Visualizing academic pathways

Academic advising departments utilize comprehensive and visual tools for course management. This provides students with clear graduation pathways and detailed course information, alongside managing intricate schedules like those in a music department. 

1. Building a comprehensive course catalog with lucidchart

Advising departments find Lucidchart helpful in creating a layered course catalog that gives students a holistic view of academic offerings.

• Discipline overview: They start by creating a high-level overview of all academic disciplines offered. This allows students to explore different areas of study and understand the breadth of the institution's offerings.
• Specific discipline breakdown: Within each discipline, departments develop detailed diagrams that outline program requirements, course sequences, and potential career paths.
• Individual course overviews: For each course, they create dedicated pages with detailed information, including course descriptions, learning outcomes, semesters offered, and registration links.

An advising team shared how they built a Lucidchart diagram starting with a central hub representing all disciplines. Clicking on "Mathematics" leads to a diagram outlining the different math programs. Clicking on "Linear Algebra" then provides a detailed overview of the course, including registration links and semester availability.

• Access course catalog template

`2. Linking student course plans for clear graduation pathways

As the course catalog develops, advising departments find it beneficial to link student course plans directly to it. This allows students to visualize their graduation path and stay on track.

• Personalized course plans: They create individualized course plans for each student, outlining the required courses and electives for each semester.
• Dependency visualization: Lucidchart illustrates course dependencies, ensuring students understand the prerequisites for each course.
• Transfer credit integration: Transfer credits integrate into the course plan, providing a complete picture of the student's academic progress.
• Credit tracking: The total number of credits per semester and overall credits required for graduation are displayed clearly, enabling students to monitor their progress.

A student's personalized Lucidchart plan shows "engl 101" in their first semester, with a visual connector leading to "engl 202" in the following semester, indicating the dependency. Transfer credits from a community college mark clearly, and a running total of credits displays.

• Access course plan template

3. Managing intricate schedules: The band example

Advising departments in music departments find Lucidchart invaluable for managing complex band schedules.

• Band schedule visualization: Lucidchart diagrams create detailed schedules for wind ensemble, symphony band, and concert band.
• Warm-up and performance time allocation: The diagrams clearly show warm-up times, performance times, and locations for each band.
• Room allocation: Room assignments visually represent, ensuring that each band has a designated space for practice and performance.
• Time management: Lucidchart's visual layout helps departments and students manage their time effectively, avoiding scheduling conflicts and ensuring smooth transitions between activities.

Lucidchart was used to create a schedule grid that displays warm-up times, rehearsal times, and performance slots for each band. The grid also shows room assignments, allowing students to quickly identify their assigned practice and performance spaces.

• Access schedule template

Benefits of this approach:

• Enhanced clarity: Visualizing course catalogs and schedules makes complex information more accessible and understandable.
• Improved student planning: Students easily plan their academic journey and stay on track for graduation.
• Efficient scheduling: Lucidchart simplifies the management of intricate schedules, such as those in music departments.
• Reduced errors: Visual representations minimize the risk of errors and miscommunication.
• Increased student engagement: Interactive diagrams encourage students to actively engage with their academic planning.

See the success the University of Minnesota had with creating with Lucid. 

Academic advising departments find that Lucidchart's visual capabilities transform course management and student advising. By creating comprehensive course catalogs, linking student course plans, and managing intricate schedules, they provide students with the tools they need to succeed. They embrace the power of visualization and empower their students to navigate their academic journey with clarity and confidence.