WCC has a new way for students to register for classes next semester. The STAR GPS registration system allows students to create, customize and track their educational journeys in an organized way.
Sarah Akina, Paipai o Ko’olau project adviser and coordinator and social work lecturer at WCC who has been working extensively on the system, said it is “an innovative, integrated and interactive system that shows you all of the classes you’ll need to earn your degree in a suggested order to optimize student success.”
Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Amy Rozek expects STAR to impact student success as well as completion of their degrees.
“STAR GPS presents the information in such a way that a student can see what classes they need to take to complete their degree in a timely fashion,” Rozek said.
For example, STAR will show a student’s current courses as well as possible courses for future semesters. If a student is thinking of transferring schools or changing majors within the UH system, STAR gives the student the opportunity to check different “what if” scenarios, which analyze the impact of such changes.
“STAR GPS registration provides students with all of the courses that could fulfill the requirement, each course’s details and creates a weekly calendar with each course selection to help the student create a balanced schedule,” Akina said.
Along with degree requirements, class availability and class information all in one place, students can also see other valuable information.
“Once registered, students can also see their balance, make a payment, view their list of books for their specific courses and print their weekly and detailed schedule all with a click of a mouse,” Akina said.
The system was designed specifically for the University of Hawaiʻi system and created by Gary Rodwell, an information technology specialist with UH Mānoa’s Office of Undergraduate Education, along with his team of Joy Nishida and Qun Gong.
STAR has been highlighted by Complete College America (CCA), a national non-profit that works with states to significantly increase the number of Americans with quality career certificates or college degrees and to close attainment gaps for traditionally underrepresented populations. CCA announced at its annual meeting in San Francisco last month that UH was the inaugural recipient of two President’s Awards, one for its STAR program and the other for its 15 to Finish campaign, which encourages students to take 15 credits per semester to graduate on time.
For step-by-step instructions on how to use the new STAR system, visit windward.hawaii.edu/star.
Students can also make appointments with their assigned counselor to personalize their educational pathway. To schedule an appointment with your counselor, visit the MySuccess tab in your MyUH account or call 235-7413.
by Taylor James Kipapa, Ka ‘Ohana Staff Reporter
