Building an Early Warning System for New Transfer Students

Marcy EslerDirector of Student RetentionState University of New York The College at Brockport

• Total undergraduate enrollment – 7,000• New Freshmen – 1050• New Transfer Students – 1,300 • Public• Masters• Selective• Comprehensive

The College at Brockport

The Mixture

“Student Life Cycle”

High School

FYE SYE

CC or other feeder

institution

TYE

Major

Career

Graduate Education

Majors

Components of System

• Early Warning Questionnaire• Faculty alerts• Predictive model

Transfer Early Warning Advisement Questionnaire (TEWAQ)

• Through Angel – locally developed• 287/882 Transfer Students (33%)• 823/1050 Freshmen (78%)• Prizes for completion• Automatic responses

– Statement: I have my schedule of courses for the semester all settled.– Response: If you don’t have your course schedule settled by now,

discuss this with your advisor ASAP. If you don’t know who your advisor is email transfer-year experience coordinator, Erin Rickman at erickman@brockport.edu

• Use for appeals of dismissal decisions

Most Problematic Responses for Transfers

Transfers FreshmenI May need tutor 40% 42%I haven't found of group of friends 36% 18%Not getting very much out of reading the textbook 35% 42%Concerned about money 30% 23%Not keeping up with reading 27% 29%Feeling lost in course(s) 25% 26%Hard time concentrating 20% 14%Lonely and isolated 20% 11%Course selection 20% 16%Working too much 19% 3%

Early Warning Advisement Questionnaire

Statement I think I may be working (employment) too many hours

Difference Transfer scores 533% more problematic

Problematic response Agree

Percent of Freshmen with Problematic Responses 3%

Percent of Transfers with Problematic Responses 19%

Early Warning Advisement Questionnaire

StatementI haven't found of group of friends

who share my desire to really do well academically this semester.

Difference Transfers scores 100% more problematic

Problematic response Agree

Percent of Freshmen with Problematic Responses 18%

Percent of Transfers with Problematic Responses 36%

Early Warning Advisement Questionnaire

StatementI am worried that my writing skills are not adequate for college-level papers

and exams

Difference Freshman scores 94% more problematic

Problematic response AgreePercent of Freshmen

with Problematic Responses

31%

Percent of Transfers with Problematic Responses 16%

From Foundations of Excellence

1 or 2 3 4 or 50

1020304050607080

To what degree is the course appropriate for your level of academic preparation regarding writing

skills?

Early Warning Advisement Questionnaire

Statement I feel like my family needs for me to come home more than I should

Difference Transfer scores 88% more problematic

Problematic response Agree

Percent of Freshmen with Problematic Responses 8%

Percent of Transfers with Problematic Responses 15%

Early Warning Advisement Questionnaire

Statement I feel very lonely and isolated on this campus so far

Difference Transfers scores 82% more problematic

Problematic response Agree

Percent of Freshmen with Problematic Responses 11%

Percent of Transfers with Problematic Responses 20%

Early Warning Advisement Questionnaire

Statement I am concerned about having enough money to finish this semester

Difference Transfers scores 30% more problematic

Problematic response AgreePercent of Freshmen

with Problematic Responses

23%

Percent of Transfers with Problematic Responses 30%

Early Warning Advisement Questionnaire

StatementI am pleased with the course

selection I have received for this semester

Difference Transfers scores 25% more problematic

Problematic response Disagree

Percent of Freshmen with Problematic Responses 16%

Percent of Transfers with Problematic Responses 20%

Faculty Alerts

• Early feedback and fast action• Proactive methods• Focused efforts

Third-week Letter to Faculty• Early Warning System• As many of you know, The College at Brockport implemented a Banner based Early Warning System this fall and

the third week of class (this week) is a good time to begin entering alerts for students with poor attendance and/or academic problems. Although you may enter an early warning at any time, a warning that comes at the first sign of student difficulty maximizes the likelihood that we can successfully intervene in time to make a difference.

• • The Early Warning System recognizes the importance of: • Early feedback from course instructors and fast action to address at-risk student behavior in an proactive manner• More active methods of supporting students who are exhibiting at-risk behavior• Focused retention efforts on those students who need it the most• • How can faculty use the Early Warning System?• To enter an early warning, go to the Faculty Services tab in Web Banner, just as you would access this system to

enter midterm or final grades. Once you choose a particular class and student, the drop-down choices, instead of being letter grades, will include check boxes for some important risk indicators and a text box in which you can enter any special comments on the student.

• • Faculty who enter a warning will receive follow-up information for each student.• • For more information about the Early Warning System, contact Marcy Esler, director of student retention at

mesler@brockport.edu or http://www.brockport.edu/retention/ew/.

Entering an Early Warning

Sample Student EmailDear Student,

You are receiving this notice because the instructor of ESC211.01, Dr. X, indicated through our Early Warning System that your attendance in this course is problematic and that you have not turned in any of the 3 (optional) assignments so far. This information is particularly concerning, as your probation status is Probation 1.

Please contact me as soon as possible to discuss ways to address this issue.

You will need to make a decision about dropping a course before Tuesday, September 27, 2011. You can still withdraw from a course until 5:00 pm on Friday, November 4, 2011 without anyone’s permission but after that you will need the departmental chairperson’s permission (this is hard to get). The withdrawal period for fall 2011 ends at 5:00 pm on Friday, December 2, 2011.

Alerts Fall 2011120 alerts on 98 students

All Transfers Direct Entry Other

Number 98 29 65 4

GPA 1.16 1.08 1.20 1.36

% AD 18% 19% 22% 0%

% PRO 23% 19% 59% 50%

98 Unique students

Color Status at end of semester

Red Academic Dismissal

Orange Probation

Blue Withdrawal or GPA < 2.0 but accumulated < 12 credits

No fill Good academic standing

U-TAPSn=64

U-TAPS Non U-TAPS0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

GPA

U-TAPS

A/B C/D E/W0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

U-TAPSNon U-TAPS

Predictive Model