Degree Works

Concord University has implemented a new tool that students can access to help them stay on track towards getting their degree. Students from the 2009 catalog to the current catalog can access this tool and view their academic progress and find out what classes they need to take to earn their degree. This new tool is called Degree Works, and it is a degree audit software to compliment the regular scheduled advising times with students academic advisors. 

    A Degree Works audit is a comprehensive record of students academic history, including transfer credits, showing what students have taken, courses students are enrolled in, and courses students still need to complete their degree. Degree Works is available to any admitted student through their MYCU accounts. Every individual's information on Degree Works is confidential. The only individuals who have access to a students Degree works audit is their academic advisor and other authorized personnel. 

    Carolyn Cox, the Registar at Concord, implemented this new tool with the help of Miranda Martin from the I.T. department. Degree Works has been available for students to access since October 2015. Degree Works is now current and there shouldn't be anything wrong with a students personal audit. If there is a problem or something that is not current on a students Degree Works audit, they need to report the issue to Carolyn Cox. She can not fix the problem with a students audit if she does not know what the problem is. There are certain things Mrs. Cox has to run on the audit if there are certain updates for a particular student. There have not been many complaints about the program so far, which is a good thing but if students have questions or concerns about their audit they need to contact Mrs. Cox like she has advised them to do.

The only thing that may need to be done towards a students Degree Works audit is mainly for the Communication majors. A new audit has to be ran on every communication major for those who still have CART courses on their audit instead of COMM courses. This is not a big concern that students should have because whether it says CART or COMM for whatever course it was the credits that students earned still apply. Mrs. Cox wants students to know "this is not carved in stone. Its just a tool to help students towards earning their degree from Concord University". 

Degree Works is a win-win situation because it is a tool to help every student at Concord, it will not hurt anyone no matter what their audit states. Its a tool we didn't have before that we have now to help us all. Once again if there may be something that is not right with a students audit, they need to let Mrs. Cox know so she can help and fix it for them. Degree Works should be current on every student at Concord University. If the GPA calculation is not correct on a students audit due to a student failing a class, later repeating it, and passing. There is no need to worry because the last and final grade is calculated by Mrs. Cox and the GPA she gives will be higher than what may show on Degree Works.

Miranda Martin, a systems programmer in the I.T. Department mentioned that there are still a few tweaks along the way with special requirements that they're still adjusting and fixing. Degree Works is hosted in Morgantown with Web Net. It is current and  it is a live feed of student course work. If students have more credits applied on their Degree Works audit, than their MYCU account earned hours, that is because Degree Works pulls in developmental courses as applied hours but they are not counted towards graduation. Students are encouraged to log in to Degree Works and check out their audit. Mrs. Martin says "Degree Works is an awesome tool but it is not to be confused with the graduation audit." This is an advising tool, students are still going to have to go through the Registars office to do an official graduation audit to make sure they have their requirements for graduation.