The University of South Dakota is using new software that allows academic advisors to streamline a student’s degree path, and improve their chances of graduating. The goal is to lower tuition costs and encourage students to complete a degree in four years.
USD Director of Marketing Tina Heraldson says the software can help identify struggling students and help them stay on track…

Heraldson says USD’s initiatives come on top of a recent policy change, reducing the number of credits needed for graduation from 128 to 120…..

USD is moving to help students monitor their degree progress, and make class scheduling more predictable. Heraldson says this keeps students from spending an extra semester just to pick up a class they need to graduate…..

According to data from the regents, education and related spending for a degree at USD is 25 percent lower than at peer institutions.