[OACRAO] Automatic awarding of degrees?

Tue Feb 13 09:32:11 EST 2018

Theresa,

I recall a similar question/issue coming up that I spoke with several people about. One larger issue that came up with backdating a degree would be explaining that to accreditors and auditors and how it is reported to other agencies (NSLDS being one). NSLDS would flag that change, since it is so far back, and if you award degrees in the past, then that may raise some questions.

Because of some of those potential issues, we do not backdate degrees to a previous semester, let-alone in a previous year. We leave that responsibility to the student. If the student never remembers to graduate, then they have to deal with that. We make them apply for graduation with current graduation requirements, and then we have to run their degree audit under the current curriculum catalog (and make any course substitutions that are necessary).

If the student is outside of our "Leave of Absence Policy", meaning they've been gone for more than a year, they are required to re-apply with admissions. We normally waive any fees associated with that, but that process would trigger us to review their classes (kind of like a transfer student) and apply any classes to the updated catalog. If all of their classes in the new catalog are complete, then they can eligible again graduate.

We are usually very lenient with our degree audit and with our course substitutions (our degree audit for our curricula catalogs has not changed too much), but we feel that it is better to properly document everything, rather than try to backdate something and edit the record that way. But we also need to make sure that they are in good standing with the other offices (mainly our Bursar/Business/Finances Office--they don't owe any money to the school still).

Alex Siebert
Director of Registrar Services
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________________________________
From: OACRAO <oacrao-bounces+asiebert=artacademy.edu at lists.osu.edu> on behalf of Carroll, Arthur Perry P <Perry.Carroll at thechristcollege.edu>
Sent: Monday, February 12, 2018 5:11:33 PM
To: Theresa Kolk-Conner; OACRAO
Subject: Re: [OACRAO] Automatic awarding of degrees?

Theresa,

  I have always used reports from the student information system to generate a list of students who are eligible to graduate each semester.  Our students are automatically graduated if they meet the degree requirements, regardless of whether they complete an application.  We really only use the application for graduation to know the exact name they wish to appear on their printed diploma and to know if they plan to participate in the formal ceremony so we can order academic regalia.  We graduate all students because it can be advantageous to the institution to have a minimum number of graduates in some programs.   As a registrar at a state institution in Virginia for a number of years, we could loose the ability to continue offering a program if we did not have a minimum number of graduates in a given year.

Perry Carroll, Registrar

The Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences / The Christ Hospital Health Network

2139 Auburn Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219

Office phone: 513-585-0365     Fax: 513-585-3448

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________________________________
From: OACRAO <oacrao-bounces at lists.osu.edu> on behalf of Theresa Kolk-Conner <tkolk at zanestate.edu>
Sent: Monday, February 12, 2018 4:58 PM
To: OACRAO
Subject: [External] [OACRAO] Automatic awarding of degrees?

Tacking on to the question about graduation application/petition:  there has been talk here about doing automatic awarding of degrees once requirements are met.  This came about due to the number of students who “forget” to petition and then remember years later (just posted a Winter 2012 degree today, just a tad bit late!).

Does anyone do this?  Implications?  Pros/cons?

Thanks,

Theresa Kolk-Conner
Assistant Dean for Curriculum/Registrar

740-588-1360 | tkolk at zanestate.edu<mailto:tkolk at zanestate.edu>

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