Bear Tracks
Bear Tracks
Bear Tracks is DMACC's guided graduation-planning tool, powered by Ellucian, designed to help you stay on track and graduate on time. It uses a sophisticated A.I. algorithm to generate a personalized, up-to-date educational plan - automatically adjusting as course offerings, program requirements, or your individual needs change.
What is Bear Tracks?
With Bear Tracks, students can create a plan, register for courses, and collaborate seamlessly with an Academic Advisor. Advisors also use the platform to quickly build, review, and customize degree plans, while also guiding students through important campus processes and milestones.
While Bear Tracks streamlines planning and keeps you informed about any changes that may affect your progress at DMACC, it does not replace academic advising. Students should continue meeting with their Academic Advisor to review official progress toward degree completion. Bear Tracks also does not replace Degree Works. Students can continue to track progress towards completion on their Degree Works audit.
View Current Programs & Majors
Bear Tracks academic planning will emerge from hibernation in August 2026 (Planning)
Bear Tracks registration will emerge from hibernation in October 2026 (Registration)
Bear Tracks Features:
- Clearly visualize your path to graduation, mapped out term by term.
- View your estimated graduation term and instantly see how updates to your plan impact your timeline.
- Build a personalized semester schedule that aligns with your preferences, commitments, and academic goals.
- Plan, schedule, and register for courses seamlessly - all in one centralized platform.
- Track degree requirements and remaining credits like your own personal GPS.
- Explore "what-if" scenarios to compare different academic paths or course loads.
Bear Tracks: The A.I.-Powered Path to Graduation!
See how DMACC Bear Tracks (also known as Ellucian Smart Plan) takes the guesswork out of academic planning:
Project Governance
Bear Tracks is governed through a shared decision-making structure that includes executive sponsorship, cross-functional leadership, and project advisors. This ensures alignment with institutional priorities, academic processes, and student success goals. Major scope and timeline decisions are reviewed by Project Sponsors in collaboration with campus leadership.
Project Sponsors:
Provide executive oversight, approve scope and timeline decisions, and ensure alignment with institutional strategy.
- Erica Spiller, VP Student Affairs
- Mike Jocic, Director, Application Support
Core Project Team:
Responsible for functional design, configuration, testing, implementation planning, and operational readiness.
- Jeremy Austin, Director, Advising
- April Leach, Assist Registrar
- Kyle Schura, Coordinator, Student Affairs Technology
- Sandy Selden, Associate Director, Application Support
- John Windheuser, Registrar
Project Advisory Group:
Provide guidance on implementation planning, adoption strategy, campus impact, training coordination, and stakeholder communication.
- Albert Farr, Dean, Academic Success
- Noah O’Toole, Website Administrator
- Megan Snook Lautner, Director, Student Success & Retention