Early Alert Faculty and Staff Information
What is Academic Early Alert?
The Academic Early Alert program is designed to identify students who are having academic difficulty at any point in their education. After identifying these students, the Academic Early Alert team will attempt to address needs by providing the intervention needed to increase the likelihood of success. Faculty and staff contribute directly to retention by assisting with the early identification of students who are performing poorly in class, are chronically absent from class, or experiencing other problems that impact academic performance.
When to make a referral?
If possible, please speak to the student about the concern. If there are no signs of improvement, submit an Academic Early Alert Referral Form in VitNet. Possible reasons for a referral may be one or more of the following:
- Performance not at course level
- Struggles to keep pace with the class
- Excessive absences/habitual tardiness to class
- Not performing well on tests
- Poor attitude and/or disruptive classroom behavior
- Low or no engagement in the classroom (sleeping in class, talking, texting, etc.)
- Pattern of late or missed assignments
- Personal/health/social concerns that impact academic performance
NOTE: Academic Early Alert is not designed for urgent or emergency situations.
Who can make a referral?
ANY employee of Viterbo University.
How is a referral made?
Submit an Academic Early Alert Referral Form in VitNet. All referrals are sent to a secure database that can be viewed only by members of the Academic Early Alert leadership team. The form is used to initiate contact with the student and the information you include may be shared with the student.
What happens after a referral is submitted?
The student will receive an email and a copy will be sent to the person making the referral. The intervention strategies recommended may vary depending on the situation reported.
What is the Academic Early Alert Leadership Team?
The Academic Early Alert Leadership Team meets regularly to review referrals and develop a course of action to best address a student’s needs. The leadership team includes the director of student academic success, director of the academic resource center, director of career services, director of residence life, dean of admission, athletics academic liaison, and the academic advising coordinator. Other university personnel may be asked to attend meetings when appropriate. In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), information is shared on a need-to-know basis and does not become part of a student’s permanent record.