Jennifer Clark Director of Student Services School of Human Environmental Sciences, UNCG

1. Catch Them if You Can: The Evolution of the Early Warning System at The University of North Carolina Greensboro Jennifer Clark Director of Student Services School of Human Environmental Sciences, UNCG Kristen Christman Associate Director Academic Systems and Student Achievement, UNCG Tammy Alt Assistant Director Student Academic Services, UNCG

2. UNC Greensboro • Public • Urban • Doctoral-granting • Chartered in 1891 • Residential (31% of undergrads live on campus) • 13,000 undergraduates • 3,200 graduate students • 32% men, 68% women • 33% non-white

3. Student Academic Services • Academic Affairs • Enrollment Services division • Core Functions • Academic Advising • First-year experience courses (UNS 101/102) • First-semester probation program (SAS 100) • Success and retention initiatives • Administer policies and procedures

4. Background SAS has administrative responsibility for students who are on probation after their first semester (SAS 100) and who have been suspended or dismissed. As a result of regular contact and support with this population and other at-risk students we serve, it was critical to find a way to identify these students earlier and take preventive measures to maximize their success. Additional Motivators: • Unsatisfactory grade reporting system is not widely used • Encouraging earlier reporting of at-risk behaviors • Strengthen relationships between departments & divisions • Raising awareness among faculty and other departments

5. ESSI Pilot Fall 2006University Studies (UNS) • UNS 101- freshmen • UNS 102- transfer and adult students • Full semester course – 1 credit • Elective for students - required of athletes • UNS Fall 2006: • 716 students enrolled in UNS 101(32 sections) • 46 students enrolled in UNS 102 (3 sections)

6. ESSI Submission Form • Online form • Found on Student Academic Services web site: http://web.uncg.edu/adv/essi/ • Not currently password protected • Feeds into an access database (implemented in year 2) • Form is submitted simultaneously to the Dean of Students office and SAS

7. Early Spartan Success Initiative (ESSI) The Early Spartan Success Initiative is designed to help students be successful by identifying and assisting students whose persistence and success may be negatively affected by academic or non-academic factors. This form can be used to alert Student Academic Services and the Dean of Students Office, a partner in this initiative. We recommend a referral when concern for a student's academic progress arises or when a student is exhibiting behaviors that may lead to academic difficulty. Recommended reporting times are: •  Anytime between the student's arrival to campus and the second week of class •  After the first grade is assigned (preferably, within the first 2-3 weeks) •  At mid-term or before the scheduled advising and registration period begins •  Prior to the deadline to withdraw without being academically penalized •  Anytime there is a concern Once you have submitted this form, a representative from Student Academic Services will contact the student. We will then refer the student to an appropriate campus resource, if needed. You will be notified via email regarding our follow up with your student. Early Spartan Success Initiative Form

8. Early Spartan Success Initiative (ESSI) Flowchart Online Form Submitted SAS Staff receives form (follow-up with faculty or staff who referred, if needed) • Email Student (cc advisor & student-athlete advisor if student is athlete) • Inviting the student to come in to Student Academic Services • Encouraging student to speak with their instructors if they’re having difficulties • Reminding the student of last day to withdraw from, add or drop a class • Informing them that they will receive a follow-up phone call from SAS if we • have not heard from them in a week Follow-up Phone Call No successful contact with Student Direct Referral Meet with Student, if appropriate Referral/Action Submit follow-up form to referring faculty or staff Send Final Email to Student containing information such as academic support resources, counseling contacts and links

9. Follow-up Following the email and/or phone call, the student will: be directly referred to one of the offices below or will meet with a Student Academic Services advisor Student Affairs Counseling Student Academic Services Financial Aid Student Success Center Peer-to-Peer i.e. PAL, Peer Tutor, SI, RA Referral/Action after meeting with SAS advisor Email/call academic advisor Provide resource list Complete StrengthsQuest Email/call other instructors Refer to appropriate department or Peer Program Schedule follow-up appointment with SAS Encourage student to speak with instructor Recommend monthly meetings with SAS advisor Recommend withdrawal from course(s) Total withdrawal from UNCG

10. Be positive and non-threatening when you contact the student • Phone Script • Message for cell or home phone • What to cover if you meet with the student • Principles of Appreciative Inquiry

11. Closing the Loop • Final email to student containing: Academic support resource list Counseling contacts Reminder of drop dates and withdrawal policies • Final email to faculty/staff who referred student and advisor

12. Fall 2006 Pilot through UNS 101 course 12 submissions Fall 2007 Opened to entire campus 42 submissions Who submitted? UNS instructors, Foreign Language instructors, Learning Assistance Center Staff, Work-study Supervisors & faculty in a variety of departments

13. Fall 2006 Themes • 12 referrals made • Reasons for submissions: • Absences, Missing academic work • Relationship Difficulty (boyfriend in Iraq) • Personal issues (children/ family) • Doesn’t use email • Academic Performance (C or lower) • Wrong section

14. Fall 2007 Themes • Attendance Never attended class Attended but abruptly stopped • Missed assignments • Personal disclosure • Clarify academic policy Drop Dates Appeals • Not engaged Doesn’t check UNCG email account Unreachable on campus

15. The Numbers • 42 Submissions • 21 are currently on first-time probation (50% ) • 15 are in good standing (35.7%) • 3 were suspended though the Dean’s Office (7.1%) • 2 are currently academically suspended (4.8%) • 1 is continuing on probation (2.4%)

16. Additional Considerations There are several things to consider with the evaluation of a program such as this one: • Numbers do not always tell the whole story, or even the best parts of the story. You must get beyond the statistical data in order to see the benefits of a program such as ESSI. • ESSI is a support network for faculty as well as for students, and such support can strengthen the student/instructor relationship, resulting in a greater likelihood of a successful outcome in many of the circumstances that are reported to us. • The definition of “success.” Can we claim to have been successful if the student ends the semester on probation or suspension? Can we claim to have been successful if we never even made contact with the student? The answer to those questions is “yes,” as you will see in the cases described in your handouts.

17. Currently Spring 2008 45 submissions as of Thursday, Feb 13th

18. Marketing of ESSI • ‘Branding’ of ESSI name and logo • Email to entire campus at the beginning of Fall 2007 • Email, magnet and post card to entire campus in Spring 2008 • Meetings with departmental liaisons • Workshops across campus • Increased visibility on Student Academic Services web site • Combine forces with Dean of Students office

19. Future Direction of ESSI • Replace current unsatisfactory grade report • Train all Student Academic Services staff to respond to submissions • Connect to appeals process • Continue to evaluate

20. What we’ve learned • Start small • Have adequate tech support • Be prepared for each unique situation • Focus as much on your form and process as you do on your one-on-one work with students • Be positive when working with students • Always follow-up

21. Questions • How many of you are involved in an Early Alert system on your campus? • Thinking of starting a program? • Creative interventions? • Successes? • Challenges? Thank you!

22. ESSI proceduresReceive referral through ESSI program.Follow-up with Dean of Students Office to double check if student is someone they are working with.Respond to instructor who submitted referral letting them know we will be contacting the student.Some initial items to ask/research:Check Banner to see if student is still enrolled in the course in question or if they have dropped other courses.Call or email other professors to determine if student is attending other courses.If needed, call the referring instructor for more informationEmail faculty advisor or advising center Contact RA if student is living on campusAsk Dean of Students office if they have received any other messages about this studentSend initial email to student from ESSI account. Include the phone number you have for the student and ask if it’s correct Set your email to notify you of receipt.Call student using the phone script provided (if urgent, call and email on the same day. If not, it’s ok to wait 48 hours after the email to call).Once you’ve made contact with the student, determine if there needs to be a “next step” in the process…referral, scheduled appt, etc.

23. Ask the student how things are going, in general.What’s going well? (AA)What has been the highlight of the semester so far? (AA)What are their academic strengths? Personal strengths? (AA)Does the current schedule reflect the student’s strengths, interests? (AA)Is there incongruence between strengths and current major or classes? (AA)If class performance is an issue:Encourage the student to meet with instructor- can they pass this class?If attendance is an issue, discuss reasons why.How can they catch up?Review drop options.How are other classes progressing?Review GPA projection for this semester.Encourage the student to seek tutoring or counseling, if applicable.Are there co-curricular concerns such as residence life, commuting, work, etc.Ask the student to envision and articulate the most positive and realistic outcome possible.(AA)Establish a plan to address current issues and move towards desired outcome before student leaves. (AA)

24. Document the student’s plan. Keep a copy and give one to the student. Use positive language in plan and set goals based on strengths. (AA)Email referring professor to confirm that student met with SAS staff.Afterwards, send follow up email to student from the ESSI account with resource list attachedSend final follow-up to the UNS instructor through the ESSI account by accessing the initial referral form submitted by the instructor. Store both the initial referral and the follow up response in the Completed Referrals for Fall 06 file within the ESSI email account.***When in doubt, please ask if any questions come up.

25. Submission Examples “She missed 3 classes, usually comes to class late (I assume from walking from another class), and she missed TeamQuest. She has had some reason for each absence but she also has a 1.8 according to her and I am sensing some behavior patterns I would see in someone who would be in SAS 100. Her reason for missing class was she was sick, and her reason for missing TeamQuest was she had a death in the family. Although she knew in advance she would miss but didn’t think to talk to me beforehand. I don’t know why she missed the other two classes” - UNS Instructor

26. Submission Examples “ She emailed me about missing a class meeting due to her boyfriend in Iraq being hospitalized because of a mortar bomb going off 50 feet away from him. She said she was too emotionally stressed to come to class that day. I was able to speak with her afterwards and she has shared that her boyfriend is okay, but she’s having a hard time adjusting to the risks he is facing in the military. I am submitting this for record purposes even though I, the instructor, am working with her one on one. I have provided her with information to the counseling center and encouraged her to utilize this as an option to talk with someone about her concerns” - UNS Instructor

27. Overall Feedback I think the system worked well. I really like being able to catch things early. I had a girl whose Dad died the first week of school, she needed immediate help and support. In my job as AEP Director I send requests for info to faculty for all student-athletes in all classes at both the 5th and 10th week. Getting feedback even sooner, during those first critical weeks would be even more helpful. Because of the ESSI, I now send a note to all faculty with student-athletes that semester the second week of class. Joanna Camp, UNS Instructor & Director, Academic Enhancement Program

28. Overall Feedback The ESSI referral was due to a student not attending class nor turning in assignments. I contacted the student several times but received no response. As soon as the ESSI was sent and they made contact with her, she responded. SAS gave me excellent guidance on what I should be doing to help the student and also what plan they had in place to help the student be successful. I feel like every effort was made to help this student get back on track and be successful. The student chose not to allow us to help her and she failed my class. This is an excellent system that allows early intervention that could help provide services to a student in need but may not tell us they need help. It is better to go above and beyond the call to help a student than do nothing at all. This service gives options to faculty and staff to reach out for help for the student. What an awesome opportunity! I hope more people will take advantage of reaching out if they see a student heading in the wrong direction. Joshua Green, UNS Instructor & Enrollment Services Trainer

29. Appreciative Inquiry • Appreciative Advising involves asking questions that identify and strengthen a student’s capacity to heighten positive potential. It mobilizes inquiry through constructing “unconditional positive questions” that focus on what works as it influences the way in which people perceive themselves. • Phase 1: involves asking students about their strengths and passions. The key to this phase is listening carefully to responses and asking only positive, affirmative questions. (Discovery) • Phase 2: based on the answers students provide, the advisor and the students work to build upon their articulated strengths, aspirations, and interests. Together they begin to dream about and formulate a plan for their lives and careers. (Dream) • Phase 3: the advisor works with students to devise strategies to accomplish short- and longer-term goals and to discuss the skills they need to develop. (Design) • Phase 4: the advisor allows the students room to accomplish these goals. But the advisor is there as a safety net to provide guidance and moral support to the students. (Destiny)

30. Appreciative Inquiry • When a student questions a long held assumption and realizes that it may not be true, they understand that they have power over their own future. Other assumptions begin to be challenged, and images of the future emerge that previously seemed impossible. • Students in academic trouble typically have a very limited time in which to correct their status. Practically, it is quicker to correct this status by building on strengths, and maintaining a course load and engaging in academic and social behaviors that reflect these strengths, than it is to attempt to correct long-standing deficits. • This approach may be particularly useful in cases of internal transfer (major change), where a student has realized that their current declared major may not be a good fit, but are struggling to identify a new major. Student Academic Services, University of North Carolina Greensboro

31. Case Studies from UNCG • CP was referred to us by an instructor who was concerned that CP had never attended class and was in danger of receiving a failing grade. We were unsuccessful contacting the student, but we were able to tell the instructor how to submit a “Never Attend” form to our office, which prevented the student from failing the course. That support empowered the instructor to know what to do in the future. CP ended the semester on academic suspension, but would have had a worse GPA if not for ESSI. • SK, a first-semester transfer student, was referred to us by a University Studies instructor due to a concern over missed classes and a sudden decline in academic performance. Even though the instructor had reached SK by phone, the student was reluctant to talk about what was going on. We were successful in contacting SK and had a wonderful conversation. SK was feeling overwhelmed due to lack of ability to choose a major and to focus on it, and had decided to take the semester off to explore career options. SK did not know how to withdraw. We were able to talk SK through that process and make a recommendation to visit Career Services. SK felt much better after the conversation with the ESSI representative. In this case, SK did not finish the semester and did not re-enroll for spring 2008, but the connection with UNCG was a positive one and prevented a total failure for the semester by sharing information on how to withdraw.

32. Case Studies from UNCG • SL was referred by a work-study supervisor who reported that SL had failed to show up for work and had confessed an internet gaming addiction. The work-study supervisor had recommended the Counseling Center, but did not know what else to do to help SL. The supervisor turned to ESSI for help. We never did talk with SL, but we did send email. The supervisor reported to us that SL had returned to work and had told friends to hide the video games. Further, SL had cancelled an Internet game subscription in an effort to overcome the addiction. SL finished the semester on probation, but receiving email from our office was one way of letting SL know that someone cared enough to take an extra step to help.

33. Case Studies from UNCG • ND was referred to us by a University Studies instructor who was concerned over a journal entry that ND had turned in. The journal entry expressed some personal concerns (nothing life-threatening) that the instructor wanted us to ask ND about. In this case, the ESSI representative who responded to the referral decided not to contact the student due to the sensitive nature of the disclosure. It was felt that the student’s confidence in the instructor would be compromised if it became known that the instructor had shared contents of the student’s journal outside of class. The ESSI representative encouraged the instructor to talk with ND to see if some of the concerns could be resolved that way. The instructor followed up with ND and learned that what the student had been worried about had not come to pass, and so everything was working out well. This is a case in which support for the faculty member meant NOT becoming involved in the issue. The result was that the instructor gained confidence in the ability to deal with students’ concerns, and the student/faculty relationship was not compromised or endangered by over-involvement from another office. We believe that the person closest to the student is sometimes the best one to make the first connection.