NSU creates advising checkpoint

(Tahlequah, Okla.)--Northeastern State University recently began implementing a new checkpoint advising program that will help students stay on track for graduation.

An audit for the Senior Checkpoint Hold will take place each semester, determining which students are currently at the 100+ hours earned mark. From that point, a hold will be placed on each students accounts until the student meets with an advisor to ensure that they are on track to graduate, having earned or planning to earn all necessary credits. The hold will only be placed on 100+ hour students once, and after an advising session has occurred, those names will be removed from the audit each following semester.

This will allow us, each semester, to identify those students who have earned 100+ hours and should be nearing graduation for the purpose of a final audit or advising session, Jeff Walker, University Advising Center director said.

The Senior Checkpoint Hold began informally in the fall semester of 2014, with students being asked to come in for an advising session; however, moving forward, it will become mandatory.

During the advisement session advisors hope to be able to help students map out their remaining semesters based on pre-requisites and sequencing of courses, to review their audits, to notify them of any other holds that may affect registration and to look for any other issues that may prevent a timely graduation. In addition to keeping the students on track during their time at NSU, advisors will also take the opportunity to discuss post-graduation plans, connecting students to appropriate resources.

Hopefully, this will correct many of the issues we've seen as an institution in the past related to students who are not on track to graduate as planned, Walker said. It will give us the opportunity to help steer them in the right direction one last time.

Those students nearing or over the 100+ credit hours mark can expect to receive an email from their advisor notifying them of the hold and requesting that they make an appointment.

Advisors encourage those students affected by this new hold to schedule appointments in a timely manner. Because the hold will affect many students, those who wait to schedule may find that the likelihood of getting the desired courses has diminished.