The Academic Success Center (ASC) requests progress reports three times a semester to gather feedback on student performance. This helps identify potential barriers to student success and determine which students may need intervention and referral to campus resources to help them be successful.
Faculty with concerns about student academic progress can mark a student as at-risk of earning a grade of D or below, and the ASC staff will encourage the students to come in for a meeting with one of their assigned ASC Coordinator. AU has learned that students who have more than one at risk progress report in any given campaign benefit from visiting the ASC and the interventions they engage in. Consistently, the student success team has found that students who engage with the ASC because of a progress report, persist at high numbers (Fall 2023 FTFT Cohort: 87.7 % versus. 91.5%); are more likely to be retained at the institution, compared to those who do not engage with the ASC (Fall 2023 FTFT Cohort: 65.5% versus 72.6%) enroll the next term at greater rates than those students who do not engage; and are more likely to have higher term GPAs and a smaller number of Withdrawals.
AU understands that earlier identification and earlier intervention with student support results in greater student outcomes. Faculty are critical partners in the success of a student. In 2023, the institution identified the critical times of the semester to request progress reports from faculty as weeks four, seven, and ten. Since 2023, the institution has set a response rate goal by faculty of 80% or more. The Progress Report requests include 1000, 2000 and 3000 level courses.
AU will utilize several measures in assessing the momentum goal. Each of these align with aforementioned goals and ASPIRE strategies. Some of these include, but are not limited to:
Obtaining a faculty response rate of 80% or more on progress reports 1, 2, and 3:
1. Faculty Engagement and Training (Laying the Foundation)
- CAPE Cluster Faculty Champions: Identify one faculty representative per CAPE Cluster (three total) to act as a Progress Report Advocate within their respective units.
- Faculty Workshops and Lunch & Learns: Host structured workshops on best practices for submitting progress reports, emphasizing their impact on student persistence and credit completion.
- Early Alerts Integration: Train faculty on how early progress reports connect to other student support services (ASC tutoring and academic support, advising interventions, mentoring).
- Incentives for Faculty Participation: Recognize departments that achieve high response rates with certificates, small grants for professional development
2. Data-Driven Outreach (Connecting to Student Persistence)
- Progress Report Dashboards: Develop real-time dashboards for faculty to monitor their submission rates and see student success metrics within their courses.
- Targeted Follow-Ups: Identify faculty with low response rates and provide personalized support through department chairs and CAPE Cluster Faculty Champions.
- Mid-Semester Checkpoints: Schedule reminder nudges for faculty using strategic touchpoints (week 3, 6 and 9) to ensure timely submission of reports that are released weeks 4, 7, and 10).
3. Student-Centered Support Systems (Connection with credit hour completion)
- Tie Reports to Student Interventions: Ensure identified at risk students receive proactive outreach from AAC, ASC, and faculty mentoring within one week of report submission.
- Faculty-Student Mentoring Pilot: Implement a pilot mentoring program in each CAPE Cluster, where faculty use progress report data to engage students at risk of not completing 26-30 credit hours in their first year.
- Student Awareness Campaign: Educate students on the importance of progress reports and encourage them to engage with faculty, and the ASC when flagged for support.
4. Assessment & Continuous Improvement (Connection with lessons learned)
- Departmental Accountability Meetings: Present response rate trends in monthly CAPE Cluster meetings to ensure faculty remain committed to improvement.
- Recognition and Reporting: Publish faculty participation rates in university publications and CAPE Cluster reports to celebrate achievements and identify areas for improvement.
- End-of-Term Faculty Survey: Collect faculty feedback on the process and adjust strategies based on challenges and recommendations.
To achieve and surpass the 80% faculty response rate for Progress Reporting in 1000–3000 level courses, Augusta University will implement a multi-pronged strategy focused on communication, support, incentives, and accountability. First, the Student Success unit will work closely with department chairs to ensure that all faculty are aware of the importance of progress report submissions and the impact these reports have on student outcomes.
Regular training sessions and workshops will be offered to familiarize faculty with the progress reporting system, streamline the submission process, and address any technical challenges. Additionally, the university will provide timely reminders and clear submission deadlines at key points in each term to encourage prompt participation.
To motivate faculty engagement, Augusta University will introduce recognition programs that highlight departments and individuals who consistently meet or exceed the response rate target. Feedback mechanisms will be established to gather faculty input on the reporting process, allowing for adjustments that improve satisfaction and reduce barriers to participation.
Finally, the Student Success unit will monitor response rates in real time and collaborate with academic leaders to identify and support areas where participation may lag. By combining effective communication, robust support systems, recognition, and continuous assessment, Augusta University will foster a culture of collaboration and accountability, ensuring the sustained achievement of its 80% response rate goal and driving improvements in student success.
This evaluation plan outlines Augusta University's comprehensive approach to assessing and enhancing the collaboration between the Student Success unit and faculty with the objective of achieving an 80% response rate on progress reports for all 1000, 2000, and 3000 level courses. The plan is designed to provide a structured and transparent framework for university administrators and faculty, ensuring accountability, continuous improvement, and measurable progress toward this critical student success initiative.
Evaluation Framework
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Measures
- Response Rate on Progress Reports: Percentage of submitted faculty progress reports in 1000, 2000, and 3000 level courses.
- Faculty Participation Rate: Percentage of faculty engaging with the progress reporting system.
- Timeliness of Submissions: Proportion of progress reports submitted by established deadlines.
- Faculty Satisfaction: Feedback scores from faculty regarding the reporting process and support received.
- Student Follow-up Rate: Percentage of students who receive timely outreach based on progress report data.
Assessment Frequency
- Progress Report Response Rates: Assessed at the end of each major term (Spring, Summer, Fall).
- Faculty Satisfaction Surveys: Administered post-term following submission windows.
- Dashboard Monitoring: Ongoing, with weekly internal reviews during open reporting periods.
- Student Outreach Metrics: Tracked monthly during and after reporting windows.
Baseline, Goals, and Current Status
- Baseline (as of Fall 2024): 65% average response rate on progress reports in 1000–3000 level courses.
- Goal: Achieve and sustain an 80% response rate for all reporting periods in 2025.
- Current Status: 67% response rate in Spring 2025 pre-assessment; faculty satisfaction at 3.8/5; student follow-up at 55%.
In Spring 2025, the Student Success unit facilitated a "closing the loop" session with faculty to foster dialogue concerning progress reporting, address queries, and gather feedback. Additionally, a faculty survey regarding progress reporting was conducted prior to the semester’s conclusion. The institution leverages this input to refine and enhance its progress reporting processes.
Augusta University continues to request progress reports from faculty during the fourth, seventh, and tenth weeks of each semester. For Fall 2025 to date, the institution has surpassed its target of 80% participation, achieving faculty response rates of 88%, 87%, and 80% for weeks four, seven, and ten, respectively.
For Fall 2025, Augusta University will retire the student success platform EAB Navigate and transition to a new Student Success platform, Slate, branded as Jag360. This system has been tailored to AU’s current needs and shaped by feedback from both faculty and staff. Targeted discovery and data sessions were conducted to design an improved experience for progress reporting and to better support students at Augusta University.
Augusta University will consistently review and evaluate all methods related to progress reporting, taking into account feedback from faculty, staff, and students about their experiences. The university is dedicated to enhancing student retention, persistence, graduation rates, and overall engagement through this initiative.
Augusta University does not anticipate any significant barriers beyond those commonly encountered, such as employee turnover, engaging students effectively, ensuring the scalability of infrastructure, and allocating resources for expansion. Nevertheless, AU remains confident in its ability to address these challenges and successfully achieve its objectives.
