The Early Alert program is a university-wide collaborative effort designed to connect students in need with campus resources. Faculty serve as the "eyes and ears" to identify which students could benefit from additional campus resources and submit an early alert on their behalf. Common reasons for submitting an alert can include, missing assignments, low attendance, changes in behavior, or a need for additional advising. Once an alert has been submitted, a team of student success specialists will reach out to provide guidance, access to campus resources, or assistance navigating campus processes. Academic advisors are also given notice once an alert has been submitted and are encouraged to discuss alerts during their advising visits. Students who receive an alert and interact with the FYESR team report significantly higher levels of persistence and retention.
“[Course_Name] is taking part in a student success “early alert” initiative that connect students in need with campus resources. Throughout the semester, you may receive text messages or emails from UVU's Student Success Specialist team through Civitas Inspire regarding your attendance and academic performance in this course. Please review your student email or text messages regularly to be sure you can resolve any alerts in a timely manner. If you are in need or have any UVU related questions, you may contact the Student Success Specialist team via email at student[email protected] or texting 801-889-1119. More information regarding early alerts can be found at: uvu.edu/retention.”
A Civitas Impact study of submitted alerts from Spring 2017 to Spring 2021 shows that students who received an Early Alert and were contacted by a Student Success Specialist persisted at higher rate than students who received alerts and were not reached. Persistence measures the likelihood a student will return for the following semester, excluding summer semesters. As this graph demonstrates, our historically underrepresented student populations are positively and significantly impacted by these efforts.
Early Alert is a program that allows instructors to identify students who are struggling academically or not attending class regularly. Those students are then contacted by a Student Success Specialist from the office of First-Year Experience & Student Retention so that we can offer timely intervention and resources early enough to help the student pass the course.
The Early Alert program has proven beneficial in helping our freshmen and other students in need of campus resources achieve success in their courses at UVU. Students who pass their classes, especially during their first year, are more likely to persist in their courses and graduate.
