We all want all students to succeed but for many reasons some students may struggle, miss class sessions, fall behind on assignments, or do poorly on an exam. Reaching out directly to students in our class can and does help but as Nathalie Lavoie, Associate Professor in Resource Economics, has found, reaching out to students through Academic Alert can be a powerful way to connect with students and provide them with a wider range of resources.
Why did you begin using Academic Alerts?
Mostly, I was feeling I wasn’t connecting enough with students whom I perceived to be disengaged or struggling. So when my department decided to make a special effort to use the Academic Alert program, I jumped on the opportunity to incorporate it in my courses and, as the Undergraduate Program Director for Resource Economics, encourage other faculty to use it. I found the Academic Alert system more effective than trying to personally connect with these students. When I reach out to a student through Academic Alert, the student’s academic advisor and the College Academic Deans’ staff, are also notified, enabling them to see if the student is experiencing challenges in their other courses as well. It’s a good example of “it takes a village to raise a child” or in this case, to help a student succeed and connect to a whole team of people who can offer a range of resources.
When do you use Academic Alert?
This can really vary with the class context. In my smaller upper division course, I first started using it to remind students who were missing class by just sending the alert that I haven’t seen you in class for awhile, is everything ok? Please let me know. In my larger enrollment GenEd class, I may reach out through Academic Alerts if a student isn’t engaging in the LMS, completing assignments and especially if they do poorly on an exam.
Some instructors might be concerned about making students feel discouraged by using a formal process like Academic Alert. What has been your experience with students when you send an Academic Alert?
My messages through Academic Alert always express that I would like to help, and I make it clear at the beginning of the course that I view my primary role as helping students succeed. I find that this deliberate communication makes a difference. I’ve also found that some students may need a little prompt to come see me. When they follow up after the Academic Alert is sent, we generally have positive and productive conversations. Sometimes a student will tell me that they want to come to class more often, but that they have so much going on. I sense it can be a relief to tell me that it’s not that they dislike my course, but instead that they care about their academic success, and perhaps are feeling overwhelmed in general. This helps me feel compassion for their circumstance and makes me feel connected. Of course, there are some students who don’t respond, yet knowing that advisors are also alerted reassures me that they may be receiving support from someone else. In fact, our advisors and CSBS Dean’s office reported to our department that Academic Alerts have been instrumental for them to know to whom to reach out and when to intervene. The village does care for the student.
Does it take a lot of time to use Academic Alert? Is it more cumbersome than sending out individual student emails?
Not at all. When I go into Navigate to send an Academic Alert I can check off multiple students who should receive the same alert, so in my larger classes it’s actually simpler than emailing students individually.
Can you give some examples of what messages you might send?
I try to keep the alert messages simple and encouraging; I always want them to know that I’d like to help them.
- Hi , I would be very happy to go over your midterm exam with you and discuss strategies to do better in the course. Please let me know if this would be helpful and we can set up a meeting. Best, Nathalie
- Hi , I haven't seen you in class in a while and I noticed you did not submit the final installment of the case study. Are you doing ok? Please let me know, Nathalie
- Hi , I haven't seen you in class in a while. How are you doing? I'm partly concerned because the exam is next week, and we are covering important (and interesting!) material. Let me know, Nathalie
- Hi , I haven't seen you in class since before Thanksgiving. Are you doing ok? Also, have you scheduled your final exam with Disability Services? Please let me know, Nathalie
What do you see as your next steps in using Academic Alert?
I use the Academic Alert process because I care about my students’ success, so I think it would be helpful at the beginning of the semester to explain why I’m using it. I’m also going to be more systematic about letting the class know when I begin sending out Academic Alert messages, so everyone realizes this is just “a thing I do.” I make great efforts to build and be part of the community in my classrooms. I want students to know I’m there with them learning too, and Academic Alert is another way to demonstrate that I’m rooting for them. Tools like this one have served to significantly form and transform my teaching.