Early Alert Referral
A key component of the Early Alert Referral is to exhibit a team effort between faculty (counseling and instructional), administrators and support staff at the college to provide early intervention to students who may exhibit behaviors that may cause them to be unsuccessful in their courses. Counselors follow-up with the students and faculty via emails, letters and phone calls along with providing workshops.
What are the goals of the Early Alert Referral?
- Reach and assist "at-risk" students early in the semester or term
- Help students succeed in their classes by providing strategies and campus resources so they can be successful in their classes
- Increase student success (GPA, retention rates and graduation rates)
What is the process of the Early Alert Referral?
- Faculty/Staff identify students who are experiencing academic difficulties (attendance, work quality, homework, and/or academic progress has been unsatisfactory).
- Faculty/Staff makes referrals using the Early Alert form via Etrieve.
- Students are notified by phone, email and/or text messages. Students may also self-refer by scheduling an appointment at the Counseling and Career Development Office.
- A Counselor will follow-up with the student via phone call to encourage student to make an appointment to speak to the instructor.
Early Alert Referrals can be made by any faculty or staff mamber throughout the semester. Here is a checklist of some warnings signs that may prompt an Early Alert Referral:
- Class attendance - the student has too many absences or the student stopped going to class
- Problems in academic performance
- Work quality has declined
- Failure to turn in homework assignments
- Failed quizzes and tests
- Unwilling or unable to participate in class activities
- Student is not passing the course
- Student lacks course materials (i.e., books, notebooks)
- Lacks study skills to be successful in college
- Having difficulty adjusting to college life
- Experiencing personal problems
Inappropriate behavior should be addressed BEFORE it reaches a disciplinary level. Be aware of warning signs that a student displays re: inappropriate conduct, interpersonal problems, etc.
The Early Alert Referral works best when used early! Submissions in the first few weeks of class are most likely to result in a successful outcome for students.