Remember to use the UFirst Early Alert tool!
Over the course of the current semester if you have concerns for students who may be experiencing academic or personal difficulty as evidenced by attendance, participation or performance problems, you can use the UFirst Early Alert tool to notify Academic Advisers, Life Coaches, and Support Services Staff. They will work with students to discuss and identify areas of difficulty and assist them in making connections on campus to best address their concerns and needs.
The UFirst Academic Warning tool was first available for faculty use in Fall 2011. In this initial term, eight-hundred and five (805) alerts were issued for four-hundred and eighty-nine (489) undergraduates. Students receiving early alerts and adjusting their academic efforts were more likely than the general population to return for the Spring 2012 term.
We hope, with your assistance, to increase the use of this tool where it can be particularly effective, with the needs of freshmen. Of the UMKC 1,811 freshmen, 489 earned term GPAs below 2.0; of these only 25% received a UFirst alert.
Some faculty have shared concerns regarding sending an alert “too soon”. A significant body of literature in higher education indicates that students, particularly first-year students, who receive assistance within the first three weeks of the semester are better able to develop or adapt academic behaviors that allow them to successfully complete a course. So we encourage you to send alerts early, especially in courses with first-year student enrollment.
Access the Alert System by clicking on the UFirst tab in Blackboard. If you have questions about using UFirst, you can read the guidelines for faculty and staff on the documents page of the UFirst website or contact Doug Swink and Tammy Welchert who coordinate the UFirst System.
-This post was provided by the UFirst Committee
