Identifying Problems & Getting Help Early
The Early Alert Program is a faculty-driven system of electronic warning notifications and follow-up contacts for students identified as having academic or other performance difficulties. Web-based Early Alert submission forms are available to all faculty at the beginning of each semester in order to identify at-risk students at the earliest possible point during the semester. Early Alerts are sent to the Student Success Center (SSC) where they are forwarded to the student and disseminated to those campus personnel associated with that student’s campus life.
How does Early Alert Program work?
When the Student Success Center receives an Early Alert (EA), the faculty initiating the EA receives an acknowledgment of their submission and the student is immediately notified and receives a copy of the EA with the specific concern(s) identified via the MyTech e-mail system. This notification also includes a recommendation that the student visit the SSC to develop an Academic Recovery Plan (ARP). The ARP is developed in consultation with SSC staff and includes strategies and services available that may be effective options for the student to consider in order to get back on track. While the most important component of an ARP stresses the need for the student to arrange a meeting with the faculty member submitting the EA to discuss issues of concern, the plan may also include developing remedies for issues such as:
- Class Attendance—The most common issue associated with poor academic performance is failure to attend classes regularly.
- Academic Preparation—Is the student prepared to perform at the academic level required?
- Out-of-Class Academic Requirements—Is the student doing the assigned readings and homework?
- Test & Quiz Grades—Is the student performing at the level required?
- Tutoring—Has the student arranged for individual or group tutoring?
- Other Commitments—Has the student unrealistically over-committed themselves to scheduled work-hours, extracurricular activities, social and/or family obligations?