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 recent 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 recent 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 head to the Support Center to access uAchieve documentation, the Issue Tracker, or the Questions forum.
Available training
Select the workshop or training course titles below to view program details, including description and fee.
uAchieve Encoding Workshop
A virtual workshop on fundamental degree audit encoding practices.
uAchieve Encoding Advanced Topics Workshop Series
A series of virtual workshops on advanced degree audit encoding topics and techniques throughout the year.
uAchieve Self-Paced Training
The following self-paced training courses apply to versions prior to 5.0 uAchieve degree audit software.
Looking for custom training?
The Individualized uAchieve Workshop or the Encoding Mentorship Program are also available to fit the needs of your institution.
Virtual uAchieve 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 bottom 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 Virtual uAchieve Encoding Workshop is $1,199 (group discount discounts available for 3 or more!) and includes:
-
- 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.
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.
The workshop lasts 3 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.
To register, please visit the schedule at the bottom of this page and select an upcoming event.
View workshop content. | This course applies toward the uAchieve Degree Audit Encoder Certification. Learn more about certifications.
Pricing and what’s included
The Advanced Topics Workshop is $350 (group discounts available for 3 or more!) and includes:
-
- 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.
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.
The workshop lasts 3 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.
To register, please visit the schedule at the bottom of this page and select an upcoming event.
View workshop content. | This course applies toward the uAchieve Degree Audit Encoder Certification. Learn more about certifications.
Pricing and what’s included
The Advanced Topics Workshop is $350 (group discounts available for 3 or more!) and includes:
-
- 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.
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.
The workshop lasts 3 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.
To register, please visit the schedule at the bottom of this page and select an upcoming event.
View workshop content. | This course applies toward the uAchieve Degree Audit Encoder Certification. Learn more about certifications.
Pricing and what’s included
The Advanced Topics Workshop is $350 (group discounts available for 3 or more!) and includes:
-
- 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.
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.
The workshop lasts 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.
To register, please visit the schedule at the bottom of this page and select an upcoming event.
View workshop content. | This course applies toward the uAchieve Degree Audit Encoder Certification. Learn more about certifications.
Pricing and what’s included
The Advanced Topics Workshop is $350 (group discounts available for 3 or more!) and includes:
-
- 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.
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.
The workshop lasts 3 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.
To register, please visit the schedule at the bottom of this page and select an upcoming event.
View workshop content. | This course applies toward the uAchieve Degree Audit Encoder Certification. Learn more about certifications.
Pricing and what’s included
The Advanced Topics Workshop is $350 (group discounts available for 3 or more!) and includes:
-
- 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.
Self-Paced uAchieve Basic Encoding Training
The Self-Paced uAchieve Basic Encoding Training includes lessons and hands-on exercises developed to help you learn encoding as your time and schedule allow. This training is for the beginning encoder and is appropriate for ANY version of uAchieve or DARwin. It is also an appropriate pre-cursor to the uAchieve Intermediate Encoding Workshop. To register, please visit the schedule at the bottom of this page and select an upcoming event.
Pricing and what’s included
The Self-Paced uAchieve Basic Encoding Training is $699 (group discount discounts available for 3 or more!) and includes:
-
- An entire month of learning (most people finish in an average of 20–25 hours)
- Self-paced instruction—Work on the course when it’s convenient for you!
- Assistance from support staff
Self-Paced uAchieve Transfer Articulation Training
The Self-Paced uAchieve Transfer Articulation Training includes lessons and hands-on exercises developed to help you learn transfer articulation at your own pace. This workshop is aimed at the new transfer evaluator, the experienced evaluator who is new to uAchieve, or anyone who wants to learn more about the transfer articulation functionality in Self-Service. Please note that this training is most appropriate for those institutions already using uAchieve and Self-Service together, as the functionality presented in the course is delivered in uAchieve Self-Service. To register, please visit the schedule at the bottom of this page and select an upcoming event.
View course content. | This course applies toward the uAchieve Transfer Articulation Encoder Certification. Learn more about certifications.
Pricing and what’s included
The Self-Paced uAchieve Transfer Articulation Training is $699 (group discount discounts available for 3 or more!) and includes:
-
- An entire month of learning (most people finish in an average of 20–25 hours)
- Self-paced instruction—Work on the course when it’s convenient for you!
- Assistance from support staff
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 (Basic Encoding, Transfer Articulation, Intermediate Encoding, or NCAA Encoding) and whether it will be held in person or virtually:
-
- 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:
-
- 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:
-
- 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.
Upcoming training courses
Virtual uAchieve Encoding Workshop
Virtual uAchieve Encoding Workshop
Join a live demonstration
Register for one of our free webinars hosted regularly 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.
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.
Get in touch with us
Self-Paced uAchieve Basic Encoding Training
Course content includes:
- Build and Test a Degree Program
- Course Definition Attributes
- Allow Course Repeat
- The Grade Table
- Restricting Course Reuse
- uAchieve Processing
- Collect and Report “Excess” Courses
- Interpret Credit Ranges and Limits
- Encode Student Choice
- Add Course Conditions
- Define Course Relationships (Strings)
- Add Date Ranges
- Accept Different Catalog Year Work
- Handle Student Exceptions
- Add Supplemental Information to the Degree Program
- Change Course IDs
- Compute Total Hours and Enforce Residency
- Encoding for the Web
Self-Paced uAchieve Transfer Articulation Training
Course content includes:
- Interpreting Institutional Information
- Creating Basic Articulation Rules
- Creating More Complex TA Rules
- Articulating Credit
- Articulating Grades
- Passing Course Information Using IREF Tables
- Identifying Information for Groups of Courses
- Passing Information Using TA Rules
- TA Processing Flow
- Setting and Testing Conditional Elements by Student
- Setting up Different Articulations for Identical Courses
- Changing Articulations Based on Date
- Setting up Default Tables
- Reporting Transfer Courses on the Degree Audit
uAchieve Encoding Advanced Topics: Advanced String Table Rules
Course content includes:
- Encode Programs and Requirements
- Matching Courses 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
- Student Exceptions
Virtual uAchieve Intermediate Encoding Workshop
Course content includes:
- uAchieve Phase Processing
- What-if Encoding
- Adding Conditional Requirements/Sub-requirements
- Making Exceptions
- Reserved Condition Codes
- Monitoring Course Relationships (Strings)
- Course Grouping
- Using Reference Years
- Using Reference Values
- Enforcing Course Limits (X- and Y-Lines)
- Course Order Processing
- Requirements with a Twist
uAchieve Intermediate Encoding Workshop
Course content includes:
- uAchieve Phase Processing
- What-if Encoding
- Adding Conditional Requirements/Sub-requirements
- Making Exceptions
- Reserved Condition Codes
- Monitoring Course Relationships (Strings)
- Course Grouping
- Using Reference Years
- Using Reference Values
- Enforcing Course Limits (X- and Y-Lines)
- Course Order Processing
- Requirements with a Twist
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.
