Filling the Gaps: An Early Alert Team at a Liberal Arts College: Stephen Dine Young, July 10, 2007 1

Hanover College Background Liberal Arts with Presbyterian affiliation. Enrollment around 1,000. Residential (including many faculty) Small-town location. Academically challenging. 2

Recent Retention History 1. 2. 3. 4. Focus on Retention (Grant Money): 1996-1999 Loss of Focus (End of Grant) & Drop in Retention: 2000-2003 Implementation of new academic vision (many college-wide changes): 2004-5 Early Alert Team Started in the Fall of 2005 3

Goals of the Early Alert Team Help students Retain students Inform advising Inform Admissions Gather and interpret accurate retention information 4

Early Alert Team Personnel Registrar Assoc. Dean of Students Faculty Liaison Special Assistant to the President Learning Center Director Dean of Admission & Financial Assistance 5

What we do: Work behind the scenes to connect students with support Receive reports about individual students Meet weekly and stay in contact frequently throughout the week Gather additional information about the reported students Suggest possible approaches appropriate persons might use to help students Maintain spread sheet Share information with relevant groups 6

EAT Spreadsheet Name ID Class Alert Level Advisor Report Issue Action Who Action What Joe Smith 42 F-Y 1 Jones Stokes Miss 3 tutor appts Coach Change Appt TimeAttend Mon, Friday

Early Alert Team Activity Year Students First-Year Percent 9

Early Alert Team Hit Rate The % of students who left who were on EAT list: Fall 2005 11 of 17 (65%). Winter 2006 11 of 23 (48%). Fall 2007-23 of 28 (82%). Winter 2007-19 of 25 (76%).* 10

Types of Students Referred Academically Struggling: Lack of Motivation Lack of Skills (Writing, Reading, Mathematical, etc.) Learning Disability Socially Struggling: Lack of peer group/isolated Lack of direction Emotional problems 11

Types continued Medically Struggling Financially Struggling Family Issues Thinking about Transferring /Needs not Being Met 12

Alicia Almost 1400 SAT. Self-styled Rebel. Several minor judicial violations. Bad attitude in class. Asking to be dismissed. 13

Alicia Results Connected with the theater department. Connected with new advisor. Retained; making friends; cum GPA rose from 2.0 in fall to 2.5 in winter. 14

Nettie Sheltered; only child. Trauma history (couldn t sleep in room). Medical problems (missed some classes). 15

Nettie Results Connected with Counseling Services. Professors informed; worked with her individually on catching up. Retained; currently working way off probation, but becoming more secure. 16

Henry Not strong academically (but well within Hanover s range). From out of state; close to mother. Football player. Struggled to make friends outside of football. 17

Henry Results Got a tutor; made appointments with faculty for help. Dropped class. Met regularly with advisor; worked with coach. Retained; cum GPA rose from 1.11 to 1.81. 18

Scarlet First-year student; solid academic abilities. Overwhelmed by second day of class; not sleeping because of reading load. Problems with roommate. Going home every weekend. 19

Scarlet Results Advisor contacted; communicated with course professors. Tutor helped with study skills and reading tips. RA and Peer Advisor contacted; offered encouragement and advice. Began seeing Counselor, stayed on campus, peer group. 20

What We ve Learned?: Interdepartmental Collaboration Student s Faculty Great Works Faculty Faculty Advisor Student Life Staff Athletic Staff Chaplain s Office Financial Aid and Business Office Peers Learning Center 21

Learned? Student Privacy Broad Terminology Eating disorder- Sarah is struggling with some difficult issues in her personal life... Academic- John has had some challenges making the transition to Hanover s academic expectations... Unmotivated- Jill has missed several of her classes this past week... Use Phone or Personal Visits for Confidential Information EAT Invisible Network of Support 22

Learned? Individualized Treatment Discuss each student and the Players Specifically Level of Alert Determines Nature of Response Each student initially entered as 1 Remains at 1 target connections specifically Moves to 2 - revisit on bi-weekly basis for updates Moves to 3 - revisit at key times- mid-terms, advising and finals 23

Learned? Key Intervention Times Mid-term Grades Two or more Ds or Fs Course Scheduling Advising Appointment Deposits for Next Year First Few Weeks of the Year First-year students first six weeks Faculty/Staff reminders 24

Getting Started Identify an Organizer/Initiator Enrollment Management, Advising Center, FirstYear Programs Assemble a Team Who s affected by student retention? Who has direct contact with students? Who provides support services? 25

Getting Started continued Garner Support Logistical Conversations Statistics/Information Create Urgency Cultural Why it Matters? Address Concerns Big Brother Hand-Holding Too Complicated Too Much Time Privacy Issues 26

Getting Started continued Infrastructure Staff/Faculty Time Budget Jurisdiction/Purview Organizational Contact Procedure Sharing Info w/team Meeting Time 27

Contact Information Stephen Dine Young, Faculty Liaison to the First Year Experience youngst@hanover.edu, 812-866-7319 Kay Stokes, Director of Learning Center stokes@hanover.edu, 812-866-7215 Katy Lowe Schneider, Director of First Year Experience lowe@hanover.edu, 812-866-6840 28