Student Guide to Academic Alert
We developed the Academic Alert program because the administration,
faculty and staff were concerned about the number of UMM students
who may be “slipping through the cracks,” and we wanted
to do something to make it more likely those students would be academically
successful and have a good experience at UMM.
Nation-wide studies and information gathered here at UMM indicate
that Academic Alert is a good idea for our campus. Here’s
why:
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Students here at UMM indicated in a survey that if a professor
took the time to contact them personally to express concern
about his or her academic performance, students would be grateful
and respond well.
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Often an entire semester’s success is determined in the
first month of school. Early feedback on performance could help
you avoid academic disaster.
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Students who transfer from UMM or drop out of college entirely
sometimes do so because of poor academic performance. Some of
those students report that they had no idea how badly they were
doing in their classes until it was too late to do something
about it. Their frustration caused them to leave UMM.
- Even though UMM is a small campus, sometimes students know
they need help but aren’t sure where to go or how to get
it. A student who receives an Academic Alert will learn what resources
are available.
How Can I Be Academic Alerted?
If you are showing signs of being in academic trouble, your professor
may choose to Academic Alert you. Your professor will look for the
following signs:
- You aren’t attending class regularly
- You are turning in failing work
- You aren’t turning in work at all
- You have failed an exam
- You are showing signs that you might be experiencing mental or
physical health problems
Your professors can access the Academic Alert website and electronically
submit a form that will go to the Early Alert committee. The form
tells the committee why your professor is worried about you, and
someone from the committee will contact your advisor and ask him
or her to contact you.
Your advisor will give you advice. If the nature of your trouble
is academic, he or she may suggest you head over to the Academic
Assistance Center to enroll in the Learning to Learn Study Skills
Course or sign up for a tutor. If you are having difficulty managing
depression or a disability, he or she may suggest you head over
to counseling or the Disability Services Office.
The Academic Alert committee is made up of individuals from a variety
of campus resources. Faculty, coaches, housing staff, the Academic
Assistance Center and Disability Services office, and Multi-Cultural
Student Program are some of the groups involved. If someone in the
group knows you personally, he or she may contact you directly.
Who Participates in Academic Alert?
Participation in Academic Alert is not mandatory for anyone. Your
faculty may choose, for whatever reason, not to early alert students.
If you have been earning poor grades in your course, or you are
not attending class, but have not been early alerted, don’t
assume that you are doing well.
Staff may also alert students. If your campus employer, for
example, is concerned about you for any reason, he or she can also
early alert you. Although most students are Early Alerted for academic
reasons, some are for personal reasons. If a staff member feels
a student is not coping effectively with physical or emotional stress,
he or she may write an early alert.
Even if he or she doesn’t have you in a class, your advisor
can send an Academic Alert. Advisors may do this if they receive
your transcript and are worried about your grades, or if other faculty
members have expressed concern about you. Usually, advisors will
try to contact you first, but if you choose not to respond to them
they may Alert you so that someone else, such as your coach or Resident
Director can try.
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