Guide students to degrees with uAchieve® Planner
uAchieve Planner is an academic planning solution that leverages existing audit data to help create personalized term recommendations leading to graduation.
A more innovative way to plan
Shepherding students to graduation is easier and faster than ever with the uAchieve Planner and its ability to provide personalized term recommendations from students’ declared programs. These term-by-term plans further provide schools with aggregate data for course demand analysis and classroom scheduling.
It’s here: A brand-new Planner!
CollegeSource is making an evolutionary leap in academic course planning with the uAchieve Planner. The new 5.0 version of the Planner, now available, includes an algorithm that auto-creates plans for students directly from the degree audit requirements. These auto-created plans provide guidance into students’ basic questions, including max credits per term or the desired graduation date.
Additionally, the new version of uAchieve Planner...
- Automatically creates term-by-term pathways with intuitive course recommendations for students from declared program requirements
- Notifies students of availability or pre-requisite conflicts
- Adjusts plans in real-time to reflect course outcomes, applied exceptions/waivers, and curriculum changes
- Allows students to modify auto-created plans and save multiple versions while checking the plans against the degree audit to receive insight into the best path forward
Check out our blog post to learn more about the 5.0 version of uAchieve.
Supports increased retention and graduation rates
uAchieve Planner helps students make educated decisions in course selection, keeps them on track to complete their degree requirements, and ultimately prepares them to graduate on time.
Confidence in student planning
uAchieve Planner validates planned courses against declared degree requirements and shows a clear record of where they will apply, preventing students from planning courses that will not move them toward graduation.
Capture true course demand
uAchieve Planner reflects actual desired course demand (rather than guesswork based on past history) from students telling you what they want to take and when. uAchieve includes a report that shows you the most to least planned courses per term so you can create more efficient utilization by facility and faculty—and better satisfy student course needs.
Real-time student information integration
More powerful together
uAchieve integrates with seven different student information systems (including homegrown) using Java-based interfaces. It can integrate with an institution’s user management systems and a single sign-on solution for user authentication and authorization.
Create optimal class schedules with uAchieve® Schedule Builder
uAchieve Schedule Builder works hand in hand with the uAchieve Planner to ensure students are scheduling course sections that have passed through validation and approvals. Scheduling is easy since uAchieve creates multiple schedules of the various ways sections can fit within student preferences to maximize credit in the upcoming term.
Provide student-centric pathways with uAchieve® Planner
“uAchieve Planner…validates courses in a student’s plan in the background each time a student views/updates their plan, making sure planned courses meet prerequisite and degree requirements. Switching to uAchieve’s…solution will ensure we are compliant with Missouri’s statewide…framework for core coursework and allows us to intuitively follow our student-centric guided pathways initiatives.”
Scott Fiedler
College Director of Admissions
and Registrar at Ozarks Technical Community College
Provide a clear path to graduation
Whether you are looking to increase graduation and retention rates, track course demand, or simply give students the best option forward, uAchieve Planner can help your institution with all these and more.
Features you’ll love
uAchieve Planner was designed to continually check a student’s planned courses against the degree audit to ensure they meet the necessary requirements to graduate on time.
It’s here: A brand-new Planner!
CollegeSource is making an evolutionary leap in academic course planning with the uAchieve Planner. The new 5.0 version of the Planner, now available, includes an algorithm that auto-creates plans for students directly from the degree audit requirements. These auto-created plans provide guidance into students’ basic questions, including max credits per term or the desired graduation date.
Additionally, the new version of uAchieve Planner...
- Automatically creates term-by-term pathways with intuitive course recommendations for students from declared program requirements
- Notifies students of availability or pre-requisite conflicts
- Adjusts plans in real-time to reflect course outcomes, applied exceptions/waivers, and curriculum changes
- Allows students to modify auto-created plans and save multiple versions while checking the plans against the degree audit to receive insight into the best path forward
Check out our blog post to learn more about the 5.0 version of uAchieve.
Degree audit validation
uAchieve Planner utilizes degree audit verification to ensure planned courses satisfy degree requirements
Warnings and Notifications
Warning messages on the plan alert students when they have course conflicts with availability and/or pre-requisite requirements
Interactive comments
Facilitates student and advisor collaboration through a commenting function that allows an ongoing dialog
Real-time academic progress
Because uAchieve academic plans are created from the student’s degree requirements, students can immediately see their progress towards a degree with requirements checking off as they plan
Course demand reports
Reports available include student plan progress, scheduled course demand, and student schedule preferences
Real-time interface
Includes a real-time interface with requirement rules and course catalogs to identify course scheduling details, including combinations, prerequisites, and availability
Keep students on track:
Receive notifications in uAchieve when students have questions or requests
GPA calculator allows students to plan specific grades to meet their GPA aspirations
Employs responsive design so that plans are viewable on any device
Approval workflow available to lockdown a term or plan
Ability to create what-if plans to model different paths to graduation
uAchieve Planner offers a smarter way to plan, utilizing audit verification to ensure students’ planned courses satisfy degree requirements.
Start planning today
Get started with the academic planner that empowers students to plan with confidence by validating against the degree audit. Tell your team about uAchieve Planner and its features today!
Training and support
Degree Audit and Transfer Articulation encoding is challenging for even the savviest encoders. Those who have had official training from CollegeSource tend to have better success in their encoding efforts. To best accommodate our clients’ myriad training needs, CollegeSource offers multiple training opportunities that are easy to access and focused on your wants and needs. Additionally, you can visit the Support Center to access uAchieve documentation.
Available training
Select the workshop or training course titles below to view program details, including description and fee. If you have questions about our training options or need assistance choosing the right one, please contact us .
uAchieve Encoding Training
Training on fundamental degree audit encoding practices.
- uAchieve Degree Audit Encoding Workshop
- uAchieve Encoding Primer
- uAchieve Transfer Articulation Encoding Workshop
Custom training options are also available to fit various needs:
uAchieve Encoding Advanced Topics Workshop Series
A series of virtual workshops on advanced degree audit encoding topics and techniques throughout the year.
Events
List of events in Photo View
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uAchieve Degree Audit Encoding Workshop
March 16 - March 26 -
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uAchieve Encoding Advanced Topics: Encoding Credit Restrictions and Limits
September 16 - September 17 -
uAchieve Degree Audit Encoding Workshop
October 19 - October 29 -
uAchieve Degree Audit Encoding Workshop
This workshop uses a blended training approach, combining individual learning with guided hands-on practice and exercises provided by trainers with real-world degree audit experience. To register, please visit the schedule at the top of this page and select an upcoming event.
Intended audience: This training is intended for beginning encoders or anyone wanting a robust encoding refresher and will cover topics applicable to all versions of uAchieve.
View workshop content. | This course applies toward the uAchieve Degree Audit Encoder Certification. Learn more about certifications.
Pricing and what’s included
The uAchieve Degree Audit Encoding Workshop is $1,199 (group discounts available for 3 or more!) and includes:
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- Daily lectures led by our CollegeSource trainers who share their own experiences through real-world examples and best practice recommendations.
- Guided, hands-on exercises to practice encoding in the uAchieve environment.
- Printed training materials and exercise solutions.
uAchieve Transfer Articulation Encoding Workshop
This workshop uses a blended training approach, combining individual learning with guided hands-on practice and exercises provided by trainers with real-world transfer articulation and uAchieve experience. To register, please visit the schedule at the bottom of this page and select an upcoming event.
Intended audience: This training is designed for new transfer evaluators or experienced evaluators new to uAchieve, covering topics applicable to all versions of uAchieve transfer articulation.
View workshop content. | This course applies toward the uAchieve Transfer Articulation Encoder Certification. Learn more about certifications.
Pricing and what’s included
The uAchieve Transfer Articulation Encoding Workshop is $1,199 (group discounts available for 3 or more!) and includes:
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- Daily lectures led by our CollegeSource trainers who share their own experiences through real-world examples and best practice recommendations.
- Guided, hands-on exercises to practice encoding in the uAchieve environment.
- Printed training materials and exercise solutions.
uAchieve Encoding Primer
Degree Audit encoding and processing is often challenging to explain to those who do not work with it daily. However, there are core concepts and basic knowledge that anyone working with encoders or beginning their own encoding journey needs to know. This 6-hour workshop (two 3-hour sessions) will provide an overview of the most relevant functionality and terminology of uAchieve Degree Audit encoding that anyone who regularly interacts with it needs to know.
To register, please visit the schedule at the top of this page and select an upcoming event.
Intended audience: This training is intended for brand-new encoders who need an introduction to encoding, transfer articulation staff who need to understand how their work may impact degree audit encoding, those who manage degree audit encoders, and technical staff who do not encode but need to be aware of how encoding and degree audit processing function.
Pricing and what’s included
The uAchieve Encoding Primer is $399 (group discounts available for 3 or more!) and includes:
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- Lectures led by our CollegeSource trainers who share their own experiences through real-world examples and best practice recommendations.
- Printed training materials.
uAchieve Encoding Advanced Topics Workshop Series
Throughout the year, we offer a series of virtual workshops on advanced degree audit encoding topics. Each workshop lasts 3-4 hours and uses a blended training approach. Individual learning is combined with guided hands-on practice and exercises provided by trainers with real-world degree audit experience.
Intended audience: This training is intended for intermediate to advanced encoders with previous uAchieve workshop training, on-site training, or 5+ years of uAchieve encoding experience.
The following Advanced Topics Workshop offerings are available at various times of the year.
Advanced String Table Rules
3 hours | View workshop content.
Calculating Required Electives Using Reference Values
4 hours | View workshop content.
Course Grouping Sub-requirements
4 hours | View workshop content.
Encoding Credit Restrictions and Limits
6 hours (two 3-hour sessions) | View workshop content.
System Condition Codes and Conditional Requirements
4 hours | View workshop content.
Course hours apply toward the uAchieve Degree Audit Encoder Certification. Learn more about certifications.
Pricing and what’s included
Each Advanced Topics Workshop is $350 (group discounts available for 3 or more!) and includes:
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- Lectures led by our CollegeSource trainers who share their own experiences through real-world examples and best practice recommendations.
- Guided, hands-on exercises to practice encoding in the uAchieve environment.
- Printed training materials and exercise solutions.
Individualized uAchieve Workshop
Our uAchieve workshops can be scheduled at your convenience, delivered in-person or virtually, and tailored to fit your institution’s needs. Select your uAchieve workshop of choice (uAchieve Encoding, Advanced Topic, or NCAA Encoding) and whether it will be held in person or virtually:
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- Virtual: Up to 10 attendees (7 Business days – 4 hours/day)
- In Person: Up to 10 attendees (3 ½ business days, 8 hours for three days, and 4 hours on the last day)
For a flat fee, CollegeSource will provide the appropriate staff and materials for your uAchieve workshop of choice. Please note that for in-person workshops, the institution will need to provide the training room, WiFi access, and any necessary AV needs (i.e., a projector).
Don’t have enough people to fill a workshop?
You can host a regional workshop. Client-hosted regional workshops are in person, located on your campus, and registration is open to uAchieve encoders across the country. In addition, CollegeSource will promote the workshop to help boost attendance.
Contact us to learn more and receive pricing information.
Encoding Mentorship Program
The Encoding Mentorship Program was created to help staff at institutions understand the reasoning behind and learn to maintain inherited encoding. The program is not designed to replace training but to aid in understanding the existing encoding. Those participating in the mentorship program must have completed uAchieve Basic Encoding training. CollegeSource will assign a dedicated Functional Implementation Specialist to work with your staff member remotely throughout the length of the program (6 or 12 months) in providing the following:
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- Monthly hour-long virtual meetings to discuss encoding, the types of issues/challenges you are currently facing, and to set priorities on what guidance may be needed for the rest of the month.
- Up to 4 hours of additional assistance/working session(s) throughout the month, as requested.
- Direct support through your dedicated Functional Implementation Specialist, eliminating the need to submit help tickets or rely solely on support documentation.
Below are some examples of the assistance CollegeSource can provide in the mentorship program:
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- Review existing encoding strategies and collaborate to provide guidance for optimizing your encoding based on best practices.
- Help troubleshoot complex curriculum challenges and navigate unique institution’s policies.
Pricing is $6,500 per person for a 6-month mentorship, or $12,750 for 12 months.
Contact us to learn more and get connected with your mentor today.
uAchieve Degree Audit Encoding Workshop
Course content includes:
- Encode Programs and Requirements
- Course Matching and Course Lists
- The COM Table
- Duplicate Logic and the Repeat Table
- The Grade Table
- Requirements Groups and Course Reuse
- Marker Programs and Lists of Requirements
- uAchieve Audit Processing
- Requirement Types
- Sub-requirement Types
- Using ANDs and ORs
- Hungry Elective
- Reserved Condition Codes
- Course Condition Codes
- Total Hours and Residency Requirements
- The String Table
- Date-Ranging for Curriculum Changes
- Convert Table
- Reference Years for Relative Date Encoding
- Student Exceptions
uAchieve Encoding Primer
Course content includes:
- Encode Programs and Requirements
- Matching Courses
- The Communication (COM) Table
- Course Condition Codes
- Global Support Tables
- uAchieve Audit Processing
Advanced Topics Workshop: Advanced String Table Rules
The String table houses sets of courses with simple and complex relationships to one another and is used to deal with course equivalencies, limiting credit, prerequisite management, and course time-sequencing. This workshop will cover String table concepts, the use and function of control rules, types of String relationships, and how String table rules can be used for curriculum scenarios. A brief review of the basic equivalency string types will be followed by lessons on the advanced string rule types of credit-limiting, prerequisite checking, and time sequencing. Additional advanced topics, such as multiple string rule effect and exceptions, will also be discussed.
Course content includes:
- String Table Overview
- String Table Controls
- Cross-Listed (D/=/E) String Types Review
- Credit Limiting (K/L) String Rule Types
- Grouping (G/M) String Rule Types
- Prerequisite Checking (P/Q) String Rule Types
- Time Sequencing (S/T/B/A/F) String Rule Types
- Multiple String Rules Effects
- String Rule Exceptions
Advanced Topics Workshop: Calculating Required Electives Using Reference Values
uAchieve can dynamically calculate the electives needed for each student for monitoring and reporting purposes. Through reference value encoding, uAchieve can adjust the student’s elective hours based on course choices, report the hours remaining to complete a program, and sort courses into necessary and unnecessary electives. The calculated elective results can then be used for athletic eligibility, financial aid eligibility, and other progress toward degree requirements.
Course content includes:
- Required Electives Overview
- Reference Values Overview
- Reference Value Encoding for Degree Program Requirements
- Estimated Hours Calculation Overview
- Calculation Sub-Requirement Type
- Necessary Electives Calculation Encoding
- Reference Value Exceptions
- Troubleshooting Required Electives
Advanced Topics Workshop: Course Grouping Sub-requirements
When the curriculum gives students a choice among areas, multiple methods can be used to encode the requirement in uAchieve. When the choice of areas must be in a single sub-requirement, course grouping sub-requirements can be employed. This workshop will review alternate methods to encode student choice before focusing on course grouping sub-requirements for single, multiple, and self-defining groups.
Course content includes:
- Grouping Scenarios Overview
- Course Grouping Encoding
- Course Grouping Processing
- Encoding for Maximum Groups
- Encoding for Minimum Groups
- Exceptions to Course Grouping Sub-Requirements
- Requirement Use Count
- Self-Defining Groups
Advanced Topics Workshop: Encoding Credit Restrictions and Limits
uAchieve can enforce restrictions and limits on the application of student coursework. This workshop will focus on how and when uAchieve enforces restrictions and limits, options that affect limit enforcement, course sharing and overlap (X-lines and Y-lines), and best practices for encoding restrictions and limits.
Course content includes:
- Restrictions and Limits Overview
- Encoding Credit Restrictions
- Limit Phase Processing
- Sub-Requirement Limits
- X-lines to Enforce Limits
- Y-lines to Enforce Course Overlap Limits
- X-line Series to Enforce Course Overlap Limits
- Exceptions to X-lines and Y-lines
- Troubleshooting and Best Practices
Advanced Topics Workshop: System Condition Codes and Conditional Requirements
Curriculum can sometimes vary based on something true of the student: alternate General Education requirements due to transfer status or previous degree, lower-division courses waived due to higher courses or test-out, Honors requirements, degree progress messaging, etc. This workshop will focus on using system condition codes to activate or de-activate requirements and sub-requirements based on individual student criteria.
Course content includes:
- Identifying Conditions
- Defining Condition Codes
- Assigning System Condition Codes
- Evaluation Sub-Requirements
- Testing for System Condition Codes
- Increment Required Sub-Req Count Sub-Requirements
- Assigning or Removing System Condition Codes by Exception
About NCAA Encoding Workshops
uAchieve Degree Audit has specific encoding settings used to determine eligibility for NCAA certification of student-athletes. The workshop is three days and includes hands-on encoding and testing in your institution’s environment. Additionally, uAchieve encoders and the NCAA compliance officer work to verify that the encoding clears student-athletes for competition.
This specific encoding has been extended at institutions to provide Progress Towards Degree tracking and Financial Aid eligibility.
Join a live webinar
Register for one of our regularly scheduled webinars below. Our introductory sessions demonstrate uAchieve in action—overviewing the Degree Audit, Planner, and Schedule Builder—followed by Q&A with a product expert. We also host topical sessions focused on user roles, functions, or product updates. If you’d rather tune in right now, check out our on-demand demos .
Events
List of events in Photo View
Predictable subscription pricing
Enjoy peace of mind and budgeting simplicity with our right-sized, subscription-based pricing that eliminates the uncertainty of large upfront fees, local hardware expenses, and unexpected upgrade costs. Our comprehensive solution includes a scalable platform, performance and security monitoring, data backup and disaster recovery, and cyclical upgrades. Every subscription also comes with 40 hours of support, ensuring you can easily make any desired technical changes.
Talk to a human
Discover which solution components are right for your institution with the help of our expert sales team. Our team will work with you to customize pricing that fits your unique needs and budget. Contact us for quotes on new cloud installations, on-premise upgrades, training requests, or to schedule a custom demo.
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