Early Alert

Purpose & Importance
Barton County Community College's Early Alert System allows faculty a convenient means of referring students for services. The Early Alert system provides an online form for faculty referrals. Faculty can submit students' to Barton's Student Support Services where a member of the staff will contact the student via letter or telephone.

Barton is committed to student success and retention, but for retention to be significantly improved it takes the efforts of many. Therefore, an "early alert" process is in place to give the faculty another means of contributing directly to the college's efforts to improve student persistence and academic success.

The purpose of the "early alert system" is to identify and effectively intervene with students who are exhibiting "at risk" behaviors. Early intervention may make a difference in a person's life and have a great effect on possible drop out and attrition rates. Please refer students in danger of not passing a class by using the online Early Alert form found on the Barton website.

Early Alert should be objective. Please give specific examples of changes in appearance or attitude.

Descriptions of At Risk Behavior:

• Excessive Absences
• Lack of Participation in Classroom Activities
• Decline in work quality
• Failure to complete assignments
• Overt statements regarding difficulties
• Comments from other students
• Knowledge of personal or family difficulties (i.e. financial, health, etc.)
• Change in demeanor, which might include anxiety, aggression, or depression
• Repeated inappropriate behavior in or out of the classroom
• Withdrawal from social activities
• Excessive use of alcohol and/or drug use

If a student is identified as having one or more of the previously listed signs of "at risk" behavior, the faculty or staff member should immediately attempt to communicate directly with the student. If this is not successful in altering the student's behavior, then complete the Early Alert Referral Form.

Early Alert should be used with enough time for a student to avoid having a low grade on the Low Grade Report. With this in mind, Early Alerts for main campus courses will be accepted until approximately five days before the low-grade report is due. Because Outreach courses start one week after main campus classes, faculty teaching these courses will have until five days before the low-grade report is due.