Avery Boulware, Campus Carrier news editor
After auditing the senior class of 2017 this summer, the registrar’s office found that 65 percent of seniors are not on track to graduate in May.
However, this is not a rare statistic for the beginning of the school, and it does not mean that there will be a very small number of students walking across the stage.
Because seniors are able to register for fall and spring classes at the same time, the registrar’s office is able to take their entire last year into account to determine whether they are on the right track. Recently, audits were changed and now take place the summer before a student’s senior year.
“This is kind of a new thing in the last few years, to do these graduation audits earlier,” Registrar Bryce Durbin said. “The reason is to help students out. We would rather you find out if you’re missing an hour while you can still sign up for that hour, instead of waiting until it’s too late. We are trying to raise awareness earlier, so people have time to change it.”
There are several ways for students to make sure they switch classes around to get enough credits.
When students know ahead of time that schedule changes need to be made, they can take advantage of the add/drop periods, as well as registration later in the semester.
“Sometimes it’s as simple as a cultural events credit,” Dean of Students Debbie Heida said. “It’s not a panic — it’s the reason they do the audit.”
Another part of this statistic could be students who came to Berry with a large amount of hours and are technically qualified to graduate, but are planning to stay and add on another major or minor instead of graduating early.
“We also look at students who are very close to graduating, but not quite in the spring,” Durbin said, “and we’ll let them know if it’s possible for them to complete during the summer so they aren’t staying around for another whole semester.”
Administrators also look for students who are one or two classes away from earning a minor that they might not have been planning on receiving and let them know as soon as possible.
“We’re constantly looking at how we can use the data we have to help students be successful,” Dean of Academic Services David Slade said. “It’s really meant to serve the students.”
Durbin said an important part of Berry academics is to make sure students use their time wisely while they are here.
“It’s our goal in most departments at Berry for students to graduate in four years or less because that’s a statistic that’s attached to something meaningful,” Slade said. “It’s delivering on a promise. It’s attached to students being guided towards a plan.”
Closely advising students is a benefit small schools like Berry have over larger state schools. Instead of having a professional adviser with possibly 100 other advisees, Berry students have faculty members who know the curriculum helping them along the way.
“Some of it is the sheer numbers you’d have to work with [at a larger school], some of it is the culture of a smaller place that allows contact between advisors or deans,” Slade said. “It’s our size and our culture. It’s more relational.”