Enhancing the Student Journey: How the Credit Evaluation Services Team transformed SOAR

The transition to higher education is a pivotal moment in a student’s life, marked by excitement and uncertainty. One crucial aspect of this transition is the Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration process, known as SOAR. In October 2019, the Credit Evaluation Services (CES) team took on the responsibility of transfer credit evaluations, ushering in a series of remarkable improvements. This article delves into the transformative journey undertaken by CES, exploring how their efforts have streamlined the SOAR experience for both students and advisors. The cornerstone of CES’s improvements lies in their ability to complete course and test credit evaluations well in advance of the SOAR process. This shift “has been a game-changer”, as acknowledged by Sara Stephenson, a former academic advisor in CCAS and L&S Honors. Stephenson highlights, “The ability to batch post AP (Advanced Placement) credits for first-year students, has simplified things immensely for that large number of students. For students transferring credits from other institutions, CES has clear and efficient processes for reviewing and posting credits before SOAR, so that students and advisors are prepared at the time of enrollment”. Emily Schmidt, Assistant director for Cross College Advising Service, is “immensely grateful for the creation and work of [the CES] team”. Schmidt shares how “incoming students and our advising community benefit tremendously from the proactive and efficient work done by Credit Evaluation Services. The ability for students and advisors to know course equivalency information ahead of SOAR has made a significant difference in advising accuracy and course selection from the get-go! Additionally, the opportunity to get a head start on course re-evaluations ahead of a student’s SOAR appointment or session (thanks to the clear and stream-lined process”. CES’s commitment to excellence is further exemplified by their availability for real-time consultations with advisors throughout the entirety of all SOAR sessions, a transfer credit service that did not exist prior to CES. This accessibility ensures that students can promptly register for courses, without the hindrance of unresolved questions. Such on-demand support not only empowers students but also strengthens the advisor-student relationship.    Schmidt, highlights how the CES team’s responsiveness during SOAR has aided students.
“The responsiveness of the [CES] staff when questions arise at SOAR has positively impacted the ability for a student to make necessary changes to their schedule ahead of the semester starting, not after it’s started. As students are experiencing enough transitions and changes, this is one less piece they need to navigate.”
The data comparison between 2019 and 2023 vividly reinforces the substantial transformations in credit evaluation services celebrated by Stephenson and Schmidt: Admitted transfer students with a transcript evaluated by June 1
  • 2019 – 480 students
  • 2023 – 1,736 students (+362%)
New Freshmen with a transcript evaluated by July 15
  • 2019 – 440 students
  • 2023 – 2,386 students (+542%)
New Freshmen with AP or IB test credit evaluated by July 15
  • 2019 – 350 students
  • 2023 – 4,666 students (+1,333%)
  The journey of the Credit Evaluation Services team in redefining the SOAR experience is a testament to their dedication to student success. By expediting credit evaluations, streamlining processes, and providing unwavering support to advisors and students, CES has created a seamless transition for incoming freshmen and transfer students. As Sara Stephenson and Emily Schmidt’s quotes emphasize, the CES team’s efforts not only improve the mechanics of SOAR but also contribute to a foundation of engagement, satisfaction, and informed decision-making, setting students on a trajectory for academic excellence.