What do you mean by “at-risk”?
"At-risk" technically means at-risk of not succeeding in the course or of not getting the grade needed for the major. Faculty can let us know when a student's grade is ok, but the student has shared that they are struggling in some other way (like child care, health issues, etc.). When you indicate that a student is at risk, you are asked to select a reason from a dropdown menu in the next column. The reasons are essentially academic, personal, technology/remote learning, and engagement. The reason you select will help us determine what resources to offer. We encourage you to add a comment with any additional context about your concerns.
What Happens After an Alert is Submitted?
When you have submitted your campaign, students marked ‘at-risk’ will have an alert added in Navigate (the record-keeping system that advisors use to track interactions). Depending on the Alert Reason you choose (e.g. Content Comprehension, Other Personal/Student Life Issues, etc.) students will receive an automated email offering resources tailored to that reason or personalized outreach from their Success Team.
View the flowchart below to see the paths an Alert may take or click on the image to view the accessible, interactive version.
I already reach out to students who are struggling in my class. How is this different?
We know you do everything you can to support students and sometimes you need help. We're here to help support you and your students to supplement the work that you are already doing for your students. When a student is marked 'at risk' in more than one class, their success team (Progression Team, Academic Advising, and Student Academic Support Services) receives that information and can work with the student on the underlying issues that are impacting their academic performance more globally.
If you are reaching out to students and they are not responding, we can sometimes help there as well- we can often see if students have relationships with other folks on campus (for instance, in residence halls, athletics, or specialized programs) so that we can help them draw from their network. Additionally, we have partnered with the Athletics department, so that they can use our early alerts in place of the Mid-Term Grade checks that they have been requiring of athletes.
Finally, the Early Alerts Initiative helps us collect some data on a larger scale about which students are struggling and when; (For instance- we've learned that our transfer students tend to struggle more when they take three upper-division major courses in their first term at PSU. This helps us when we are meeting with them to schedule their first term) so, in participating, you are helping contribute to that overall body of knowledge.
What if I don’t have grades for my students yet?
That is ok! If you have a concern based on your own observation, we are happy to reach out. We do not tell students what grade was reported for them, just that we are offering support.
Am I violating my students’ privacy by sharing this information?
Every person that interacts with Early Alerts information has an 'educational need to know', which means that sharing this information is not a violation of FERPA. Academic advisors already share grade and attendance information with faculty in a number of scenarios. However, you aren't required to enter the specific grade or attendance information, just whether a student may be at risk of failing, and what the reason may be.
That being said, we have seen the most success in this program's effectiveness when the faculty do tell students that they are participating. This gives students a heads up if they receive outreach from an advisor, and it often demonstrates that we are all working together to help.
Because we are working with so many faculty teaching a range of courses, advisors are in the unique position to see when students may need support that isn't directly related to the academic content of one course. However, we would never want you to feel pressured to provide any information that you are uncomfortable sharing. In the past, instructors have asked about sharing information that students revealed to them in confidence. In that case, please do not share any details. You can always ask a student if they would like to be connected to their advisor for additional support without needing to share their information.
Will the students know by whom and why they were reported as "at-risk?"
Yes. When students receive Early Alerts outreach, they are encouraged to connect with the faculty member teaching their course, along with being offered other resources and ways to meet with their advisor. In the most successful Early Alerts programs, faculty tell their students (either in class or in their syllabus) that the course participates in this program, and that they may be offered some extra support during the term.