Adventures of an Early Alert Team

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• Adventures of an Early Alert Team
• Katy Lowe Schneider, Ken Prince, Skip Dine Young,
  Jeff Conner
• NACADA National Conference 2006
• Presentation 412

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Background

• Jeff Conner

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Hanover College

• Liberal Arts with Presbyterian affiliation.
• Enrollment around 1,000.
• Residential (including many faculty)
• Small-town location.
• Very challenging academically Large gap between
  high school grades and Hanover grades.

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Background A Tale of Four Periods

• Retention Grant 1996-1999
• Loss of Focus 2000-2003
• Vision Implementation 2004-5
• Early Alert Team 2005-6

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A Tale of Four Periods

• Retention Grant 1996-1999
• Loss of Focus 2000-2003
• Vision and Focus 2004-5
• Early Alert Team 2005-6

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A Tale of Four Periods

• Retention Grant 1996-1999
• Loss of Focus 2000-2003
• Vision 2004-5
• Early Alert Team 2005-6

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Vision Implementation 2004-6

• Marketing focused on Challenge.
• Price restructuring to address fit.
• Enrolled huge, talented class.
• Vision
• August Experience.
• LADR curriculum and small classes.
• Great Works first-year sequence.
• ButA rough transition.

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The Early Alert Team

• Ken Prince

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Goals of the Early Alert Team

• Help students
• Retain students
• Inform advising
• Inform Admissions
• Gather and interpret accurate retention
  information

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Early Alert Team Personnel

• Registrar
• Assoc. Dean of Students and Director of
  First-Year Experience
• Faculty Liaison for the First-Year Experience
  (Associate Professor of Psychology)
• Special Assistant to the President

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Early Alert Team Year 2

• 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

• 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
• Present at Faculty Forums

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EAT Spreadsheet
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Results

• Skip Dine Young

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Early Alert Team Activity
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Early Alert Team Hit Rate

• The of students who left who were on EAT list
• Fall 200511 of 17 (65).
• Winter 200611 of 23 (48).

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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

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Types continued

• Medically Struggling
• Financially Struggling
• Family Issues
• Thinking about Transferring/Needs not Being Met

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Case Studies
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Alicia

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

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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.

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Nettie

• Sheltered only child.
• Trauma history (couldnt sleep in room).
• Medical problems (missed some classes).

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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.

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Henry

• Not strong academically (but well within
  Hanovers range).
• From out of state close to mother.
• Football player.
• Struggled to make friends outside of football.

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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.

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Scarlet

• Current 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

• Advisor contacted communicated with course
  professors.
• Tutor helped with study skills and reading tips.
• RA and Peer Advisor contacted offered
  encouragement and advice.
• Stayed on campus last weekend enjoyed herself
  reporting liking classes.

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Issues for Discussion

• Katy Lowe Schneider

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Interdepartmental Collaboration

• Students Faculty
• Great Works Faculty
• Faculty Advisor
• Student Life Staff
• Athletic Staff
• Chaplains Office
• Financial Aid and Business Office
• Peers
• Learning Center

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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 Hanovers 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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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

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Conclusion

• Ongoing Campus Discussion about Student Success
• Campus Culture and Spirit Initiative
• Establish traditions
• Build in Fun as Community
• Institutional Commitment to Retention and Fit

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