By Bryan Hance
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Virtual degree checks are now a reality.
The new on-line feature through UAinfo gives students the chance to check academic progress without scheduling an appointment or visiting an adviser.
Called "On Course!," the computerized degree audit produces a report of degree requirements for a student's catalog year and major and compares them with the courses the student has completed, said Patti King, curriculum systems development specialist.
"Basically, it's an ongoing senior degree check," King said. "Instead of having to wait until your senior year, you're going to have this available to you every year you're enrolled here."
The service contains degree information beginning with the '93-95 general catalog, and creates two reports.
The academic program report lists standard requirements for undergraduate degree programs.
The academic progress report is a personalized evaluation of the student's degree progress, providing information on remaining and completed requirements, as well as test scores and transfer credits, King said.
If a student has no listed major, an audit of their general education progress is created instead, she said.
The report is not intended to replace advising, King said, but aims to cut down on time students spend with their advisors on routine bookkeeping matters.
Student academic progress report results are created overnight and available the following workday, said Brett Bendickson, support systems analyst for the Center for Computing and Information Technology.
All college and degree requirements are on line, with the exception of the College of Arts and Sciences which has only posted information for its health-related professions and fine arts degrees. Celeste Pardee, interim director with arts and sciences advising, said the college is working to include the rest of its degrees, but is concerned with the accuracy of the system.
Since it went on line Nov. 7, more than 200 reports have been created, King said.
"The very first day we had the system up and running, and it wasn't even publicized, we had 25 inquiries."