Louisiana State University of Alexandria Modernizes Advising with Kuali Advisor
Executive Summary
At LSUA, advisors previously used one-page degree audit sheets for students. These sheets did not update automatically, were tedious to maintain as students changed majors or advisors, and made it difficult for students to access up-to-date copies. The sheets used only course numbers rather than course names, so new students and new advisors often struggled to understand what was needed.
LSUA turned to Kuali Advisor to modernize its approach to academic planning and degree auditing. The result is an advising experience that is faster, more accurate, and more student-centered, helping advisors and students stay focused on on-time graduation.
Results at a Glance
- Since 2014, degree conferral has grown 318% while enrollment has grown 192%, meaning more students are completing degrees regardless of transfer work
- Advisors save significant time compared to manual audits
- Students actively engage in planning and using “what if” degree audits
- Faster degree certification for registrar staff
Challenge
Before adopting Kuali Advisor, LSUA’s advisors faced a familiar problem: too much time spent verifying degree requirements and too little time connecting with students. Managing multiple majors and program pathways required manual checks, side spreadsheets, and constant updates between systems.
“Manual audit sheets were emailed to the Registrar’s Office, reviewed for accuracy, and returned with errors or corrections. Students were then notified to make schedule changes, which sometimes resulted in delays to their graduation,” said Teresa Seymour, Assistant Vice Chancellor. “Even small errors could throw off an entire degree plan, and we’d have to spend time double-checking everything.”
Advisors and registrar staff needed a single, trustworthy source of truth for each student’s academic progress. They also needed a way to see what was complete, what still needed attention, and what options existed for each degree requirement.
Solution
LSUA selected Kuali Advisor for its precision, transparency, and intuitive design. The platform’s degree audit engine gave advisors an immediate view into each student’s standing, while flexible configuration allowed LSUA to mirror the complexity of its academic programs without additional overhead.
“Advisor was the first system that actually thought the way we do,” Seymour explained. “It just made sense.”
Implementation was collaborative and straightforward. The Kuali team worked closely with LSUA to configure rules, degree requirements, and workflows that aligned with the university’s academic structure. “Nothing was too big of an ask,” Seymour shared. “Every time we needed something unique, they found a way to make it happen.”
Results
With Kuali Advisor in place, LSUA has transformed its advising experience. Advisors now access instant, accurate degree audits that clearly display completed and remaining requirements. Instead of spending hours reconciling data, advisors can dedicate that time to meaningful conversations with students.
“It’s instant clarity,” Seymour said. “We can open a student’s record and immediately know what’s missing and how to meet that parameter. We can also see if the student is enrolled in any courses that are not helping them meet degree requirements.”
The shift has improved efficiency and reduced advising errors. LSUA has seen a measurable increase in degree conferrals. While enrollment has grown 192% since the 2014–15 academic year, degree conferral has grown 318%.
Much of that growth is due to LSUA’s ability to support a diverse student body. Many LSUA students are working adults, transfer students, or parents balancing multiple responsibilities. Traditional graduation metrics only capture full-time first-time freshmen, but LSUA’s true success comes from helping nontraditional students finish strong.
“Having a clear advising system that is current and accurate allows students to plan around their jobs, families, and other commitments,” Seymour said. “It gives them the confidence to keep moving forward and finish their degree so they can take the next step in their career.”
Just as importantly, the change has been felt by students. Advisor empowers them to take ownership of their academic journey by exploring program paths, adding minors, or seeing how switching majors would affect their time to graduation.
“Students love it,” Seymour said. “They can play with different program options, and it instantly shows how their completed courses apply. It helps them make informed decisions and keeps them motivated to finish.”
For Seymour and her team, Advisor has made advising both easier and more rewarding. “I actually enjoy using it,” she added. “It makes our jobs easier, and our students can feel that energy. Everyone’s more confident that they’re on the right path.”
Louisiana State University of Alexandria Modernizes Advising with Kuali Advisor
Executive Summary
At LSUA, advisors previously used one-page degree audit sheets for students. These sheets did not update automatically, were tedious to maintain as students changed majors or advisors, and made it difficult for students to access up-to-date copies. The sheets used only course numbers rather than course names, so new students and new advisors often struggled to understand what was needed.
LSUA turned to Kuali Advisor to modernize its approach to academic planning and degree auditing. The result is an advising experience that is faster, more accurate, and more student-centered, helping advisors and students stay focused on on-time graduation.
Results at a Glance
- Since 2014, degree conferral has grown 318% while enrollment has grown 192%, meaning more students are completing degrees regardless of transfer work
- Advisors save significant time compared to manual audits
- Students actively engage in planning and using “what if” degree audits
- Faster degree certification for registrar staff
Challenge
Before adopting Kuali Advisor, LSUA’s advisors faced a familiar problem: too much time spent verifying degree requirements and too little time connecting with students. Managing multiple majors and program pathways required manual checks, side spreadsheets, and constant updates between systems.
“Manual audit sheets were emailed to the Registrar’s Office, reviewed for accuracy, and returned with errors or corrections. Students were then notified to make schedule changes, which sometimes resulted in delays to their graduation,” said Teresa Seymour, Assistant Vice Chancellor. “Even small errors could throw off an entire degree plan, and we’d have to spend time double-checking everything.”
Advisors and registrar staff needed a single, trustworthy source of truth for each student’s academic progress. They also needed a way to see what was complete, what still needed attention, and what options existed for each degree requirement.
Solution
LSUA selected Kuali Advisor for its precision, transparency, and intuitive design. The platform’s degree audit engine gave advisors an immediate view into each student’s standing, while flexible configuration allowed LSUA to mirror the complexity of its academic programs without additional overhead.
“Advisor was the first system that actually thought the way we do,” Seymour explained. “It just made sense.”
Implementation was collaborative and straightforward. The Kuali team worked closely with LSUA to configure rules, degree requirements, and workflows that aligned with the university’s academic structure. “Nothing was too big of an ask,” Seymour shared. “Every time we needed something unique, they found a way to make it happen.”
Results
With Kuali Advisor in place, LSUA has transformed its advising experience. Advisors now access instant, accurate degree audits that clearly display completed and remaining requirements. Instead of spending hours reconciling data, advisors can dedicate that time to meaningful conversations with students.
“It’s instant clarity,” Seymour said. “We can open a student’s record and immediately know what’s missing and how to meet that parameter. We can also see if the student is enrolled in any courses that are not helping them meet degree requirements.”
The shift has improved efficiency and reduced advising errors. LSUA has seen a measurable increase in degree conferrals. While enrollment has grown 192% since the 2014–15 academic year, degree conferral has grown 318%.
Much of that growth is due to LSUA’s ability to support a diverse student body. Many LSUA students are working adults, transfer students, or parents balancing multiple responsibilities. Traditional graduation metrics only capture full-time first-time freshmen, but LSUA’s true success comes from helping nontraditional students finish strong.
“Having a clear advising system that is current and accurate allows students to plan around their jobs, families, and other commitments,” Seymour said. “It gives them the confidence to keep moving forward and finish their degree so they can take the next step in their career.”
Just as importantly, the change has been felt by students. Advisor empowers them to take ownership of their academic journey by exploring program paths, adding minors, or seeing how switching majors would affect their time to graduation.
“Students love it,” Seymour said. “They can play with different program options, and it instantly shows how their completed courses apply. It helps them make informed decisions and keeps them motivated to finish.”
For Seymour and her team, Advisor has made advising both easier and more rewarding. “I actually enjoy using it,” she added. “It makes our jobs easier, and our students can feel that energy. Everyone’s more confident that they’re on the right path.”
Louisiana State University of Alexandria Modernizes Advising with Kuali Advisor
Louisiana State University of Alexandria Modernizes Advising with Kuali Advisor
Executive Summary
At LSUA, advisors previously used one-page degree audit sheets for students. These sheets did not update automatically, were tedious to maintain as students changed majors or advisors, and made it difficult for students to access up-to-date copies. The sheets used only course numbers rather than course names, so new students and new advisors often struggled to understand what was needed.
LSUA turned to Kuali Advisor to modernize its approach to academic planning and degree auditing. The result is an advising experience that is faster, more accurate, and more student-centered, helping advisors and students stay focused on on-time graduation.
Results at a Glance
- Since 2014, degree conferral has grown 318% while enrollment has grown 192%, meaning more students are completing degrees regardless of transfer work
- Advisors save significant time compared to manual audits
- Students actively engage in planning and using “what if” degree audits
- Faster degree certification for registrar staff
Challenge
Before adopting Kuali Advisor, LSUA’s advisors faced a familiar problem: too much time spent verifying degree requirements and too little time connecting with students. Managing multiple majors and program pathways required manual checks, side spreadsheets, and constant updates between systems.
“Manual audit sheets were emailed to the Registrar’s Office, reviewed for accuracy, and returned with errors or corrections. Students were then notified to make schedule changes, which sometimes resulted in delays to their graduation,” said Teresa Seymour, Assistant Vice Chancellor. “Even small errors could throw off an entire degree plan, and we’d have to spend time double-checking everything.”
Advisors and registrar staff needed a single, trustworthy source of truth for each student’s academic progress. They also needed a way to see what was complete, what still needed attention, and what options existed for each degree requirement.
Solution
LSUA selected Kuali Advisor for its precision, transparency, and intuitive design. The platform’s degree audit engine gave advisors an immediate view into each student’s standing, while flexible configuration allowed LSUA to mirror the complexity of its academic programs without additional overhead.
“Advisor was the first system that actually thought the way we do,” Seymour explained. “It just made sense.”
Implementation was collaborative and straightforward. The Kuali team worked closely with LSUA to configure rules, degree requirements, and workflows that aligned with the university’s academic structure. “Nothing was too big of an ask,” Seymour shared. “Every time we needed something unique, they found a way to make it happen.”
Results
With Kuali Advisor in place, LSUA has transformed its advising experience. Advisors now access instant, accurate degree audits that clearly display completed and remaining requirements. Instead of spending hours reconciling data, advisors can dedicate that time to meaningful conversations with students.
“It’s instant clarity,” Seymour said. “We can open a student’s record and immediately know what’s missing and how to meet that parameter. We can also see if the student is enrolled in any courses that are not helping them meet degree requirements.”
The shift has improved efficiency and reduced advising errors. LSUA has seen a measurable increase in degree conferrals. While enrollment has grown 192% since the 2014–15 academic year, degree conferral has grown 318%.
Much of that growth is due to LSUA’s ability to support a diverse student body. Many LSUA students are working adults, transfer students, or parents balancing multiple responsibilities. Traditional graduation metrics only capture full-time first-time freshmen, but LSUA’s true success comes from helping nontraditional students finish strong.
“Having a clear advising system that is current and accurate allows students to plan around their jobs, families, and other commitments,” Seymour said. “It gives them the confidence to keep moving forward and finish their degree so they can take the next step in their career.”
Just as importantly, the change has been felt by students. Advisor empowers them to take ownership of their academic journey by exploring program paths, adding minors, or seeing how switching majors would affect their time to graduation.
“Students love it,” Seymour said. “They can play with different program options, and it instantly shows how their completed courses apply. It helps them make informed decisions and keeps them motivated to finish.”
For Seymour and her team, Advisor has made advising both easier and more rewarding. “I actually enjoy using it,” she added. “It makes our jobs easier, and our students can feel that energy. Everyone’s more confident that they’re on the right path.”
Louisiana State University of Alexandria Modernizes Advising with Kuali Advisor
Executive Summary
At LSUA, advisors previously used one-page degree audit sheets for students. These sheets did not update automatically, were tedious to maintain as students changed majors or advisors, and made it difficult for students to access up-to-date copies. The sheets used only course numbers rather than course names, so new students and new advisors often struggled to understand what was needed.
LSUA turned to Kuali Advisor to modernize its approach to academic planning and degree auditing. The result is an advising experience that is faster, more accurate, and more student-centered, helping advisors and students stay focused on on-time graduation.
Results at a Glance
- Since 2014, degree conferral has grown 318% while enrollment has grown 192%, meaning more students are completing degrees regardless of transfer work
- Advisors save significant time compared to manual audits
- Students actively engage in planning and using “what if” degree audits
- Faster degree certification for registrar staff
Challenge
Before adopting Kuali Advisor, LSUA’s advisors faced a familiar problem: too much time spent verifying degree requirements and too little time connecting with students. Managing multiple majors and program pathways required manual checks, side spreadsheets, and constant updates between systems.
“Manual audit sheets were emailed to the Registrar’s Office, reviewed for accuracy, and returned with errors or corrections. Students were then notified to make schedule changes, which sometimes resulted in delays to their graduation,” said Teresa Seymour, Assistant Vice Chancellor. “Even small errors could throw off an entire degree plan, and we’d have to spend time double-checking everything.”
Advisors and registrar staff needed a single, trustworthy source of truth for each student’s academic progress. They also needed a way to see what was complete, what still needed attention, and what options existed for each degree requirement.
Solution
LSUA selected Kuali Advisor for its precision, transparency, and intuitive design. The platform’s degree audit engine gave advisors an immediate view into each student’s standing, while flexible configuration allowed LSUA to mirror the complexity of its academic programs without additional overhead.
“Advisor was the first system that actually thought the way we do,” Seymour explained. “It just made sense.”
Implementation was collaborative and straightforward. The Kuali team worked closely with LSUA to configure rules, degree requirements, and workflows that aligned with the university’s academic structure. “Nothing was too big of an ask,” Seymour shared. “Every time we needed something unique, they found a way to make it happen.”
Results
With Kuali Advisor in place, LSUA has transformed its advising experience. Advisors now access instant, accurate degree audits that clearly display completed and remaining requirements. Instead of spending hours reconciling data, advisors can dedicate that time to meaningful conversations with students.
“It’s instant clarity,” Seymour said. “We can open a student’s record and immediately know what’s missing and how to meet that parameter. We can also see if the student is enrolled in any courses that are not helping them meet degree requirements.”
The shift has improved efficiency and reduced advising errors. LSUA has seen a measurable increase in degree conferrals. While enrollment has grown 192% since the 2014–15 academic year, degree conferral has grown 318%.
Much of that growth is due to LSUA’s ability to support a diverse student body. Many LSUA students are working adults, transfer students, or parents balancing multiple responsibilities. Traditional graduation metrics only capture full-time first-time freshmen, but LSUA’s true success comes from helping nontraditional students finish strong.
“Having a clear advising system that is current and accurate allows students to plan around their jobs, families, and other commitments,” Seymour said. “It gives them the confidence to keep moving forward and finish their degree so they can take the next step in their career.”
Just as importantly, the change has been felt by students. Advisor empowers them to take ownership of their academic journey by exploring program paths, adding minors, or seeing how switching majors would affect their time to graduation.
“Students love it,” Seymour said. “They can play with different program options, and it instantly shows how their completed courses apply. It helps them make informed decisions and keeps them motivated to finish.”
For Seymour and her team, Advisor has made advising both easier and more rewarding. “I actually enjoy using it,” she added. “It makes our jobs easier, and our students can feel that energy. Everyone’s more confident that they’re on the right path.”
Louisiana State University of Alexandria Modernizes Advising with Kuali Advisor
Executive Summary
At LSUA, advisors previously used one-page degree audit sheets for students. These sheets did not update automatically, were tedious to maintain as students changed majors or advisors, and made it difficult for students to access up-to-date copies. The sheets used only course numbers rather than course names, so new students and new advisors often struggled to understand what was needed.
LSUA turned to Kuali Advisor to modernize its approach to academic planning and degree auditing. The result is an advising experience that is faster, more accurate, and more student-centered, helping advisors and students stay focused on on-time graduation.
Results at a Glance
- Since 2014, degree conferral has grown 318% while enrollment has grown 192%, meaning more students are completing degrees regardless of transfer work
- Advisors save significant time compared to manual audits
- Students actively engage in planning and using “what if” degree audits
- Faster degree certification for registrar staff
Challenge
Before adopting Kuali Advisor, LSUA’s advisors faced a familiar problem: too much time spent verifying degree requirements and too little time connecting with students. Managing multiple majors and program pathways required manual checks, side spreadsheets, and constant updates between systems.
“Manual audit sheets were emailed to the Registrar’s Office, reviewed for accuracy, and returned with errors or corrections. Students were then notified to make schedule changes, which sometimes resulted in delays to their graduation,” said Teresa Seymour, Assistant Vice Chancellor. “Even small errors could throw off an entire degree plan, and we’d have to spend time double-checking everything.”
Advisors and registrar staff needed a single, trustworthy source of truth for each student’s academic progress. They also needed a way to see what was complete, what still needed attention, and what options existed for each degree requirement.
Solution
LSUA selected Kuali Advisor for its precision, transparency, and intuitive design. The platform’s degree audit engine gave advisors an immediate view into each student’s standing, while flexible configuration allowed LSUA to mirror the complexity of its academic programs without additional overhead.
“Advisor was the first system that actually thought the way we do,” Seymour explained. “It just made sense.”
Implementation was collaborative and straightforward. The Kuali team worked closely with LSUA to configure rules, degree requirements, and workflows that aligned with the university’s academic structure. “Nothing was too big of an ask,” Seymour shared. “Every time we needed something unique, they found a way to make it happen.”
Results
With Kuali Advisor in place, LSUA has transformed its advising experience. Advisors now access instant, accurate degree audits that clearly display completed and remaining requirements. Instead of spending hours reconciling data, advisors can dedicate that time to meaningful conversations with students.
“It’s instant clarity,” Seymour said. “We can open a student’s record and immediately know what’s missing and how to meet that parameter. We can also see if the student is enrolled in any courses that are not helping them meet degree requirements.”
The shift has improved efficiency and reduced advising errors. LSUA has seen a measurable increase in degree conferrals. While enrollment has grown 192% since the 2014–15 academic year, degree conferral has grown 318%.
Much of that growth is due to LSUA’s ability to support a diverse student body. Many LSUA students are working adults, transfer students, or parents balancing multiple responsibilities. Traditional graduation metrics only capture full-time first-time freshmen, but LSUA’s true success comes from helping nontraditional students finish strong.
“Having a clear advising system that is current and accurate allows students to plan around their jobs, families, and other commitments,” Seymour said. “It gives them the confidence to keep moving forward and finish their degree so they can take the next step in their career.”
Just as importantly, the change has been felt by students. Advisor empowers them to take ownership of their academic journey by exploring program paths, adding minors, or seeing how switching majors would affect their time to graduation.
“Students love it,” Seymour said. “They can play with different program options, and it instantly shows how their completed courses apply. It helps them make informed decisions and keeps them motivated to finish.”
For Seymour and her team, Advisor has made advising both easier and more rewarding. “I actually enjoy using it,” she added. “It makes our jobs easier, and our students can feel that energy. Everyone’s more confident that they’re on the right path.”
Louisiana State University of Alexandria Modernizes Advising with Kuali Advisor
Executive Summary
At LSUA, advisors previously used one-page degree audit sheets for students. These sheets did not update automatically, were tedious to maintain as students changed majors or advisors, and made it difficult for students to access up-to-date copies. The sheets used only course numbers rather than course names, so new students and new advisors often struggled to understand what was needed.
LSUA turned to Kuali Advisor to modernize its approach to academic planning and degree auditing. The result is an advising experience that is faster, more accurate, and more student-centered, helping advisors and students stay focused on on-time graduation.
Results at a Glance
- Since 2014, degree conferral has grown 318% while enrollment has grown 192%, meaning more students are completing degrees regardless of transfer work
- Advisors save significant time compared to manual audits
- Students actively engage in planning and using “what if” degree audits
- Faster degree certification for registrar staff
Challenge
Before adopting Kuali Advisor, LSUA’s advisors faced a familiar problem: too much time spent verifying degree requirements and too little time connecting with students. Managing multiple majors and program pathways required manual checks, side spreadsheets, and constant updates between systems.
“Manual audit sheets were emailed to the Registrar’s Office, reviewed for accuracy, and returned with errors or corrections. Students were then notified to make schedule changes, which sometimes resulted in delays to their graduation,” said Teresa Seymour, Assistant Vice Chancellor. “Even small errors could throw off an entire degree plan, and we’d have to spend time double-checking everything.”
Advisors and registrar staff needed a single, trustworthy source of truth for each student’s academic progress. They also needed a way to see what was complete, what still needed attention, and what options existed for each degree requirement.
Solution
LSUA selected Kuali Advisor for its precision, transparency, and intuitive design. The platform’s degree audit engine gave advisors an immediate view into each student’s standing, while flexible configuration allowed LSUA to mirror the complexity of its academic programs without additional overhead.
“Advisor was the first system that actually thought the way we do,” Seymour explained. “It just made sense.”
Implementation was collaborative and straightforward. The Kuali team worked closely with LSUA to configure rules, degree requirements, and workflows that aligned with the university’s academic structure. “Nothing was too big of an ask,” Seymour shared. “Every time we needed something unique, they found a way to make it happen.”
Results
With Kuali Advisor in place, LSUA has transformed its advising experience. Advisors now access instant, accurate degree audits that clearly display completed and remaining requirements. Instead of spending hours reconciling data, advisors can dedicate that time to meaningful conversations with students.
“It’s instant clarity,” Seymour said. “We can open a student’s record and immediately know what’s missing and how to meet that parameter. We can also see if the student is enrolled in any courses that are not helping them meet degree requirements.”
The shift has improved efficiency and reduced advising errors. LSUA has seen a measurable increase in degree conferrals. While enrollment has grown 192% since the 2014–15 academic year, degree conferral has grown 318%.
Much of that growth is due to LSUA’s ability to support a diverse student body. Many LSUA students are working adults, transfer students, or parents balancing multiple responsibilities. Traditional graduation metrics only capture full-time first-time freshmen, but LSUA’s true success comes from helping nontraditional students finish strong.
“Having a clear advising system that is current and accurate allows students to plan around their jobs, families, and other commitments,” Seymour said. “It gives them the confidence to keep moving forward and finish their degree so they can take the next step in their career.”
Just as importantly, the change has been felt by students. Advisor empowers them to take ownership of their academic journey by exploring program paths, adding minors, or seeing how switching majors would affect their time to graduation.
“Students love it,” Seymour said. “They can play with different program options, and it instantly shows how their completed courses apply. It helps them make informed decisions and keeps them motivated to finish.”
For Seymour and her team, Advisor has made advising both easier and more rewarding. “I actually enjoy using it,” she added. “It makes our jobs easier, and our students can feel that energy. Everyone’s more confident that they’re on the right path.”