Drop and add process moved to CAPS
Chadron State College students who are making late changes to their course schedules this semester are being asked to work with a different college service than years past. The process of dropping and adding courses is being administered by the offices of Career and Academic Planning Services, known as CAPS, instead of the Registrar’s Office.
“Considering our offices’ focus on student success, it’s certainly a logical shift in primary responsibility,” said Deena Kennell, director of CAPS. “Obviously, the registrar’s office will still help whoever needs helped, but this will help them alleviate the huge rush of walk-in traffic they’ve been receiving and free them up to work on other pressing duties.”
The deadline to enroll in this semester’s classes elapsed Friday, Jan. 14, but students have until Friday, Jan. 21, to drop classes for a full refund. The deadline to withdraw from a course is March 25. The form is accessible from CAPS, the registrar’s office and the documents portion of the registrar’s office website.
“If the students know what they want to drop and add, we prefer that they bring in their completed form,” Kennell said. “Otherwise, if they need help knowing what to drop and add, they’re welcome to come see anyone in our offices for advising.”
Drops and adds are among the evolving duties of CAPS since the reorganization of responsibilities of Student Academic Success Services in the fall of 2009. Other duties of CAPS include advising, the Early Alert program, schedule building, internships and career services. CAPS, which is in Crites Hall, consists of Kennell, Deb Meter, coordinator of cooperative education, Janet Hartman, office assistant, Lisa Curtis, graduate assistant, and two student workers.
“We still oversee the advising center and people can get help from faculty advisors,” Kennell said.
The Advising Center, which was created under the direction of now retired SASS Director Sharon Rickenbach, is staffed by CSC faculty members who are invited to volunteer one of their office hours each week. During the summer, the center handles schedule-building for the students’ fall semester course loads.
With the implementation of the college’s new student information system, CAPS has moved away from labor intensive hard copy advising files.
“It is our goal that faculty will have all the advising tools they need at their fingertips with the new system,” Kennell said.
The Early Alert is a tool used by faculty and staff to notify CAPS when a student is struggling in a course and may need help from CAPS. The form is accessible from the CAPS website.
Among the SASS operations not associated directly with Kennell’s operation are the Learning Center, which moved to CSC’s main residence hall complex, and counseling, which is now part of CSC’s Health Services.
Category: Campus News