As faculty and staff, you are in a unique position to help identify and support students who would benefit from additional resources and guidance to foster academic success. Please submit a referral if you have any of the following concerns about your student(s):

  • Insufficient class attendance or no attendance
  • Academic performance concerns
  • You recommend SmartyCats or other on-campus tutoring resources
  • You recommend that a student drop your class

Positive Alerts

Words of encouragement reinforce positive academic behaviors. Please submit an alert if you would like to recognize positive and/or improved academic work:

  • Kudos! Keep up the good work
  • Kudos! Student is improving

SmartyCats Tutoring is free for all students

One-on-oneSmartyCatsTutoring is free for all students regardless of alert status.It'sno longer necessary to alert a student to trigger free tutoring. If a student wouldbenefitfrom theadditionalpromotion of tutoring resources through an Early Alert,we’rehappy to provide the information. In addition toSmartyCats,we’llprovide information about The Math & Stat Center, The Writing Center, and the Chemistry, Physics, and Economics Help Centers. They are all fantastic resources to promote in your classes as well. 

BestPractices

Before issuing an alert:

  1. Have you invited student(s) to office hours?
  2. Have you emailed or texted the student about your concerns?
  3. Has the student’s behavior changed because of your outreach?

Issuing an alert:

  1. Early Alerts are for academic concerns and kudos. If you are concerned about the student’s mental or physical wellbeing, please submit a CARE referral.

  2. Submit one alert per student.Quality over Quantity. Submitting multiple alerts will overwhelm the student. We need them to act early, decisively, and quickly. Fewer is better. If behaviors don’t change by mid-terms, please issue another.

  3. Choose one Alert Reason.Almost every alert reason you choose will open a new case for each reason regardless of whether you choose multiple reasonsfor one alert or not. Best practice is toissue one alert andchoose one reason, thenadd details of other concerns in your alert comments.

  4. Students do not see your comments. Address your comments to the Early Alert Program Manager. Let them know more about what you’ve observed, your concerns, and your preferred outcomes.

  5. Fill out the alert form completely, including the class designation. Complete forms with detailed information help the Early Alert Program Manager and other staff better serve our students.

What happens now?

  1. The student receives an email from NavMSU informing them of the alert and why (one of the seven reasons you choose) and provides them with immediately actionable things they can do to improve course outcomes (including tutoring, attending office hours, and going to class) and encourages them to make an appointment with their affiliated advisor or a Success Advisor in Access & Success. 
  2. Cases created by the alert will be assigned to the appropriate staff based on the student’s affiliation(s). This is not a tiered system. All parties responsible for supporting the student based on their affiliation(s) will be assigned to the case and tasked with collaborating in support of the student. 
  3. It is the Program’s goal to close each case within two weeks. You’ll receive an email when a case is closed, which will include a summary of outreach efforts and an outcome. 

What is the purpose of each Alert Reason?

Table Caption
Alert Reason
Purpose
Case Created?
Active Date
Insufficient attendance
If the student has not attended or participated in person or online after the first week, OR if there is a sudden change in attendance pattern w/o prior communication.
Yes
Day 1-15 of term
Attendance Concerns: Inconsistent or Stopped Attending
After the 15th dayof the term, the student has shown inconsistent attendance or has stopped attendingor there is a sudden change in attendance pattern w/o prior communication.
Yes
Day 15-through end of term
Academic Performance Challenges
Student is not turning in work, is turning in failing work. Is not engaged in class or the class community. Fails milestone exam or writing assignment.
Yes
All term
Recommend Student Seeks Tutoring
Student'swork is poor toaverageandinstructor believesstudentwouldbenefitfrom tutoring. 
No
All term
Needs to Drop Course
Student iscurrently failing or close to failing and cannot pass despite concerted effort. Must besubmittedtwo weeks beforedropdate for effective outreach to occur.
No
All term
Kudos! Keep up the good work
Instructor notices positive academic behavior and would like to recognize it. Class participation, community engagement, above-average performance/results.
No
All term
Kudos! Student is improving
Instructor notices positive change in academic behavior and/or improved academic performance/results and would like to recognize it.
No
All term

What happens now?

  1. The student receives an email from NavMSU informing them of the alert and why (one of the four reasons you choose); and provides them with immediately actionable things they can do to improve course outcomes (including tutoring, attending office hours, and going to class) and encourages them to make an appointment with their affiliated advisor or a Success Advisor in Access & Success.

  2. Cases created by the alert will be assigned to the appropriate staff based on the student’s affiliation(s). This is not a tiered system. All parties responsible for supporting the student based on their affiliation(s) will be assigned to the case and tasked with collaborating in support of the student.

  3. It is the Program’s goal to close each case within two weeks. You’ll receive an email when a case is closed, which will include a summary of outreach efforts and an outcome.

To refer your student(s), submit an Alert through navMSU/EAB using the following link: https://montana.campus.eab.com/. If you would like assistance submitting alerts or have general questions regarding navMSU, please contact navsupport@montana.edu.

Please note: Immediately after issuing a navMSU alert, the student will receive the referrer's name, the class name, and the alert reason via email.

 

Early Alert Intervention Matrix

Table Caption
Alert issued by faculty
Academic Performance Concerns
Attendance Concerns: Never Attended
Attendance Concerns: Inconsistent or Stopped Attending
Needs to Drop Course
Referral: Tutoring
Kudos! Keep up the good work
Kudos! Student is improving
Alert Reason Active
All term
Day 1-15
Day 15-EOT
All term
All term
All term
All term
Is an Automatic FYI email sent to staff/faculty

Yes. 

Email is sent to student’s primary advisor and ASC 

Yes. 

Email is sent to student’s primary advisor and ASC 

Yes. 

Email is sent to student’s primary advisor and ASC 

Yes. 

Email is sent to student’s primary advisor and ASC 
No
No
No
Is an automatic email sent to the student?

Yes. 

Email is sent to student’s preferred email address 

Yes. 

Email is sent to student’s preferred email address 

Yes. 

Email is sent to student’s preferred email address 

Yes. 

Email is sent to student’s preferred email address** 

Yes. 

Email is sent to student’s preferred email address* 

Yes. 

Email is sent to student’s preferred email address 

Yes. 

Email is sent to student’s preferred email address 
Is a case created?
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
If yes, who receives the case for additional follow up
Case is assigned to appropriatedepartment based on the student’s affiliation.***
 
 
 
 

* Automaticemailprovidingdetailed information aboutSmartyCatsTutoring and each Academic Help Center.

**Automaticemail providesdetailed information about deadlines as well as resourcesfor academic improvement. Studentalso receivesan email from their Primary Advisor.

*** This is not a tiered system. All parties responsible for supporting the student based on their affiliation will be assigned to the case and tasked with collaborating in support of the student:Trio,Montana10,Forge: Pathways & Belonging,American Indian/Alaska Native Student Success,COOP.More affinity groups will be added over time. Students not associated with the current list will be assigned to the Early Alert Program Manager.

Important Note: Any information you enter in Navigate pertaining to a student becomes part of their official student record. It may be subpoenaed by the student as outlined in the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Feature Video

Link to EAB Help Center Video (requires Panopto log-in): Issue an Early Alert Video

Faculty FAQs

  1. The student receives an email from NavMSU informing them of the alert and why (one of the seven reasons you choose) and provides them with immediately actionable things they can do to improve course outcomes (including tutoring, attending office hours, and going to class) and encourages them to make an appointment with their affiliated advisor or a Success Advisor in Access & Success.
  2. Cases created by the alert will be assigned to the appropriate support staff based on the student’s affiliation. This is not a tiered system. All parties responsible for supporting the student based on their affiliation(s) will be assigned to the case and tasked with collaborating in support of the student. 
  3. It is the Program’s goal to close each case within two weeks. You’ll receive an email when a case is closed, which will include a summary of outreach efforts and an outcome. 
    1.  
 

It is the Program’s goal to close each case within two weeks.You’llreceivenotificationsby email asthecase is updated andafinalemail when a case is closed, which will include a summary of outreach efforts and an outcome.
 

Students do not see your comments. Address your comments to the Early Alert Program Manager. Let them know more about what you’ve observed, your concerns, and your preferred outcomes.
 

Yes. One-on-oneSmartyCatsTutoring is free for all students regardless of alert status.It'sno longer necessaryto alert a student to trigger free tutoring.If a student wouldbenefitfrom theadditionalpromotion of tutoring resources through an Early Alert,we’re happy to provide the information.In additiontoSmartyCats,we’llprovide information aboutThe Math & Stat Center, The Writing Center, and the Chemistry, Physics, and Economics Help Centers.Theyareall fantastic resources to promote in your classes. 

Submit one alert per student. Quality over Quantity.Submitting multiple alerts will overwhelm the student. We need them to act early, decisively, and quickly. Fewer is better. If behaviors don’t change by mid-terms, please issue another.
 

Early Alerts are for academic concerns and kudos. If you are concerned about the student’s mental or physical wellbeing, please submit a CARE referral
 

Advising staff will attempt to make contact and/or make an appointment with the student three times. Typically by email, phone, and/or text. Outreach efforts will be logged in the case notes within NavMSU. If the student is unresponsive after three attempts the case will be closed.