Filling the Gaps: An Early Alert
Team at a Liberal Arts College:
Stephen Dine Young, July 10, 2007
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Hanover College—Background
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Liberal Arts with Presbyterian
affiliation.
Enrollment around 1,000.
Residential (including many faculty)
Small-town location.
Academically challenging.
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Recent Retention History
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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
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Goals of the Early Alert Team
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Help students
Retain students
Inform advising
Inform Admissions
Gather and interpret accurate
retention information
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Early Alert Team Personnel
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Registrar
Assoc. Dean of Students
Faculty Liaison
Special Assistant to the President
Learning Center Director
Dean of Admission & Financial
Assistance
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What we do:
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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
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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
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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%).*
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‘Types’ of Students Referred
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Academically Struggling:
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Lack of Motivation
Lack of Skills (Writing, Reading,
Mathematical, etc.)
Learning Disability
Socially Struggling:
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Lack of peer group/Isolated
Lack of direction
Emotional problems
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‘Types’ continued
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Medically Struggling
Financially Struggling
Family Issues
“Thinking about Transferring”/Needs
not Being Met
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“Alicia”
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Almost 1400 SAT.
Self-styled “Rebel.”
Several minor judicial violations.
“Bad attitude” in class.
“Asking” to be dismissed.
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“Alicia” Results
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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”
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Sheltered; only child.
Trauma history (couldn’t sleep in
room).
Medical problems (missed some
classes).
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“Nettie” Results
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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”
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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.
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“Henry” Results
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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.
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“Scarlet”
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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.
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“Scarlet” Results
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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.
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What We’ve Learned?:
Interdepartmental Collaboration
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Student’s Faculty
Great Works Faculty
Faculty Advisor
Student Life Staff
Athletic Staff
Chaplain’s Office
Financial Aid and Business Office
Peers
Learning Center
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Learned?—Student Privacy
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Broad Terminology
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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
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Learned?—Individualized Treatment
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Discuss each student and the Players
Specifically
Level of Alert Determines Nature of
Response
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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
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Learned?—Key Intervention Times
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Mid-term Grades
Two or more Ds or Fs
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Course Scheduling
Advising Appointment
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Deposits for Next Year
First Few Weeks of the Year
First-year students first six weeks
Faculty/Staff reminders
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Getting Started
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Identify an Organizer/Initiator
Enrollment Management, Advising Center, FirstYear Programs
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Assemble a Team
Who’s affected by student retention?
Who has direct contact with students?
Who provides support services?
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Getting Started continued
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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
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Getting Started continued
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Infrastructure
Staff/Faculty Time
Budget
Jurisdiction/Purview
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Organizational
Contact Procedure
Sharing Info w/Team
Meeting Time
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Contact Information
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Stephen Dine Young, Faculty Liaison to
the First Year Experience
[email protected], 812-866-7319
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Kay Stokes, Director of Learning Center
[email protected], 812-866-7215
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Katy Lowe Schneider, Director of First
Year Experience
[email protected], 812-866-6840
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