New model emphasizes academic planning, student retention and graduation
Tyron Clinton is the executive director SC State's Academic Professional Advising
Center
ORANGEBURG, S.C. —South Carolina State University is expanding professional academic advising to help
students stay on track toward graduation through improved academic planning and earlier
identification of potential barriers.
Through its Academic Professional Advising Center (APAC), the university is implementing
a centralized, shared advising model that provides students with ongoing guidance
beyond course registration.
Led by Executive Director Tyron Clinton and five academic professional advisors, APAC
is incorporating specialized DegreeWorks training to help students understand degree
requirements, plan future coursework and stay on track toward graduation.
DegreeWorks is a web-based degree audit tool that helps SC State monitor students'
academic progress toward degree completion.
The platform allows a student and advisor to view up-to-date information about the
student’s progress toward graduation. It gives advisers a clear view of completed
coursework, outstanding requirements and factors that may affect a student’s progress
or expected graduation timeline.
“DegreeWorks gives our professional advisors the ability to have more informed and
intentional conversations with students about their academic progress,” Clinton said.
“We want every student to understand where they are, what they have completed, what
remains, and how the decisions they make each semester affect their progress toward
earning a degree.”
DegreeWorks supports proactive advising
The model emphasizes regular engagement, thoughtful academic planning and early identification
of potential barriers to degree completion.
Rather than waiting until registration or until a concern arises, advisers can use
DegreeWorks to review progress with students, map remaining requirements, plan course
sequences and flag issues that could delay graduation.
This information can also help students take a more active role in their academic
planning.
“Students should know more than what classes they need to take next semester,” Clinton
said. “They should understand their entire academic pathway. Our goal is to help students
see the bigger picture and take greater ownership of their progress toward graduation.”
Centralized advising begins Oct. 15
The APAC was established to provide students with consistent, accessible advising
and to strengthen coordination across the university’s academic programs.
The APAC, the Office of the First Year Experience and the Office of Retention and
Student Success report directly to Dr. David Staten, associate provost for academic
affairs and student success and engagement.
Beginning Oct. 15, APAC will advise a selected group of students from each college
during the university’s preregistration period. This first phase begins SC State’s
transition to a centralized advising model.
Each professional adviser will initially serve approximately 150 students. The Office
of the First-Year Experience will continue advising all freshmen, while most seniors
will continue working with faculty advisers. SC State will add professional advisers
as funding becomes available.
APAC advisers will work closely with faculty, department chairs, deans and other academic
partners as students progress through their degree programs.
Professional advisers will provide ongoing guidance on academic planning, degree requirements,
registration and progress. Faculty will continue to mentor students in their disciplines,
prepare them for careers and connect them with research and professional development
opportunities.
This shared approach gives students access to consistent advising and faculty expertise.
Supporting student retention and graduation
SC State is pursuing a universitywide effort to improve student retention and graduation
rates through earlier intervention, stronger academic advising and expanded student
support. The initiative includes a Retention Steering Committee that brings together
academic leadership, student affairs, finance and other university divisions to identify
and address barriers to student success.
APAC’s use of DegreeWorks supports SC State’s goals for persistence, retention and
graduation by helping advisers guide students toward degree completion.
“DegreeWorks helps advisors see where students stand, identify barriers early, and
connect them with support. The Academic Professional Advising Center, the Office of
the First Year Experience, and the Student Success Center will be vital to improving
first-year retention and four- and six-year graduation rates. Yet student success
depends on the work of every division. Administrators, deans, chairs, coordinators,
faculty, staff, and students all have a critical role to play,” Staten said.
Advisers can use academic information to intervene before concerns become major barriers.
DegreeWorks can also help students avoid unnecessary coursework by clarifying which
courses satisfy their requirements and what remains to complete their programs.
“Every credit a student earns should move that student closer to his or her goal,”
Clinton said. “Our responsibility is to help students make informed academic decisions
and provide the guidance they need to continue progressing toward graduation.”
Combining technology with personal guidance
As APAC continues implementing the model, DegreeWorks will remain one of its primary
tools for individualized academic planning and monitoring student progress.
Clinton emphasized that technology is only one part of effective advising.
“DegreeWorks provides us with valuable information, but the advisor-student relationship
is what allows us to turn that information into action,” Clinton said. “The technology
helps us identify where a student stands. Our professional advisors help students
understand what that means and determine what comes next.”
Through APAC, SC State is strengthening the advising relationships and academic planning
that help students reach graduation.
For more information about centralized advising, students may contact the Academic
Professional Advising Center in Room 115 of Moss Hall, call 803-533-3963 or email
tclinto1@scsu.edu.
