Electronic degree audit system put on hold

Plans for a degree audit system first proposed during the consolidation of Student Services and Academic Services several years ago will remain on hold indefinitely because the University has yet to find suitable software.

The system was intended to be a computer program that would assist students in their study plans. In theory, it would be able to organize and cross-list information about the requirements a specific student needs to meet and which ones have already been met. It could also tell what classes would fill different requirements.

It will "systematically help you understand [if you are] on track to meeting your degree requirements and graduating on time," Director of Technology for Academic Services and Student Affairs Patricia Sheehan explained.

Ultimately, the implementation of a degree audit system depends on when a new application is put into use, Sheehan said. "That, from my perspective, is why this project is taking as long as it is and not moving forward," she said.

With a program that could determine whether they are on or off track with their studies, students would find it much easier to decide whether they should, say, pursue a double major, a minor, or even spend a semester or year abroad. A degree audit system would also determine whether courses might be able to be double-counted for more than one requirement.

Now that Student Services and Academic Services have been consolidated in Dowling Hall and are now "looking at the next stage phase of projects and degree audit is on that list...but we have not yet assigned a start date," Sheehan said.

The biggest barrier to the implementation of a degree audit system is the old manual application currently in use. "It lacks functionality, prohibits us from using cooler applications, and the stand alone technology makes it more difficult to do some things _ and to do them quickly," she said.

The degree audit system would work best if integrated with the rest of the Student Services system. "Your course registration would be right there so you could run a degree audit... the moment after you register online," Sheehan said. However, such integration would not be possible with the current system and an extra application would have to be written to interact with any degree audit system.

Sheehan feels that applications currently available on the market will be inadequate for the system she envisions.

When a suitable program is available, the degree audit system would be available to students of all Tufts' eight schools.

"I think that having a program like that would maximize scheduling efficiency," said sophomore Matt Nathanson. "It's hard enough getting in touch with your advisor, no less finding out all the information you need to know. Having that program up in a few years would be good for the students in a few years, but Tufts students today also need some guidance.