm Joni3, the director of advising in the Capstone center for Student Success. I oversee programming for the Crimson Edge and Exploring for Success programs. So my team works with students one on one during their biggest transition, going from high school to college and helping them build skills that they need while they're here to be successful.
So not just academically, but personally as well.
[00:02:59] Speaker B: Awesome. Let's begin with one of the most valuable planning tools to every student. Many parents hear about degree Works, but aren't sure exactly what it is. Can you explain what degree works is, how often it's updated, and whether or not it's considered an official record for the student's degree progress.
[00:03:16] Speaker C: Absolutely. Degree Works is a really great tool that we have available for students. It's an online degree audit and planning tool that helps students see where they're at academically on their journey. So it's kind of like a GPS for a student. You can see where they've been, where they're currently at, and kind of what roads lie ahead. Right. And so students can use that. They also have a what if tool in there too. If students are considering changing their major, adding a minor, and seeing how the credits will line up, it is not the official academic record. The student transcript is the official academic record. But this does provide like a real time snapshot for degree programs.
[00:03:51] Speaker B: Awesome. As parents and students review degree works, they'll see. They'll often see sections labeled still needed. What does that actually mean, still needed?
[00:04:01] Speaker C: Typically just identifies degree requirements so that your student hasn't completed yet. So it could be a course, it could be a group of electives or like a GPA requirement or another graduation requirement, essentially like a to do list for students. And it becomes shorter as they continue on and check off those progress bars.
[00:04:19] Speaker B: Can students solely rely on degree works to know what classes they should take? Or is there is it there more for as a planning of the process?
If something doesn't look right, who should students contact?
[00:04:32] Speaker C: Great question. So no. Degree works is just a tool, but it's not the only one. What students using. Students should always combine using degree works and conversations with their academic advisors. Advisors understand like the prerequisites, course sequencing, program changes and opportunities that degree works can't always account for or show in degree works. And if something doesn't look like right in degree works, students should always start by contacting their academic advisor.
[00:04:56] Speaker B: Awesome. And finally, can degree works actually predict when a student should graduate and how often should students be reviewing this?
[00:05:04] Speaker C: So Degree works can show progress towards graduation.
It can't predict an exact graduation date because plans change over time. So I always encourage students to frequently check degree works before advising appointments, before registration, after grades are posted. Developing that habit help students take ownership of their academic journey. So it's not just when they're meeting with their advisor, but they're doing that kind of on their own before those appointments.
So yeah, we want students to constantly be looking at degree work, especially if there's updates on it.
[00:05:34] Speaker B: So while degree Works help students monitor progress. The takeaway is it's only one piece of the puzzle.
Can you explain what a four year plan is and why it's such an important tool for students?
[00:05:48] Speaker C: Absolutely. So if you're looking at degree works, kind of like the gps, think of the four year plan as kind of the roadmap itself.
[00:05:53] Speaker B: Does every major have one? And should students expect to guarantee graduation in exactly four years?
[00:06:01] Speaker C: Every major has a recommended sequence of courses that help students complete requirements in the most efficient order.
It's designed around prerequisites, courses that are offered only during certain semesters. It's important to remember that it's more of a plan, not a promise. Following the plan gives students the best opportunity to graduate on time. But things do happen along the way.
[00:06:23] Speaker B: Yeah, on that like so things do happen during college. Students change majors or add a minor, study abroad, internships, co ops, which are amazing at the University of Alabama. How do these experiences affect their four year plan?
[00:06:38] Speaker C: Yes, all the ones you listed are amazing. So they're very exciting and students may discover a new passion or they decide they want to change a major if they decide they want to add a minor. There's a lot of different things that can happen during their journey. And we don't necessarily discourage that. We encourage that they may want to participate in undergraduate research or study abroad or complete the internship or co op experience. They're all wonderful opportunities and advisors kind of help students navigate and adjust their plans along the way to accommodate for those.
[00:07:05] Speaker B: Another important partner throughout a student's college experience is their academic advisor.
How often should students meet with their academic advisor and do they need to meet before every registration period?
[00:07:18] Speaker C: So academic advisors are really the partners of the students on the campus. And I really can't stress that enough. We are available for our students and we're there to help you on your college journey. So students need to be meeting with their advisor at least one time every semester, even if their college does not require it. And some programs actually require students to meet with their advisor even more. Students should always schedule their appointments anytime they're considering changing majors, struggling academically or personally, or thinking about opportunities like that, internships, co ops or study abroad like we talked about earlier.
[00:07:52] Speaker B: So some students are undecided about their major or they begin struggling academically. What resources are available to those students to help them get on track?
[00:08:03] Speaker C: Awesome. So we have the Exploring for Success program on our campus and just one thing for students and parents to understand is that it is normal for students to change their major at Least once while they're in college. And we do have resources specifically designed to help them kind of explore those interests.
So in addition to meeting with their academic advisors, the capstone center for student success advising team, we also host major exploration workshops for all students, Major expiration drop in hours, and an annual majors fair where students can learn about different academic programs, connect with advisors and departments, and ask questions kind of in a low pressure environment.
So these events that we have are really designed to help students make informed decisions about their academic path. Students can always reach out to the Capstone center for student success for dates and times of upcoming workshops and events.
And likewise, if students begin to struggle academically, we want them to seek help early. So talking with their academic advisor, utilizing our resources like tutoring, which is also the capstone center for student success, supplemental instruction, academic coaching, we have a counseling center on campus, utilize faculty office hours. There's just so many resources available. And your advisor really will be able to help the student kind of navigate which resources are best fit.
[00:09:13] Speaker B: That's all great stuff. Can you talk about why advising is so important and why degree work should never, never replace conversations with an advisor?
[00:09:23] Speaker C: Absolutely. So I often say degree works tell students what the requirements are, but advisors help students understand why they matter and how to build the best path forward towards their goals. So that's why degree work should never, ever replace advising.
[00:09:37] Speaker B: So once students have a plan, their next step is registering for classes.
So how do students determine which courses they should take each semester and who helps them build a balanced schedule?
[00:09:49] Speaker C: Okay, so students build their schedule using several tools. Degree works, the four year plan, the course catalog, but conversations with their advisors so they can get the suggested coursework. Advisors help students balance course work so that the difficulty, the prerequisites, major requirements, and their personal goals are all coming together into a best fit and building it so that they're going to have a successful semester.
[00:10:11] Speaker B: So what happens if a required class is full?
[00:10:14] Speaker C: If a required class is full, don't panic. Students will panic, but don't panic. Go see your advisor. Advisors often know about alternate sections, future offerings, or temporary adjustments. They can keep students progressing towards graduation.
[00:10:27] Speaker B: Can students take courses out of sequence? And what should they do if they fail or withdraw from a particular class?
[00:10:34] Speaker C: Students sometimes will often ask, like, can I take that out of sequence? And sometimes they can. Right? But prerequisites exist for a reason. So sometimes there's prerequisites that require them to complete those first before they can move on. So following the recommended sequence usually sets students up for success. And that's why we have those in place. If a student fails or withdraws from a class, it doesn't mean graduation is completely out of reach. Advisors will help students revise their plan and kind of determine best next steps for the students.
[00:11:00] Speaker B: How many credit hours should a student typically take each semester to stay on track for graduation and when? Summer. When might summer classes be a good option?
[00:11:11] Speaker C: Great question. So, generally speaking, for most bachelor's degrees, students should average around 15 credit hours for each semester to graduate in four years. That's 15 in the fall, 15 in the spring, not counting summer. Because we're looking at 120 credit hours altogether. Summer classes can be a really great option. And they don't have to be taken at the University of Alabama. They can be taken back close to home. For a student that helps students catch up. They can get ahead, especially on heavier course loads, like if they're having heavy classes in their fall semester or if they're trying to make room for like studying abroad or internships.
[00:11:43] Speaker B: Yeah, that's a great point. Many students also come to Alabama with college credits, all already completed. How do ap, ib, clep, dual enrollment and transfer credits appear in degree works?
[00:11:57] Speaker C: That's a great question. So many students will arrive with the ap, ib, ab, clep, dual enrollment transfer credits.
Those credits, once they're officially evaluated from the institution, they'll actually appear in degree works where they count towards that curriculum.
[00:12:11] Speaker B: Sometimes parents will notice that not every transfer course counts towards their student's major.
Why does this happen?
[00:12:19] Speaker C: So parents, yes, Will sometimes notice that students will too, for sure. Because every transfer course does not always count directly towards the student's major. That's because when they transfer credit into the university, applying it towards a specific degree requirement is actually different than transferring it in two different processes. So sometimes we'll get the transfer credits in, but they don't satisfy major requirements because not every course will have an exact equivalent. That doesn't mean it's a wasted course for sure, because we do need electives as well.
[00:12:46] Speaker B: Awesome. And University does have a fantastic transfer equivalency tool at our website too. That's really helpful.
Can parents or can students transfer courses?
Can transfer courses satisfy major requirements? And how does it change the major impact?
Previously earned credit in a student's graduation timeline.
[00:13:09] Speaker C: Okay, so if a student changes their major, those previously earned credits, they don't disappear. Some may fulfill different requirements in their new program and new curriculum, while others might count as electives. It just really depends what major they're switching To So that's another reason why meeting with an advisor early is so important. Or if they're ever considering changing their major.
[00:13:30] Speaker B: Awesome.
Finally, let's talk about staying on track from semester to semester.
Why is registering on time so important and what are some of the most common reasons? Students aren't able to register when their window opens.
[00:13:47] Speaker C: Okay, so registering on time is so important at the University of Alabama because it is one of those cultural things that once it's time to register and you get your registration window, students make sure they are registering on time. So you don't want to be behind. So one of the easiest ways to stay on track is really registering on time. And that on time registration provides students the greatest opportunity to get the courses that they need.
So sometimes students that do miss their registration window, it's usually because of holds on their accounts and those holds holds could be unpaid balances.
You did not turn in your immunization record that are required missing advising requirements, they didn't go see their advisor and they still have an advising pin listed on their account or they simply just waited too long to get an appointment.
[00:14:29] Speaker B: So for first year students, that advising window is Bama bound. And for regular students or students after first year, they have an advising window that's announced.
That's always been really helpful for me to understand as a parent. Like I had to have two at the university so that those windows are different and so that Bama bound one is for first year students.
If a student does fall behind academically or gets off track with a degree plan, what steps can they take to
[00:15:00] Speaker C: recover so students get behind. Another thing, don't panic. We're always telling students, don't panic, go see your academic advisor. Your advisor can help revise your plan. They'll also help get you connected with the resources that you need on the campus. So it could be the, that tutoring, the coaching, supplemental instruction, maybe repeating a course. And just there's so many other campus resources available that advisors are equipped to be able to have those discussions with students to tell them about because it can be a little overwhelming to navigate on your own. And honestly, college isn't always a linear line, right? It's not a straight line. What matters most is students are asking for help early so they can continue moving forward.
[00:15:37] Speaker B: So true. So what campus resources are available to help students successfully get on back, back on track towards graduation?
[00:15:47] Speaker C: You have so many resources. As they keep saying. One of the things I love so much about the University of Alabama is that students don't ever have to figure anything out on their own. Right. We are here to help them. So if a student falls behind, the first step is to talk to their advisor. Together, like the advisor and the student can identify what's causing the challenge, what the barrier is, and then creating a plan to get back on track and connect the student with the right resources. So depending on the student, that might include, like I said, going through learning commons to get that academic assistance, especially for challenging courses. It could be going to your faculty office hours, it could be using our counseling center. We've got so many resources available on the campus, but really, your academic advisor is going to be one of your best ones that you can go to and learn about other resources.
[00:16:29] Speaker B: Yes. So as we wrap up today's conversation, let's leave parents with one final piece of advice.
If you could leave parents with one message about helping their students successfully navigate degree works, four year plans, advising and registration, what would it be?
[00:16:48] Speaker C: Okay. If I can only leave one message, it would probably be encourage your student to own their college experience.
So you've got degree works, four year plans, advisors, campus resources, so many incredible tools and people on the campus to help students. But they're most effective if students are actually engaging with them. So actively engaging with them is so important. And parents don't have to solve every problem or manage every decision for their student. In fact, one of the greatest gifts that parents can usually give is encouraging their student to ask questions, advocate for themselves, seek guidance, and build relationships with people that are here to help.
So our goal is not just like graduate students, right? It's really to help them become competent, be able to advocate for themselves, be capable adults who know how to navigate challenges long after they leave the university.
So, and the wonderful thing is, again, they don't have to do it alone. We're here to help.
[00:17:38] Speaker B: That's awesome. Thank you, Joni, for helping us understand how all of these planning tools work together to support student success. While college planning can seem overwhelming at first, students don't have to figure it out alone. Degree works, four year plans, academic advisors, and campus support services are all designed to help students make informed decisions and stay on track towards graduation.
To our listeners, remember that one of the best ways you can support your students is to encourage them to take ownership of their academic journey, use these tools regularly and build strong relationships with their advisors. Those habits will serve them well as they go through college and beyond. Roll tide.
[00:18:19] Speaker A: Thanks for tuning in today for the latest episode of Parent Perspectives, brought to you by by the University of Alabama Parent Advisory Council check out all our podcasts on voices ua.edu. you can learn more about the Parent Advisory Council, parent perspectives, and UA Parent and Family Programs on the UA Parent and Family Programs website at Parents SL ua.edu.
