Vera Senese, Compliance Officer, City University of New York Gail Baksh-Jarrett, Senior Director of Enrollment and Student Financial Services, LaGuardia Community College Satisfactory Academic Progress and the Community College

SAP & The Community College This session will cover the federal statutory and regulatory requirements of Satisfactory Academic Progress and the unique challenges of applying them at a Community College. Community Colleges have different populations, constraints and issues than senior colleges, graduate and proprietary schools. This session will go into depth as to how a large New York City community college (LaGuardia) implements SAP. 2

SAP & The Community College To be eligible for Federal Student Aid funds a student must make satisfactory academic progress and your school must have a published policy for monitoring that progress. Satisfactory Academic Progress citations can be found in: HEA Section 484(c) 34 CFR (e) 34 CFR (f) 32 CFR

SAP & The Community College Your policy must be at least as strict as your SAP standards for students in the same program(s) who are not receiving federal aid. The policy must apply consistently to all educational programs and all students within categories You must check SAP at the end of increments that can’t be longer than half the program or one academic year, whichever is less. If your policy permits appeals and probation, it must explain the circumstances and procedures that apply. Your policy should also explain the process whereby a student can re-establish eligibility. 4

SAP & The Community College Regulations require that your progress standards include specific policies defining the effects of course incompletes, withdrawals, repetitions and non-credit remedial courses on SAP. Your publications must include your college’s policy on repeating courses that were previously passed and your “F” grade policy. 5

SAP & The Community College The policy must contain both a qualitative (grade-based) and a quantitative (time-based) standard used to check SAP. 6

SAP & The Community College Qualitative Standard Students must have a minimum grade point average of a C or its equivalent consistent with the requirements for graduation as defined by the institution at the end of the second academic year. (If your school does not have letter grades, it must define the equivalent of a C average.) 7

SAP & The Community College Quantitative Standard Set a maximum time frame expected to finish the program – can not exceed 150% of the published length of the program measured in academic years or terms or credit hours. 8

SAP & The Community College Your policy must also address : Change of majors and transfer credits Repeated courses, withdrawals, incompletes, remedial and ESL courses Probation & Appeals Re-establishing SAP and waivers 9

SAP & The Community College CUNY’s SAP PolicyQualitative Cum. CreditsGPA 0 – 121.5a. 150% cap b. Regular Standard c. Conditional Standard All students (whether aid recipients or not) are measured against the SAP standard at the end of the spring term to determine their eligibility for receipt of Title Iv aid for the upcoming year. 10

SAP & The Community College CUNY’s SAP Policy – Title IV Progress Chart Credit Accumulation Required Cumulative Credits Conditional Standard

SAP & The Community College LaGuardia Community College - CUNY Institutional Profile Fall 2008 Credit Enrollment15,540 Major Areas of StudyAllied Health25% Business27% Liberal. Arts33% Technology15% Race Hispanic35% Asian21% Black17% White12% Other/Unknown15% 12

SAP & The Community College Institutional Profile Fall 2008 (cont’d) GenderFemale61% Male39% Age17 to 2252% 23 to 2925% % U.S. Born43% Foreign Born57% 13

SAP & The Community College Institutional Profile Fall 2008 (cont’d) Native Languages117 Awarded Aid50% Attending Full-Time55% Attending Part-Time45% 14

SAP & The Community College Federal Satisfactory Academic Progress Title IV Recipients Fall 2008 Fall 2009 Not Making Progress Did not return Return 96 (21%) 108 (22%) 15

Early Alert Program - Black Males Identify At-Risk Students - Selective Population Student Progress Reports - Faculty Intervention – Tutoring, Advisement, Study Hall No. of StudentsFall 2008Spring 2009 Total Students Enrolled Total At-Risk % At-Risk % % SAP & The Community College 16

SAP & The Community College Early Alert Program - Fall 2008 WITHDRAWAL INTERVENTION Prior to the official withdrawal date advisors take to the streets (Atrium) SUMMARY Total Students 72 Total Surveys Returned Given the conversation you just had, are you going to withdraw from one or more classes? A – Yes = 27 students B - No = 29 students 17

SAP & The Community College Early Alert Program - Fall 2008 (cont’d) 2. a) Were you planning to visit an advisor to discuss withdrawing from class? A – Yes = 13 students B – No = 29 students b) Was the conversation useful to you? A – Yes = 47 students B – No = 0 students 18

SAP & The Community College Spring 2009 Total Students 198 Total Surveys Returned 160 Did you benefit from this session the way you wanted (or expected)? Yes = 154 No = 06 Did you learn something new during your time in this session? Yes = 153 No =07 Did this session motivate you to take action? Yes = 123 No = 37 Should this session have been conducted differently? Yes = 7 No = 152 N.R. =1 19

Fall 2009 Total Students Total Surveys Returned 127 Did you benefit from this session the way you wanted (or expected)? Yes=120 No=7 Did you learn something new during your time in this session? Yes=118 No=9 Did this session motivate you to take action? Yes=117 No=10 What action will you take? Ask questions, don’t be scared. Taking action to not lower GPA. SAP & The Community College 20

SAP & The Community College Fall 2009 (cont’d) If you experience academic difficulty in a future semester, how likely are you to seek out help earlier in the semester? (Circle your response) Not at all =1 somewhat unlikely =8 unsure/no response =14 somewhat likely=33 very likely =71 Should this session have been conducted differently? Yes=26 No=101 21