EARLY ALERT
Increasing student success and improving retention is a priority and common goal that is shared across the institution at Pierce College. Advisors, counselors, professors, staff, and the students themselves all play a role in contributing to enriching people's lives and contributing to the vitality of the community (LAPC's Vision). LAPC's mission is to provide the community with learning opportunities that enable people to achieve their goals.
The Coordinator of Retention works to learn how individual faculty members, academic advisors, counselors, and other educators can support at-risk students — in addition to examining which existing departments need to collaborate effectively in order to increase the achievement and success of at-risk students.
Early Alert System
The goal of this early alert system is to identify at-risk students and refer them to the appropriate advisor/student services area so that preventative action can occur — before the students withdraw or get too far behind in their coursework. At-risk behaviors include such factors as:
- Excessive absences
- Poor performance
- Lacking preparation for course
- Has not logged on or has not had enough time on task for an online course
- Missing assignments, exams, or homework
- Personal crises impacting learning
- Counseling
- Tutoring
Why do we need an early alert system?
- At-risk students often need help from day one!
- Students receive early and individualized feedback and contact from student success and retention support staff.
- Early Alert + Early Intervention = Increased Student Success and Retention
- Early Alert is a key tool in the student retention arsenal.
- It costs more to recruit a student than it does to retain a student.
How does the Early Alert System work?
- Students that are at risk are identified by faculty by identifying students who could benefit from academic performance improvement, attendance, counseling, financial aid assistance, tutoring, or assistance from our math or writing lab.
- Depending on the alert that is identified, the Coordinator of Student Success and Retention, a counselor, academic support, tutor, or a counseling staff member is notified.
- Action is taken by the Coordinator of Retention to contact the student if necessary.
- Based on the alert, the student is referred or consulted with the purpose of providing assistance and support to the student to help them be successful.
- Faculty may be contacted for follow-up or be notified when the alert has been acted by an area staff member.