Graduation: An Involved Process

Graduation: An Involved Process

By: Kelley Waidley, Wesley Miller, Franchesca Garland, and Catherine McCartney

Jacob McDonalds, Class of 2015, and Dr. Jonathan Gibralter at Spring 2015 Commencement. Photo Credit, Frostburg State University

Graduating in the traditional four-year time span is not always a given; many students have to fight to graduate on time. Between uncommunicative advisers and complex majors, sometimes getting it all done feels like an uphill battle.

Craig Reiner, a senior Engineering and Physics double major from Glen Burnie, MD, will be graduating in four years, but is agrees that sometimes there can be issues.  “We have to take all the 200-level classes before we can move on to the 300-level classes and by the time you get to the 400-level classes you’re a senior and don’t have time to take all of the electives that they want you to take.”  

To make it more complicated, Reiner’s advisor has been no help with planning out his schedule.

 “I have had to plan out my four years since orientation freshman year. My advisor doesn’t meet with me, he just unlocks me because I plan it ahead of time. I have waited outside his office for an hour and half just to talk to him”.

Reiner says the Physics department as a whole has been an obstacle for graduating on time.

“We have to tell our department when classes need to be offered because they overlook it at times.  They just wait for the conflicts to come up, and us to find better times for the class.” He comments that balancing two majors and all GEP requirements has been a struggle. “I have four GEPS that I need to take left. So I’m taking one over the winter and three in the spring, on top of two capstones and another engineering class. Every semester I have been at 17 credits. I’ve only had to overload once, but I’ve always been at the limit.”

As the following graph demonstrates, a surprisingly low percentage of students graduate in four years within the University System of Maryland.  Graduation time seems to be a problem across the board.

It’s not unusual for students to choose to stay extra semesters to make the college experience easier. Katie Cropp, a senior Psychology major from Hancock, Maryland, decided that it was better for her to stay an extra semester than it would be to overload courses for multiple semesters just to graduate in four years. “Me personally, I crack under pressure sometimes. If I put too much stress on myself, I know it’s not going to end well.”

Another factor that helped her decide to stay an extra semester was her intent to take her Capstone over the summer, but it was cancelled due to under-enrollment. Which means her intent on taking her scholastic endeavors slowly worked against her, causing her to have to take a Capstone in the Fall that did not apply to her major focus.

“This was the only capstone offered this semester, infant development. I want to be a school counselor and I’m not going to be counseling babies. It’s interesting, but it’s not at all useful.”

While setbacks like this are not exceptionally common, it’s just one of many examples that complicates the schedules of students trying to graduate in four years.  

The relationship between a student and advisor can certainly hinder or aid with graduation time. Frostburg State University has created the Academic Advising Council whose purpose, according to their mission statement, is to “ensure communication of institutional policies, monitor and recommend revisions to the academic advising delivery system, implement institutional and individual evaluation of the quality of academic advising, assist in mechanisms to insure high quality academic advising and support the development and use of information systems to enhance academic advising.” The council’s membership includes faculty, administrators, and student representatives to allow for discussions from various departments of the institution. All members meet on the second Wednesday of every month. In short, they work to address issues that come up within the school between students and advising.

The council has created Academic Advising Workshops which are offered at the beginning of every semester where, according to the August 2015 agenda, they had presenters on FERPA, academic standards and strategies for advising students on probation, helpful advising tools on PAWS, and experiential learning opportunities.

Dr. Terri Massie Burrell, current Chair of the Academic Advising Council, commented “Occasionally, all of us [as advisors] may fall short but we have the students’ best interest at heart.Students have to be proactive and develop a relationship with us. When picking a major, I try to make sure the student considers where their passions lie. They must be aware of the obstacles when selecting a major. Is it worth it? Because this is a lifetime commitment.”

Fortunately, many departments try to encourage active communication between advisors and students. Sometimes students don’t always pick classes in their best interest for their degree, or don’t have a clear understanding of the General Education Program requirements. Some department advisors insist on meeting with students face to face, particularly if it is a student’s first semester.

Dr. Amy Branam Armiento, chair of the Department of English and Foreign Languages (and also Coordinator of African Studies) is currently advising ten students this semester. She describes the relationship she has with her advisees as “A little intrusive”, with a gentle emphasis on little.

“I try to empower them,” she says. “Any time we are talking about courses, I want to make sure they understand why I’m suggesting something. And if they suggest something, I’m asking myself why they are taking it. If it doesn’t make sense, I’ll ask them – I’m making sure they’re aware of the GEP, and the page before the GEP... as well as what’s in the Major Catalog. Of course we have a lot of fantastic electives [at Frostburg], but I want to make sure they understand what they need to graduate.”

The last year of Academia, according to Dr. Armiento, often results a “phenomenon” for many students, leading to the affectionately coined term “super-senior” – those who end up spending a year or more as “senior status”.

“Some students, when they get to the end of their [college] career, it’s like they’re afraid of graduating. They won’t select what they need [to finish]. On the last semester when they are expected to graduate, I will find them and audit them to make sure they have what they need,” she adds with a devious yet comforting smile.

Of course, there are factors outside of class selection and inattentive advisors that can contribute to a delayed graduation. Some students may experience a traumatic event or other unforeseen issues. Relatives may die, complication from mental illness may arise, someone may be involved in a sexual assault – many things are possible. One of the biggest factors that plagues most students on a good day is money. Putting aside school loans, college is a constant investment that some students just can’t maintain.

Spring 2015 Commencement, Photo Credit Frostburg State University

“Either [students] can’t get work here, so they’re trying to work at home, or they are working, but also supporting family members. Even though it seems like a little bit of money to cover [the costs of living and books], it’s not a small amount – especially when you have no money to start with.” Dr. Armiento explains. “We [as teachers] can teach anyone who shows up. Students might not get A’s all the time, but they want to be here – especially Junior’s and Senior’s. And it’s heart breaking as a professor to see a first generation student, who is smart enough and [doing] the American dream, and they get hit by life, [and] they just have no more money to continue attending.”

Graduating in four years is usually possible, but students must make the effort and strive to use all resources available to them. Being aware of the requirements for graduation as well as knowing the people and challenges in one’s major and department are crucial to graduating in a timely manner. Sometimes classes just don’t have the enrollment or can’t be scheduled in a graceful manner that works for everyone. Many challenges may occur during a student's academic career. But students should know there is always a resource available for them to use, if only they are willing to ask.