Course Registration Assistant Pilot Program

Program Results

The Course Registration Assistant (CRA) program was piloted during the Fall 2012 semester in the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences and the College of Science and Mathematics. The pilot program was limited to freshmen majoring in Health and Human Performance and freshmen concentrating in a pre-professional health area.

College of Behavioral and Health Sciences

Two graduate students served as CRAs for freshmen majoring in Health and Human Performance (HHP).  The advising coordinator for the college trained and supervised the CRAs.  The CRAs were available to work with students for a limited number of hours over a 21 day period from November 5 to December 5.  Freshmen HHP majors were notified by email of the times and location course schedule planning and registration assistance was available.

The CRAs provided assistance to 35 students on an appointment and walk-in basis.  Of that total, 27 students requested and received help in determining the courses they needed to take in the spring semester.  Only one student who made an appointment to meet with a CRA failed to show up.

At the end of the priority registration period, an online survey was sent to students who had received assistance.  The survey asked students if the CRAs answered their questions, if they received help in planning course schedule for the spring semester, and if they were satisfied with the assistance they received.  Of the five students who responded to the survey, four indicated they were satisfied or very satisfied with their meeting with a CRA.  One student responded they were dissatisfied, because they were seeking more specific information about physical therapy schools than the CRA could provide.

College of Science and Mathematics

Five senior students majoring in the pre-professional health sciences were trained and served as CRAs. The advising coordinator for the college trained and supervised the CRAs. The five CRAs were available to assist freshmen pre-professional health majors over a seven day period from November 20 to November 30. Three of the CRAs were available to assist students on both a walk-in and an appointment basis, while the other two CRAs worked with students on an appointment basis only.  Freshmen pre-professional health majors were notified by email of the times and location course schedule planning and registration assistance was available.

A total of 14 students received assistance with course schedule planning over the seven day time period.  All of the students completed a tentative course schedule for the spring semester. Ten of the students assisted indicated they had also visited their faculty advisors for information about course schedule planning.

At the end of the priority registration period, an online survey was sent to students who had received assistance.  All three of the students who responded to the survey indicated they were satisfied or very satisfied with the assistance they received from the CRAs.  When asked on the survey about the value of their experience meeting with a CRA, the following responses were recorded:

“I like to have a second opinion and the advice is always great!”

“My CRA was a HUGE help. I've recommended a lot of my pre-professional health friends to schedule a meeting. I think it should be mandatory for pre-health students to schedule a meeting with a CRA at least once in addition to a faculty advisor.”

“Yes because it helps with my MCAT and medical school preparation.”

Recommendations

Based on feedback received from students served, the CRAs involved, and the associate deans overseeing this pilot program; the following recommendations were recommended for the Spring 2013 semester:

1. Expand the time period for providing CRA assistance to a total of four weeks for both colleges.
2. Expand the populations served to include sophomore students in the two departments piloting the program.
3. Revise the evaluation to include measurements for all program objectives.
4. Determine alternatives to delivery of survey to encourage more responses.
5. Develop an assessment to determine faculty advisors’ perceptions about the program and any effect the program has on advisors’ time or efforts with their advisees.