Strategic Priorities

Students are the primary end user. Students need to be able to clearly understand how to engage with the advising tool in order to track their progress toward successful degree completion. Decisions about language and parameters are standardized across units, increasing the usability of the system for students, especially if they change or add majors in different schools. The system is intended to promote students meeting with their advisor(s) and utilizing academic support services on campus. 

The system is accessible by different users across campus, including Student Information Services (SIS), Information Technology (IT), Financial Aid and Scholarships (SAS), advisors, tutors and other student support staff. Regardless of which advisors a student sees, the information needed to advise a student will be accessible. The functional implementation of the system is still growing with the ultimate goal to improve student success and enhance the engagement between students, advisors, tutors, and professors.  

Increase the number of students through pipeline to completion

Jayhawk GPS provides clear information on progress toward degree for both students and their advisors and intervention tools to support graduation. 

Reduce average time to degree

Jayhawk GPS offers centralized storage of advising notes and course history to allow both students and advisors to monitor the path to degree and help prevent roadblocks that delay graduation. 

Assure student engagement and satisfaction

Jayhawk GPS helps students engage more closely with their academic advisors and tutors/peer mentors. This tool made virtual advising possible during the spring 2020 online transition. Without this tool, student engagement would have suffered. 

Objective 1: Pursue collaborations with internal KU units and external partners to enhance student opportunities and impact

Jayhawk GPS is a partnership between Academic Success, campus partners, and Navigate EAB that creates advising continuity across campus. It allows for targeted outreach to vulnerable student populations and increases ease of access for students to connect with advisors. 

Objective 1: Identify students’ needs, reduce barriers and develop opportunities to enhance learning and success both in and out of the classroom

Jayhawk GPS provides a one-stop location for student advising needs, allowing students to easily see upcoming appointments, deadlines, current holds, and previous advising notes. 

Objective 3: Extend programs, services, and communications through the creative use of technology, staff, and resources

Jayhawk GPS combines web and app-based platforms to enable students to manage academic issues such as holds, deadlines and advising appointments in one location. 

Objective 1: Pursue collaborations with academic and support units to promote student app downloads

Jayhawk GPS provides a companion app for students to easily schedule appointments with advisors, view enrollment holds, view their course schedule, and more. Intentional collaboration to communicate purpose and benefits will help to improve overall usage and engagement. 

Objective 2: Expand onboarding to additional student support units across campus

Continued onboarding opportunities with the Military-Affiliated Student Center and University Academic Support Centers

Objective 1: Continue expanding Progress Reporting

Continued partnership with ACCT 200 and BIOL 100 instructors for Spring 2021 and identify other key courses for further rollout

Objective 2: Increased use of data and dashboards to identify opportunities for improvement

Investigate and roll out plans for further use of Population Health Dashboards by academic leadership

Objective 1: Identify ways to increase use of communication features to improve communication with students

Expand use cases for expanding use of texting feature by advisors and support staff

Objective 2: Identify ways to increase use of communication features to improve communication between advisors and support staff

Expand use cases for expanding use of relationships, alerts/referrals and notes