Early Alert

Early Alert is program that allows faculty to provide academic feedback on student performance during the 4^th week of classes, long before mid-term grades are assigned. The intent is to give students a glimpse of their early performance and seek help (or adjust their habits) before it is too late to impact their final grade. Early Alert sends clear messages to students who frequently assume “no news is good news” if they have no indication of how they are performing at UW. With Early Alert, students can see if they are passing or struggling in individual classes. This alert encourages them to speak with their faculty and/or seek academic support services such as tutoring and SI. Early Alert also encourages faculty to plan assessment activities early in the semester.  Many faculty have incorporated STEP Tutoring and Early Alert information into their syllabi.  Students with a D or F grade at Early Alert receive points of contact from their advisors, and Residence Hall Assistants. The points of contact are used to also encourage the student to seek academic/personal help and discuss their options.  

Specific information about Early Alert will be provided at the start of each term. For questions about Early Alert, contact Lane Buchanan, Interim Registrar (lane@uwyo.edu).

 

Faculty Voices:

• "This is a wonderful system to identify struggling students much earlier during the semester and offer advice/resources to improve their learning."
• "I’m glad we have this system in place. It shapes the way I think about my students’ grades in general, and that has changed some of the language I use about grades in class."
• "I reached out to one of my advisees due to the Early Alert, and it turned out to be a very pivotal moment to do so."
• "If the system helps one student to succeed in college, then it is worth my time as an instructor to use it."

 Early Alert & Academic Progress

• The number of students on academic probation decreased 14% after the first semester of Early Alert (compared to earlier semesters)  
• The number of students on academic suspension decreased 18% after the first semester of Early Alert (compared to earlier semesters)  
• Student retention increased 2% after the first semester of Early Alert 

 

Semester	Total #grades submitted
Spring   2014	5,920
Fall   2014	6,636
Spring   2015	12,391