Student Education Planner Guide
What is Degree Works?
Ellucian Degree Works is a web-based comprehensive academic advising and degree audit system that monitors student progress toward degree completion. Degree Works will be used as the Degree Audit system for newer students (See below “Who Has Access…”).
What are the benefits of Degree Works?
Degree Works supports real-time delivery of academic advice through intuitive web interfaces, minimizes errors through consistent degree plans, supports more timely degree certification, reduces paperwork and manual program check sheets and supports program changes.
Who has access to Degree Works?
Advisors, as supplied by dean’s office, Undergraduate and Post-Baccalaureate students who begin Fall 2017 (or later), and most Graduate students who begin Fall 2016 (or later). The level of access will be determined by the dean’s office as well. There are two primary levels which can be granted: Advisors, who can view student declaration and progress toward their degree; and Advisors with Petitions, who have the same privileges as Advisors, but are capable of submitting requests to satisfy a student’s degree requirements (usually based on transfer work or demonstrated proficiency in acumen).
How can I get to Degree Works?
If you have taken part in either a face-to-face or Blackboard training for DegreeWorks and been granted access, then you can navigate to the DegreeWorks application by clicking here
If you haven’t had an opportunity to receive training to use DegreeWorks, then please access the Blackboard training by clicking the directions on how to access the training here.
Once you complete the tutorial, you will need to take the tutorial test at the end and receive a passing grade. Take a screenshot or create a pdf of the passing result screen and send it to your Department Chair or Associate Dean (if you are the chair) to officially request your access to Degree Works.
Department Chairs or Associate Deans will send your test score screenshot or pdf copy to degreeworks@ualr.edu with the type of access your request is being submitted to receive.
Receiving a White Label Error?
If you attempt to log in to Degree Works and are presented with a “White Label Error”, you can log out of our university Single Signon Service by logging out/signing out of any of our enterprise applications, like Gmail, Blackboard, Banner/Boss to reset your connection to our campus services. Then, log back in again to Degree Works at degreeworks.ualr.edu. If you need assistance logging out/signing out of Single Signon Services CLICK HERE TO LOGOUT but please note that your campus applications will be logged out immediately on clicking this link so be sure to save any work before selecting the link below!
What can I see in Degree Works?
Degree Works allows advisors to view requirements for student degree programs, how completed/in-progress/planned courses apply to the degree requirements, identify courses needed to complete the degree, view overall and major grade-point-averages, plan for future semester(s) registration, create What-If audits to process speculative degree audits based on current class history and enter notes/advice to students and/or other advisors.
What catalogs are available in Degree Works?
As of March 1, 2017, Degree Works will include audits for all degrees, majors, minors, concentrations and certificates found in the Fall 2017/Spring 2018 Undergraduate Catalog. There are some Graduate programs that have been entered and the rest are in the process of being built, which start with catalog year of Fall 2016.
What audits are available for students under catalogs prior to Fall 2017 for Undergraduate/Post-Baccalaureate, or Fall 2016 for Graduates?
Students will use the current Degree Audit system in BOSS.
Will older catalogs be entered into Degree Works?
No, we will not build older catalogs. Students using prior catalog years will be in Degree Audit.
Why is my student not showing in Degree Works?
Depending on the catalog year of your student, they may not be in Degree Works. Catalog years prior to Fall 2017 are in Degree Audit. If you have recently changed the catalog of a student, keep in mind it may take until next-day for the student to appear in DegreeWorks.
How are the previous IDAs in Degree Audit applied to Degree Works once the student’s catalog year has been changed?
If you are moving a student to the Fall 2017 catalog, you must first review all previously applied IDA(s) to verify that they are applicable changes under the new catalog’s requirements. This review must be completed prior to any request to move adjustments to Degree Works is submitted by the advisor. Once reviewed, the advisors with appropriate access, can request to have the old IDAs applied in Degree Works through the Degree Works Petition Process. This will be noted with the “Other” request with wording to include “Please apply previously applied IDAs for this student under the new _____(state catalog year) for __________(the particular block) in Degree Works.” If there are any questions on the re-application of the adjustment(s), you will be contacted via email from the Records and Registration Office. Please allow five to seven (5 to 7) business days for processing.
Who Can I Contact for Help or Advice On Using DegreeWorks?
The college which you belong to has representatives that have been trained in utilizing DegreeWorks and will be your initial point of contact for seeking information on how to complete a task. These individuals are:
- Erin Flowers, DCSTEM
- Chicketta Jackson, CBHHS
- Dr. Karen Kuralt, Graduate School
- Lynnette Brown, CBHHS
- Sarah Haughenbury, CHASSE
- Louis Scivally, DCSTEM
Technologies Considerations
Internet Explorer 11 may cause issues with printing reports. It is recommended that you utilize other, newer, web browsers like Chrome or Firefox. You may also need to enable pop-ups for the DegreeWorks site for some functions which open new windows to work.
I Am Having Difficulties Loading DegreeWorks on My Computer
Please contact the Information Technology Services Assistant Center. They can be reached by phone at 501-916-3011, or you can reference the IT Services website to seek assistance at https://ualr.edu/itservices/help
Important Terms:
Degree Audit = Degree Works
IDA = Petitions
IDAs that are processed by R & R = Exceptions
Degree Evaluation Report = Worksheet
Y = Check Mark
SOATEST = Test Scores
N = Block
Below are new phrases that you will encounter in Degree Works only:
Process new = refreshes the report so that it has the latest information
Save/Print PDF = Gives best display of report to print
SEP (Student Educational Planner) is the tool inside of Degree Works that allows advisors to customize existing SEP templates, created by their academic college, to provide semester by semester course sequencing guidance for individual students during advising sessions.
SEP Template Management = the tool for entering the 4 or 8 semester plans, in the established procedure and by authorized personnel, for adjusted or new degree programs that have undergone the complete and fully approved Curriculum Process(es). These will be entered annually after all approvals.
