Albany Technical College, a Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) postsecondary institution, is making a bold move to ensure success for its students. Starting in the fall of 2019, the current semester system will change to two seven-week academic terms that have been labeled “Success Terms” or “7 + 7 Semesters.”  This is the third and final presentation of “Success Terms” held at the college, Tuesday, July 23, at 10:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. in the Kirkland Conference Center on the campus of Albany Tech.  Information sessions on the new semester system have already taken place in April and May of this year.

Albany Tech will be the first TCSG institution to switch over to this approach, which creates six times during an academic year when students can start classes, rather than the three entry points available in a traditional semester format.  “It is a simple concept that will work for us,” said Dr. Anthony Parker, President of Albany Technical College.  “The shortened format will allow our students to take classes and earn credits more frequently while giving them fewer classes to focus on per seven-week period.  Students will never be too far away from the next set of starting classes.” 

In addition to multiple entry points per semester, college officials say research shows that the new format can improve student performance with fewer subjects to focus on per seven-week period; increase the number of credit hours a student can earn per time period; and provide employers with employees more frequently each year.  

“Improving student success is our goal,” Dr. Parker said.  “We believe this change will create positive outcomes for our students and allow them to enter the workforce at a steadier rate.  We plan to offer at least 70 percent of all courses taught at the college in this new seven-week format.”  However, Dr. Parker added that some courses of study with program accreditation and/or lengthier contact hour requirements will remain in the 15-week semester format. 

Dr. Parker continued, “The common sense part is that if you reduce the number of courses that a full-time student is taking at any given time, and increase the number of block terms per year, then you create a system where student success is likely and the College will have more students taking full-time credits each semester.  This will create a win-win environment for our students, the College, and employers in the community.”

“In the conventional semester system, a typical, non-traditional student might be managing multiple jobs, family responsibilities, and taking four or even five classes,” Dr. Parker concluded.  “With the new system, the course load will be lowered to two classes, making life more manageable.  Even if unforeseen life circumstances happen, and they will for all of us, with the conventional semester system, a student might walk away without earning any credit for the 15-week period.  With ‘Success Terms,’ a student could potentially earn six credits and be able to move forward despite the setback.  That is what we want to happen.”