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Cycle 2 Summary

Purpose Statement

​I have observed that the process for students to enroll in courses can be confusing and complicated. Students either struggle through the process, possibly choosing courses that do not fit in their program, registering for courses that are not in the correct sequence of their suggested course plan, or not enrolling in courses. My solution was to create a simplified system using Google Docs and reusing video tutorials I created for Cycle 1 to guide students and Program Directors step-by-step through preregistration. I trained program directors on how to use the material provided so that they, in turn, could guide their students through the process. I also organized a workshop where students met with their program director and other students in their program, worked through their course selections, and enrolled in courses for the coming year.

Research Questions

My questions have changed slightly from Cycle 1. In Cycle 1, I asked how the course selection and enrollment process could be streamlined using digital technology. My second question asked if digital technology platforms could be leveraged to help Program Directors develop relationships with their students. In Cycle 2, I am less concerned about digital technology platforms, although I will need to use digital technology. My focus is more on the relationships between the Program Director and the student. 

 

My overarching question is, how can registrars and the information they collect be used more effectively in student retention? I have two sub-questions: 1) How can the course selection and enrollment process be streamlined and simplified? 2) How can preregistration be leveraged to help program directors develop relationships with their students? 

Target Audience

Faculty Program Directors - I had ten program directors participate in this study. They range in age from 34 to 68 and have worked at the College for less than two years to over 30 years. They are all program directors, so they help design the curriculum for their program's degree major. They teach courses in their chosen field and advise their program students academically. I chose program directors because they go through the process of preregistration on an annual basis. 

 

Current students - I had 21 participants who are current students at the College. They were between the ages of 18 and 35, the majority are single, and they will enter their second, third, or fourth year at the College. I chose current students to participate because they go through preregistration every year when they return as students.

Summary of Cycle 2

At the conclusion of Cycle 1, I determined some of the preregistration processes needed to change in order for it to be simplified and streamlined. In preparation for preregistration, I reworked the degree audits to be consistent with one another in a format that was familiar to program directors. I also worked on updating all the Suggested Course Plans.

I created a Step-by-Step document that walked students through the preregistration process. I encouraged students to make a copy of this document to use the checklist feature. I created a similar document for the program directors. Since program directors find the information in a slightly different way than the students, I customized their Step-by-Step document to fit their needs. The Step-by-Step documents included links for more details. If students needed extra information, it was at their fingertips. If they did not need the information, that additional information did not clutter up the checklist. I reviewed all the documents with the program directors a week before the Workshop. I explained the information and showed them where to find all the needed documents. I offered to meet with them one-on-one to review the material specific to their students and program.

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I scheduled a Preregistration Workshop two weeks before the end of the Winter semester. All students planning to return in the fall could meet with their program director to review the preregistration documents. Their program director guided them through the process and helped with course selection if needed. Extra information included through hyperlinks on the Step-by-Step document included the following:

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One suggestion that came from Cycle 1 was to have the Registrar’s Office enroll students in two-year programs with no electives in all the courses they needed to complete their program. This was done before the preregistration workshop. We sent schedules to these students and notified them that they did not need to attend the workshop.

 

During the summer, the Registrar’s Office provided the program director with the names of students not enrolled in courses. The Registrar’s Office encouraged program directors to contact these students and offer to help them with preregistration.​

Data Collection

I used a qualitative method to collect data. I asked questions in my surveys and debriefing meeting to draw out the opinions and thoughts of those surveyed. I was intentional about the wording of my survey questions and the order in which they were asked. Designing unbiased survey questions is essential because this is how you draw out the participants’ opinions without swaying them to answer a particular way (Pew Research Center, n.d.). A survey aims to find the generalizations of a particular group where conclusions can be made about their opinions (Creswell, 2014). 

 

The debriefing meeting was part of a faculty mini-conference after the school year had ended. It consisted of ten program directors, with eight participating in the conversation. There were six faculty members, with only one participating in the conversation. Not all the program directors were able to participate in the debriefing. Consequently, I emailed all 11 program directors a more in-depth survey about preregistration, and eight responded. Two of the eight who responded to the survey were not part of the debriefing meeting. 

 

I waited for the Fall 2023 semester to begin before I emailed returning students a survey. Getting student participation in Cycle 1 was difficult, so I thought the best chance to have better participation was to wait until the beginning of the Fall semester. To encourage participation, I bought little thank-you gifts for those who filled out the survey. Students who participated were instructed to take a screenshot of a message at the end of the survey and show it to the reception desk to claim their gift. I emailed 68 returning students an invitation to participate, and 11 responded. I sent out a reminder email to the same 68 students, and ten more responded. There was a total of 21 students who participated.

Data Report/Analysis

Debriefing Meeting

The debriefing meeting about the Preregistration Workshop was part of a faculty mini-conference that took place after the end of the school year. This meeting included ten program directors, three teaching faculty, and three non-teaching faculty members. Eight of the program directors and one teaching faculty member participated in the discussion.

 

This was the first year that we had a preregistration workshop. In the past, program directors were not very involved in preregistration. The Registrar’s Office would provide the information for the students, and students were expected to work through the information on their own and enroll in courses. If they needed help, they would contact me, and I would work out a schedule for them, letting them know what their options were.

 

These are the questions asked during the debriefing, but not necessarily in the order they were asked:

  1. What went well and what didn’t in the workshop?

  2. Was there enough information provided for you?

  3. Do you think students have seen the Suggested Course Plans before?

  4. Do you understand the Suggested Course Plans and know how to read them?

  5. Do you know how to explain Suggested Course Plans to a student?

  6. What about the Suggested Course Plan is confusing or difficult to explain to somebody else?

  7. Do you feel comfortable reading a degree audit? 

  8. Are you able to explain a degree audit to a student?

Preregistration Workshop

Everyone agreed having the preregistration workshop was “helpful” and “a good launch” to preregistration. It was noted the conversation about selecting and enrolling in courses was not completed during the workshop but “was kind of over time.” One program director said, “I think it is good to have the event and then also to expect that you're going to have people who want the one-on-one that will either show up ahead of time or after that.” It brought everyone’s attention to preregistration at a time that they may not have chosen to think about it. Program directors needed to prepare for the workshop, so they needed to become familiar with the process and material. Another program director said, “So comparing last year as my first year and this year as my second year, it was like leaps and bounds of progress because I really had no idea what I was doing my first year…. [I] had some one-on-one conversations with students whose schedule was particularly difficult but then didn't really know what was going on to help students or encourage students to sign up early or anything...having the event was really good because it forced me to look at the different programs and be aware of the options.” 

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Students were expected to preregister, so having a workshop encouraged them to come and learn how to engage with the material. One program director reported that a fourth-year student would have found a workshop like this “amazingly helpful” when they were enrolling in their courses for their second and third years. The workshop allowed the students to see the information, “ask their questions”, and “got them going in the right direction.” Many program directors reported  that the students found the workshop “really helpful.”

Preregistration Documents

Program directors appreciated many of the documents I provided for them. They said it “was super clear” and “the level of information was right on.”

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     Step-by-Step Document. The Step-by-Step document, where I included all the hyperlinks, “was really sweet.” One person said, “...that alone was very helpful, more than anything else.” This one document allowed them to point out the steps to the students, “Follow the steps. Don’t get lost. Follow the steps.” They “really appreciated the hyperlinks”.

 

     Scheduling Reminders. The document that listed what the electives were and what categories the electives fit in was “really helpful” for students when they needed to choose electives. Some electives might fit in more than one category, and this document lists those courses.

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     Suggested Course Plans. There was a good discussion about Suggested Course Plans. When asked if they thought students had seen the course plans before, the program directors indicated “no” by shaking their heads. They were surprised that for many students, the Suggested Course Plan was new to them. One person said, “I was a little surprised how they don't [know about Suggested Course Plans]. Yeah, but then I think, …Should I not have shared that with them already before? But then those who I have had any kind of conversation about classes, I've given that to them…but not everybody has conversations about classes and things like that, especially freshmen.” Someone mentioned, “...we should not assume that students know because they're inundated with information. It’s way overload.” Another person commented that the Suggested Course Plans are important for students so that they notice the “sequencing” of the courses. He has noticed that “fourth-year students [are] in a first-year class…those kinds of electives should probably [have] been a little earlier…. [Some students] took courses that were premature, not necessarily out of scope or.. .sequence, but they may be premature in terms of where they are in their learning.” We have a “guided path” for them, and it is helpful for students to see that. This same program director said, “...anything we can do to make them more responsible for the kinds of educational choices that they’re making is really helpful.”

 

When asked, “What about the Suggested Course Plan is confusing or difficult to explain to somebody else?” one person said the confusing part is that we have two terms in each semester. “So you’ve got that to deal with before you look at the course load.” Another person said, “I don’t think it’s difficult. I just think you have to sit down and look at it…. It’s not difficult; it just takes familiarity.”

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There were a few suggestions on how to make the students more aware of the Suggested Course Plans:

  • “I think it is a wise idea to put the Course Plan in orientation material.”

  • “I'm wondering if at our program orientations at the beginning of the year for freshmen” is where we give them a copy of their Suggested Course Plan.

  • “...maybe in our Program Assemblies in Fall, we at least give a few minutes of attention to giving them their Suggested Course Plan.”

  • “...they are absolutely going to ignore the course plans...So, yeah, I think, making them aware of it multiple times.”

 

     Degree Audits. Degree audits still tend to be unclear to the program directors. One program director said, “Degree audits, it’s the most complicated part of the whole thing for me….the first couple of years, I think I was totally terrified of it.” Another person said, “I still find it to be rather overwhelming….I don’t look at degree audits enough to find it to be easy, but it gets better the more you look at them.” When asked what was confusing about degree audits, one person said, “...you open up the elective section, and there’s like 20 courses, and it’s like you really can only do three, or whatever.” Another said that the degree audit gives “too many options” and “transfer credit” adds another level of complexity. A couple of people said they used some of the other documents to help them with the degree audit. One said, “I think students really love the process of looking at a degree audit and crossing off the things on the suggestion [Suggested Course Plan] that has been done. That, I think, was a really key skill they enjoyed.”

Relationships

One of my sub-questions was, how can preregistration be leveraged to help program directors develop relationships with their students? It was mentioned that the program directors were able to meet with their students after the preregistration workshop. One person said, “I think one of the benefits of that was for me just getting to know my students better….[I got] a better sense of who they are and what their likes were, which was really helpful.” Another person said that the nature of their program allows them to build relationships with students naturally, and preregistration is not where they would do that. They did comment, though, “...you do learn little things about which classes they’re struggling with…so there is value in it too….but in terms of the relationship building, that’s not a particular concern in the process on our end.” The process of academic advising will allow students to be mentored by their program director. One director said, “I can come alongside and guide.” Even if the program director does not know everything, they can still get the job done within that relationship. As one person put it, “I think at the end of the day, you know, if the student has a question and I'm helping them with their schedule or trying to figure things out, then we kind of fumble through it together. We figure it out, right?” 

 

It appears that preregistration may not only help to develop relationships between students and program directors but will help build student-to-student relationships. One person noted, “...it provoked a lot of discussion amongst the students too. They were, ‘What are you taking?’ I think I hadn't been present for it [conversation between the students]. I know that it happens, but it was just nice to be able to see it.”

Barriers to Preregistration

​It was noted there were a few things that made it difficult for students to preregister before they left school for the summer. One person said, “I didn’t have all my students here, and then there was a couple that had [financial] holds, and so they were stalled out during the workshop.” Another person said, “Not everybody was there….there wasn’t everybody there who would have benefited from it.” COVID-19 created some scheduling problems for some of the students, which resulted in “a lot of students with particularly challenging schedules.”

Program Director Survey

I asked 11 program directors to participate in a survey, and there were eight who did. There were a total of 21 questions in the survey. The first half of the survey was about the Preregistration Workshop, and the second half was about preregistration in general.

Preregistration Workshop

Question one was, “Did you attend the training session for the workshop on April 12th during the faculty meeting?” 

  • Yes - 6 

  • No - 2

 

Question two was, “Did you lead the workshop on April 19th for the students in your program?” 

  • Yes - 6 

  • No - 2 

One participant who did lead a workshop did not attend the training. One participant who did not lead a workshop was at the training. One participant who did not lead a workshop was not at the training. 

 

Question three was, “If you attended, did you have enough information available to you to lead the workshop?” Everyone said they had enough information. One advisor added, “I also needed a one-on-one to make sure I had everything I needed and could guide students adequately.” Another participant commented, “I am still learning all of the intricacies of our programs though, and that will take a few years to learn.” A third participant added, “My answer is ‘yes’ although I probably did not take enough time to familiarize myself with the material and go through a ‘dry run’ of the process before meeting with students.” 

 

Question four was, “What documents, if any, did you find helpful in leading the workshop?” Several participants said all the documents were useful, and reference was made to them all. Three of the participants mentioned the Step-by-Step document was helpful. One advisor said, “Timetables, step-by-step process, suggested course plans, and the chart that listed which classes substitute for which electives and such - this one was VERY useful.” 

 

Question five was, “What information would you have liked before the workshop that was not provided for you?” Most participants said they had everything they needed. One participant would have liked to know “what courses would not be offered in the fall.” Another participant would have liked “a sample ‘run through’ of the course selection process.”

 

Question six was, “Did you contact your HyFlex students about attending the Preregistration Workshop?” HyFlex students attend class via Zoom since they live too far away to attend in person. 

  • Yes - 2 

  • No - 2 

  • Two participants said they did not have any HyFlex students in their program. 

  • One participant was not sure if the HyFlex students were contacted since he did not lead a workshop.

Suggested Course Plans

Question seven was, “Do you understand the Suggested Course Plan for your program(s)?” 

  • Yes - 8 

  • No - 0  

 

Question eight was, “On a scale of 1-5, do you feel comfortable explaining Suggested Course Plans to students?” (See Figure 1)

  • Three participants were very comfortable 

  • Five participants were comfortable 

 

Question nine was, On a scale of 1-5, are you comfortable with helping students select courses for the upcoming academic year?” (See Figure 2)

  • Two participants were very comfortable

  • Three participants were comfortable

  • Two participants were neutral

  • One participant was uncomfortable.

 

Question ten was, “What, if anything, about Suggested Courses Plans is confusing or difficult to explain to someone else?” The main theme that emerged from this question was that the document is not confusing to read, but when students deviated from the plan either because of transfer credit, a change of program, or the plan was not followed, it became difficult to follow. One program director said, “When they come having not followed the plan and I need to figure out how to get them back on plan.” Another advisor said, “It gets more complicated when there is transfer credit involved and modifications are needed.” Another commented, “The only issue I had was students who were switching programs or transferred.” One other comment about the difficulties of Suggested Course Plans was, “Students first had to go through and check off the courses that they had taken. I’m wondering [if] the course plan could be on a fillable document where the student could check off the courses that they’ve taken so that they can come back to that document, year after year, and not have to start over in thinking about what they’ve taken.”

Figure 1. Comfort in explaining Suggested Course Plans (1 = very uncomfortable, 5 = very comfortable).

Figure 1.png

Figure 2. Comfort in helping students select courses (1 = very uncomfortable, 5 = very comfortable).

Figure 2.png

Degree Audits

Question 11 was, “Do you understand the Degree Audits for your program(s)?”

  • Yes - 6 

  • One participant said, “I'm almost there... it just takes questions from students to provide the reason for figuring something out and remembering it.” 

 

Question 12 was, “On a scale of 1-5, do you feel comfortable explaining Degree Audits to students?” (See Figure 3)

  • One participant was very comfortable

  • Seven participants were comfortable 

 

Question 13 was, “What, if anything, is confusing or difficult about Degree Audits to explain to someone else?” One theme that surfaced from this question was how electives or unassigned courses fit in the degree audit. One participant said, “It can be tricky to figure out electives since a class can fit into more than one elective category.” Another said that “unassigned courses are confusing.” A second theme that came out was understanding degree audits will take time. One program director said that he “just need to become more familiar with it. So practice is the key.” One advisor pointed out, “To a student who would not go into the degree audit that often, the structure of the document can seem to be confusing.” Another said that “it's just a lot of information that takes time to become familiar with.”

Figure 3. Comfort in explaining degree audits (1 = very uncomfortable, 5 = very comfortable).

Figure 3.png

Populi (Student Information System)

Question 14 was, “On a scale of 1-5, are you comfortable with helping students enroll in courses through Populi?” (See Figure 4)

  • Two participants were very comfortable

  • Two participants were comfortable 

  • Four participants were neither comfortable nor uncomfortable

 

Question 15 was, “ On a scale of 1-5, are you comfortable navigating around Populi, finding what you need?” (See Figure 5)

  • Six participants were comfortable 

  • Two participants were neither comfortable nor uncomfortable 

 

Question 16 was, “What, if anything, would you like to understand better in Populi?” Five out of the eight responses said they needed to take the time to become more familiar with Populi. One participant said, “I just need more time to become familiar with it, given the extensive content.” Another participant said, “I’m too new at advising students through Populi, so I just need time and practice.” Another commented, “I need more practice viewing what students see when they open Populi before I can feel comfortable telling them this is how you register for a class.” One participant felt that “some of the links to key documents seem hidden away in obscure corners of the website. Having these featured more prominently would be helpful.” One advisor wanted to learn more about the advising section of Populi. Another advisor wanted to know more about what is available on Populi. 

Figure 4. Comfort in helping students enroll in courses through Populi (1 = very uncomfortable, 5 = very comfortable).

Figure 4.png

Figure 5. Comfort in navigating Populi (1 = very uncomfortable, 5 = very comfortable).

Figure 5.png

Preregistration During the Summer

Question 17 was, “Did you initiate contact with students during the summer to help them preregister for courses?” 

  • Yes - 2 

  • No - 2 

  • One participant said, “I initiated contact with a couple of students but they did their own preregistration.” 

  • Another participant said, “Only a couple of them…” 

  • Two program directors contacted students when they were prompted to do so by the Registrar’s Office.

 

Question 18 was, “ What do you find EASY about preregistration?”

  • “Having my students in one room together.”

  • “Populi works very well for adding classes.”

  • “That I can do it for a student.”

  • “The scheduling of the preregistration day/time.”

  • “Once you get to the right page(s) it is pretty straight forward.”

  • “Knowing what classes they need to take to stay on track to graduate.”

  • “Giving students the information they need and explaining how the process works.”

 

Question 19 was, “What do you find DIFFICULT about preregistration?”

  • “Not all students showed up.”

  • “The puzzle pieces of putting together a course schedule with students.”

  • “I didn't put the work into preparation that I should have. I feel it's almost that I have to know exactly what each student should register for before the meeting occurs. What is the role of the student in this process?”

  • “Getting to the right pages.”

  • “If they take an online class they have to engage a different process to register for that class.”

  • “The process between me and the Registrar's office. I felt like I became an unnecessary middleman for information and questions on both sides.”

 

Question 20 was, “What value is a streamlined process of preregistration to our student retention?

  • “Keeps them alert to changes in the fall, and a greater sense of security and purpose to their future.”

  • “I think it has high emotional-relational value because students are supported and given time and attention for something that is generally overwhelming for them. It opens conversation about options and personal interests and areas of desired growth, all of which further strengthens relationship between professor and student. In turn, this has to contribute to student retention. Most people like it when a decision is made and we don't have to think about it anymore and can plan other aspects of our lives accordingly.”

  • “I think it helps with those students who find registration to be a hassle.”

  • “It demonstrates to the student that there is more to come in completing their program. Sets up the expectation for the student to continue in their program. Is another point of contact between the student and the Program Director.”

  • “The less frustration students have and easier access the more satisfied students will be.”

  • “I think that's it very important. if it becomes too much of a frustration where the student needs too much instruction on how to navigate the system, then it becomes onerous.”

  • “I feel that if the program directors are more involved in the course planning the students will feel a greater connection to their program and that will help retention.”

  • “I'm not sure I see a correlation in our program. Ease and timing of pre-reg is not, I think, a contributing factor to retention for OL students. It has other benefits but I'm not sure I see retention as a factor.”

 

Question 21 was, “What, if anything, would you like to add about your experience with preregistration that would help the Registrar's Office be more efficient?”

  • “The registrar was spread thin, answering many questions from different program directors and wondering if each director could have a pre-meeting with potential problems prior to pre-registration workshop.”

  • “We should keep doing it so that the faculty can all get better at it. It forces a much greater level of familiarity with program/elective/course options for faculty, which in turn helps us advise students better.”

  • “Maybe someday we will have an AI to respond to basic questions that students have. :-)”

  • “I am just sorry I was traveling to see my…students when it all happened.”

  • “I think program directors doing a session with students and being available for pre-reg is helpful. I think program directors answering Registrar questions and/or communicating registrar questions to students is unnecessary and inefficient. I would make program directors "coaches" but not make place them as firmly inbetween the student and Registrar as it seems this process has done.”

Student Survey

I invited 68 students to participate in the student survey, and 21 responded. The first couple of questions were to find out a little bit about them. 

 

“What year in college are you in?”

  • Sophomore year (2nd year) - 12 participants (57%)

  • Junior year (3rd year) - five participants (24%)

  • Senior year (4th year) - four participants (19%)

 

“What is your age?”

  • Nine participants (43%) are between the ages of 18-20

  • Six participants (29%) are between the ages of 21-23

  • Three participants (14%) are between the ages of 24-28

  • Three participants (14%) are between the ages of 28-32

Preregistration Workshop

Question one was, “Did you attend the Preregistration Workshop on April 19, 2023?” 

  • Yes - 15 

  • No - 6  

 

Question two was, “If you attended, was there enough information available from your Program Director to help you preregister for courses for 2023-24?” Eleven of the participants said there was enough information. Two participants said they did not have enough information. One participant said, “Somewhat.” One participant said, “Sort of. My program was very specialised so many courses were changing, which was sort of confusing.” One participant said, “It was helpful, I still had some questions later in the summer specific to certain courses/situations but the program orientation was generally very helpful.” One participant said, “I am not sure. But I really appreciated your help when I had some questions regarding my classes.” 

 

Question three was, “Whether you attended the workshop or not, what documents, if any, were particularly helpful in preregistering in courses?” Nine students mentioned that they found the Suggested Course Plans helpful. Six students said the Period-by-Period Timetables were helpful. Each of the following documents were mentioned once: degree audit, Step-by-Step checksheet, scheduling templates, and the academic calendar. Since students did not mention the documents by name, I had to do my best to interpret their descriptions to what I thought they meant. Two students mentioned it was people who were most helpful to them. One said, “Just being able to ask questions. It made the whole process less stressful and more manageable.” The other said, “I contacted my advisor…and he helped me sign up for classes.”

 

Question four was, “Whether you attended the workshop or not, what information would you have liked but it wasn't provided for you?” Four students said they had enough information. “I think we got enough information to help us pre-register.” “I can't really think of anything it went pretty smoothly.” There were five other responses:

  • “I would've found it easier if the list we had got was with classes more specific to our programs. I found that a lot of classes overlapped and made it a bit confusing for me.”

  • “I would have liked to have been given a clearer idea of what was available to me in terms of electives, since my program is so small. I had a lot of trouble finding classes that worked with my program.”

  • “Direct 1-on-1 help with selecting courses.”

  • “An updated version of the yearly course schedule with more specifics for the concentrations.”

  • “Just any more details about the classes and times etc.”

 

Question five was, “Were you able to enroll in all your courses before you left Prairie for the summer?” 

  • Yes - 13

  • No - 9 

 

Question six was, “If you did not enroll before leaving, what barriers stopped you from enrolling in courses before you left for the summer?” The participants had various responses:

  • “Undecided about electives.”

  • “There was no need to enroll then.”

  • “I didn't know that was an option.”

  • “I just hadn't decided which classes I wanted to take and my time was pretty filled up with homework/studying.”

  • “Financial Constraints.”

  • “Lack of help.”

  • “I was taking a break from school so I wasn’t able to enroll.”

  • “Just unsure of what courses was most beneficial and switched programs.”

  • “Unknown circumstances surrounding the fall.”

  • “I was able to enroll, but I wasn't content with the classes I enrolled in until I actually arrived at the College in August 2023. My hesitation was due to being unsure if I could enroll in 4 classes with my new role this year.”

 

Question seven was, “On a scale of 1-5, how comfortable did you feel working with your Program Director on preregistration?” (See Figure 6)

  • Eleven participants felt very comfortable 

  • Nine participants felt comfortable

  • One participant was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable 

 

Question eight was, “On a scale of 1-5, do you feel that your Program Director is interested in you and how you progress through your program?” (See Figure 7)

  • Seventeen participants strongly agreed 

  • Three participants agreed 

  • One participant neither agreed nor disagreed

 

Question nine was, “If you did not attend the Preregistration Workshop, were there barriers that hindered your attendance?” Some of the participants were not on campus. One participant was working. One participant said, “I don't remember hearing about it.” Another participant said, “I was not sure if I really needed to attend the workshop last year and this year.”

Figure 6. Comfort working with program director (1 = very uncomfortable, 5 = very comfortable).

Figure 6.png

Figure 7. Program director is interested in students and their progression through degrees (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree).

Figure 7.png

Suggested Course Plans

Question ten was, “Do you understand the Suggested Course Plan for your program?” 

  • Yes - 19

  • No - 2 

  • One participant said, “I am not 100% sure of the whole reason for the Course Plan.” 

 

Question 11 was, “What, if anything, about Suggested Course Plans is confusing or difficult to understand?” Students found the course plans hard to follow if their situation caused them to deviate from the plan. “What if I can't take the suggested course because of complications?” Participants found it difficult to find the appropriate course plan for their program. One participant said, “At first the suggested course plan is confusing because of the years on the top of the page.” Another participant said, “...trying to find your program with your concentration was hard.” One other difficulty with the Suggested Course Plans was how to implement the plan. One participant said, “On mine it had a possible online class that would be taken in the spring, but both me and my instructor did not really know when in the spring it would happen.” Another participant said, “Knowing exactly what courses best correspond with specific programs.” One other participant commented, “It is hard if you do two years of internship with Explore because September is so busy I always miss the courses offered in the first term.” 

 

Question 12 was, “On a scale of 1-5, how did you find the process of selecting your courses?” (See Figure 8.)

  • Five participants said it was very easy

  • Eleven participants said it was easy

  • Three participants said it was neither easy nor difficult

  • Two participants said it was difficult 

Figure 8. The ease of selecting courses (1 = very difficult, 5 = very easy).

Figure 8.png

Degree Audits

Question 13 was, “Do you understand the Degree Audit for your program?” 

  • Yes - 17 

  • No - 4 

 

Question 14 was, “What, if anything, is confusing or difficult to understand about Degree Audits?” Two participants did not know what a degree audit was. One participant said, “No one has explained it at all to me. 😂” The other difficulty or confusing part of degree audits is where courses should fit under each section. One participant said, “Sometimes courses are put under two different catagories.” One participant said, “Where each class will and should fit in to the electives section.” One participant said, “When general credits are automatically applied to other categories it sometimes doesnt switch back.”

Populi (Student Information System)

Question 15 was, “On a scale of 1-5, are you comfortable with enrolling in courses through Populi?” (See Figure 9.)

  • Nine participants were very comfortable

  • Eleven participants were comfortable

  • One participant was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable 

 

Question 16 was, “On a scale of 1-5, are you comfortable navigating around Populi, finding what you need?” (See Figure 10.)

  • Ten participants were very comfortable 

  • Seven participants were comfortable

  • Three participants were neutral

  • One participant was uncomfortable 

 

Question 17 was, “What, if anything, would you like to understand better in Populi?” Some participants found Populi easy to navigate, but some found it more difficult. One participant who found it difficult said, “Just more practice.” One participant said, “I found it hard to navigate the timings on Populi for the courses I was registering for.” One participant said, “...it would be helpful to have a more clear description where to find important information on the website. There's just many tabs and features and so much information that it can be a little hard to find what you need.” One participant said, “Populi is simply enough lined out and easy to follow. I would be interested in a more detailed invoice through populist [Populi] for tuition costs etc.”

Figure 9. Comfort with enrolling in courses through Populi (1 = very uncomfortable, 5 = very comfortable).

Figure 9.png

Figure 10. Comfort navigating Populi (1 = very uncomfortable, 5 = very comfortable).

Figure 10.png

General Questions About Preregistration

Question 18 was, “What did you find EASY about preregistration?”

  • “I could ask questions and apply at the same time.”

  • “Easy to understand expectations.”

  • “Having the workshop and having the program director helping us through it if we had questions.”

  • “How every class was clearly available to register myself in. The set up was very clear and concise.”

  • “Adding and dropping courses.”

  • “Being able to switch courses myself at will.”

  • “It's pretty straight forward.”

  • “Enrolling in my mandatory classes.”

  • “Selecting classes on Populi.”

  • “Using suggested course plans.”

  • “Following the checklist, using the suggested course plan.”

  • “Choosing the courses.”

  • “It was just explained quite well!!!”

  • “The interface was easy for navigation.”

  • “The finding and enrolling in the classes.”

  • “Guidance in finding things online (preregistration class was extremely helpful).”

  • “When I first arrived at Prairie, the courses were already preregistered for me so I had no trouble at all.”

  • “Everything I needed to enroll was right there.”

  • “It is easy add and drop classes.”

 

Question 19 was, “What did you find DIFFICULT about preregistration?”

  • “Nothing.”

  • “Trying to figure out what electives I could take, and choosing my favorite's.”

  • “The scheduling was a bit tedious to figure out.”

  • “Finding electives that worked with my schedule.”

  • “People weren't eager to help me figure out which classes I should take.”

  • “Finding appropriate electives.”

  • “Understanding substitutionary electives to replace my required electives. It was a little hard to know which electives would count for my requirements.”

  • “Nothing, just the suggested course plans.”

  • “Finding good substitutes for the normal layout of what CFC students are doing.”

  • “A little difficulty with understanding preregistration in the beginning.”

  • “Knowing which courses I needed and or didn't need cover the classes I needed for my degree.”

  • “The term that the courses are offered are only displayed once you click on the course instead of being posted on the main page.”

 

Question 20 was, “What, if anything, would you like to add about your experience with preregistration that would help the Registrar's Office be more efficient?”

  • “I think that it would be very beneficial to have a separate sheet for each specific program to explain which courses they NEED to take, but also which electives would best fit those required courses.”

  • “Perhaps a easier to read class schedule.”

  • “Some reminders over the summer could be helpful for students who don't finish registration before leaving Prairie but all in all the process went smoothly for me!”

  • “Please make better suggested course plans.”

  • “Just more help.”

  • “I cannot think of anything, but I really appreciate how there is help whenever it is needed.”

Data Report/Analysis

How can preregistration be leveraged to help program directors develop relationships with their students? I was pleased to hear that program directors were learning more things about their students, which is what I wanted to happen with the workshop. One advisor said, “I think one of the benefits of that was for me just getting to know my students better….[I got] a better sense of who they are and what their likes were, which was really helpful.” Even program directors who did not think that preregistration helped with relationship building found out new things about their students and commented, “...so there is value in it too.” Preregistration can be complicated, but a program director who has already started to build a relationship with a student can continue to guide and mentor that student through the process. Hopefully, there is already a relationship of trust between the student and the program director by the time preregistration starts. The students want the help and appreciate the guidance from their program director.

 

How can the course selection and enrollment process be streamlined and simplified? Students who went to the workshop generally had an easier time with preregistration. Those who did not go thought that no one wanted to help them, or they found the process of selecting their courses hard. It is difficult to make the process easier if the students do not avail themselves of the help that is provided. This year the process was different than other years. I was trying to have students go to their program director first. If the program director was not able to help, then the student could come to the Registrar’s Office for help. Perhaps some students interpreted that as “People weren't eager to help me figure out which classes I should take.” This process was new to the program directors, as well. They also need more time to become familiar with all the material. I appreciated the comment from one program director, “I think at the end of the day, you know, if the student has a question and I'm helping them with their schedule or trying to figure things out, then we kind of fumble through it together. We figure it out, right?” They do not have to have all of the answers all of the time, but they can find out the answers together, and everyone learns something new, including me.

 

There was a lot of focus on Suggested Course Plans by both program directors and students. It is the degree audit, though, that is the final authority of what is needed to complete a program. One program director recognized that both the course plan and the degree audit need to be used together when he said, “I think students really love the process of looking at a degree audit and crossing off the things on the suggestion [Suggested Course Plan] that has been done. That, I think, was a really key skill they enjoyed.” I am not sure that this program director understands the importance of the degree audit when he said, “Students first had to go through and check off the courses that they had taken. I’m wondering [if] the course plan could be on a fillable document where the student could check off the courses that they’ve taken so that they can come back to that document, year after year, and not have to start over in thinking about what they’ve taken.” I do not want a student to rely only on their own tracking of their course requirements since there is too great of a potential for error. The Suggested Course Plan is meant to guide a student on what to enroll in semester by semester. It is a tool to be used alongside the degree audit. If students are relying mostly on Suggested Course Plans, it could explain why some students have difficulties choosing electives. In the future, I will need to be more explicit in my instructions that these two tools need to be used together.

Surprises

There were a few things from the surveys that surprised me. One surprise was that a barrier to preregistration was that students could not enroll in courses if they had a financial hold. I did not anticipate this problem. Another surprise I had was about the electives. I provided a list of electives that were available and what categories they fit in, but students still struggled with knowing which electives to choose. I did not anticipate that I might not understand the answers people gave on the survey, especially the student survey. I would like to ask more clarifying questions, but with an anonymous survey, I cannot do that. I don’t know if they are telling me about something I still need to do or if I already have, and they just need to be shown the answer.

 

One of the second-year students didn’t know what a degree audit was, yet he or she said they were comfortable with Populi and they “understand it quite well.” This student also said, “I think that it would be very beneficial to have a separate sheet for each specific program to explain which courses they NEED to take, but also which electives would best fit those required courses.” This is exactly what the degree audit would tell a student. This makes me wonder if I have made assumptions that students know what things are called and if they truly understand the questions I asked. It also makes me wonder if more teaching on degree audits during the school year is necessary. New students are given an overview of Populi during orientation, but they are receiving a lot of other information at the same time. It is no wonder they do not remember all that they need to remember and will need refreshers during the year.

Conclusion/Future Direction

The data I collected in Cycle 2 indicates I am not done streamlining and simplifying the process of preregistration. The process does not begin a couple of weeks before the end of the year, but it starts before the beginning of the year. Program directors need to be given a refresher about degree audits and course plans. Academic advisors need to be reminded that their role is vitally important in the area of student retention. During new student orientation, students need to be encouraged to care about their graduation requirements. It is not good enough to only teach about degree audits and Suggested Course Plans during orientation or at the end of the year but it must be ongoing during the year. 

 

In the future, I will host a couple of workshops to help students learn how to navigate Populi and how to read their degree audits. Perhaps it would be helpful to include program directors in these same workshops so I could train both groups at the same time. I will continue to work on Suggested Course Plans and degree audits to make them as clear as I possibly can. I have already scheduled the Preregistration Workshop into the Academic Calendar to be held in early April 2024. In addition to this, I will make the week the workshop takes place the “Preregistration Week.” I will encourage program directors to set up one-on-one appointments with their students to help make the preregistration process personal.

Update

A suggestion was made during the Preregistration Workshop debriefing meeting to include a copy of the Suggested Course Plan in each new student packet. This was done for the new students of Fall 2023. Program directors were reminded they wanted to give a little bit of attention to the course plans during their first Program Assembly, which will be held the first week of October 2023.

References

Creswell, John W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). Sage.

 

Pew Research Center. (n.d.). Writing survey questions. https://www.pewresearch.org/our-methods/u-s-surveys/writing-survey-

     questions/ 

cheryl.mclim@prairie.edu

Master of Leadership in Global Christian Education

Prairie College

©2023 by Cheryl McLim Capstone Project

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