This contribution was developed by Alesia Brennan, Director for Student Success Persistence Programs & Advising Support in the Student Success Office.
Faculty and instructors often identify students who seem to be struggling academically in their classes--missing class sessions, performing poorly on exams, or failing to turn in assignments. The Academic Alert Initiative can help faculty and their students by providing faculty with a powerful way to connect with their students and offering students a community of support and a wide range of resources.
What is the Academic Alert Initiative?
The UMass Amherst Academic Alert initiative partners with instructors, Academic Deans, and advisors to connect undergraduate students with the resources needed to meet the rigors of college-level academic work and expectations. Through a coordinated referral network, students are guided toward resources that support mastery of course content and academic skill development.
The Process
There are three components of the UMass Amherst Academic Alert Initiative—the referral, the alert, and the support.
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The Referral. Instructors provide course progress feedback for undergraduate students in their courses through Navigate360, UMass’s student success management system. Instructors are asked to provide feedback on observed classroom behavior that could negatively impact a student’s ability to be successful or persist in the course (e.g., absences, low assignment or test grades, missing assignments, or lack of participation). By providing feedback based on observed behaviors, instructors are not asked to determine the student’s needs, but rather to share their experiences and observations. Navigate360 allows instructors to submit a referral for an individual student or select multiple students and submit referrals for them all at once (e.g., referring all students with a low grade on an exam). For step-by-step instructions on submitting referrals in Navigate360 watch this video.
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The Alert. A referred student receives an automatically generated email, specific to the referral reason selected by the instructor. The goal of this communication is to let the student know we are concerned about their progress in the course and to provide suggestions for next steps. The email contains information about campus academic resources and how to access them, including encouraging the student to discuss their course progress with their instructor and to meet with their Academic Dean or advisor to discuss their academic plan. In addition, Student Success sends weekly lists of referred students to Academic Deans and/or advising leads in the schools/colleges for additional triage and follow up. Particular attention is paid to students with multiple referrals.
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The Support. The email a referred student receives encourages them to take action by connecting with one or more of the resources provided. Support for a referred student could look like them connecting with the Learning Resource Center and their programs providing Supplemental Instruction or individual tutoring for the course. It could also look like the student scheduling an appointment with their Academic Dean or advisor to discuss their course progress and academic plan. Before an appointment with a referred student, an Academic Dean or advisor reviews the information provided in the referral. During that intentional conversation, the Academic Dean or advisor discusses the student’s performance in the course and provides connections to resources and strategies. Working with an Academic Dean or advisor, a student co-designs an action plan for their success in the course.
Talking to Your Students About the Academic Alert Initiative
Instructors are encouraged to consider including information about the Academic Alert Initiative in their course syllabi as well as spend a few minutes in class talking about the initiative. Letting students know you participate in the Academic Alert Initiative to support their success can help promote resource utilization should they receive a referral from you during the semester.
- PowerPoint slide to share with your class.
- Sample Syllabus language:
Your success in this course is important. UMass Amherst uses Navigate360, a student success management system, to help identify students who may need additional support to achieve academic success. Throughout the semester you may receive emails from Navigate360 regarding your course grades and academic performance. Please check your UMass email account regularly and, if you receive an alert, read the email carefully and connect with one or more of the campus resources provided. Alerts are meant to help you achieve success in the course; they are not meant to be punitive. UMass has many ways to support students and Navigate360 is a tool that helps us connect you with the services, resources, and people you need.
How do I get Started?
If you are the instructor of record for an undergraduate course this semester, you have access to Navigate360 and to submit referrals. Follow the instructions in this video or in this written guide to submit referrals through Navigate360. If you have questions, reach out to @email.
If you would like a course to officially partner with the Academic Alert Initiative, email academicalert@umass.edu Instructors of partner courses receive emails throughout the semester with Academic Alert information, resources, and reminders to submit referrals.
Resources
Find more information about the Academic Alert Initiative