Early Alert Program

The Early- Alert System is a service at Penn State Altoona that provides employees an opportunity to share a concern about a student’s academic progress, wellness or safety. The main purpose of the program is to be proactive in assisting students by identifying students of concern and intervening early with students who appear to be having academic or health/safety issues. The Early- Alert System may also work to improve retention and help the college avoid liability issues.

Why is this important?

At Hanover College (Chronicle, Feb. 9, 2007, Volume 53, Issue 23, Page A27) "The early-alert system” has not only helped administrators identify students' problems before they escalate, but also allowed the college to collect data on what kind of students tend to leave, and why. Now, using early-alert records, the college has a more complete picture of many departing students' time on the campus." Also in the light of recent court rulings, and the findings from the Virginia Tech tragedy, the University has a responsibility to establish avenues to identify and report signs of high risk students. Last August, a review panel on the Virginia Tech massacre recommended that colleges do more to share information about troubled students. About half the colleges in the country had teams aimed at doing so, and as many as a quarter more have quickly added them.

What are the goals of the program?

Early identification of students who are at risk in one of the following areas:

• Academic progress that is unresolved with faculty intervention; students not responding to faculty attempts related to class attendance, course performance, etc.
• Personal health or wellness; students who continue to exhibit symptoms of impaired health, even after appropriate referral to a health provider
• Students exhibiting behaviors or expressing comments which have the potential to impact the safety of self or others
• Students exhibiting strange or bizarre behavioral patterns that have the potential for disruption to others and impaired performance; or extreme changes in behavioral patterns i.e. hyperactivity or very rapid speech, depressed or lethargic mood, deterioration in hygiene, etc.) For mental health emergencies related to imminent danger to self or others please call 911.

How will this work?

Web site to post a concern: www.altoona.psu.edu/webaccess/earlyalert

Penn State Altoona College employees will have the opportunity to identify and confidentially report concerns related to student behavior as it relates to academic progress, wellness or safety. A web-based form will be completed. A program coordinator will monitor the site daily and screen all entries for priority standing. Referral sources will automatically be notified by the system when their web-based form is received. The Early- Alert Review Committee will meet twice a month to review the information submitted and determine appropriate disposition. Referrals will be made to the appropriate academic, administrative or Student Affairs Department. The program coordinator will provide liaison and follow-up as required. The coordinator will also document disposition for each submitted form and maintain the records related to program utilization. This early identification system is not meant to replace individual interventions by faculty and staff and should only be used if other direct methods have been tried and failed.

• For example, if faculty notices that a student is exhibiting poor attendance or not doing well on exams, it is expected that they address this with the student directly. If this does not yield any For example, if faculty notices that a student is exhibiting poor attendance or not doing well on exams, it is expected that they address this with the student directly. If this does not yield positive results or the situation becomes worse, the faculty member is encouraged to engage the Early- Alert System for assistance. Additionally, it is advised the faculty and staff inform the student that they are providing this information to the Early- Alert Committee and that someone from the committee may be contacting them.
• Example two: The faculty member notices that a student has become despondent in class. She looks sad, does not maintain eye contact and is not completing course tasks. The faculty member is encouraged to address these observations with the student and refer the student to the appropriate campus resource, i.e. counseling. At follow-up, the faculty member recognizes that the student did not pursue this and continues to exhibit the same behaviors. It is recommended that the faculty member engage the Early- Alert System, letting the student know that they are concerned and that hopefully someone else on campus might be able to help them.
• Example three: An RA in one of the residence halls notices that one of the students on her floor consistently does not go to class, comes in very late at least four nights a week, and seems to avoid other students on the floor. Her attempts to engage the student have been unsuccessful. She informed the Coordinator, who also was unsuccessful in her attempts to intervene with the student. It is recommended that the Coordinator complete an Early- Alert Form. She is encouraged to let the student know that because she is concerned about her welfare and her academic progress she is sharing her concern with the committee and that someone will be contacting her.

Committee Composition:

What about confidentiality?

Details reviewed in the Early- Alert Committee will be kept confidential by all members. Information may be shared on a strictly “need to know” basis in order to refer the student to the correct campus resource or intervene as appropriate. FERPA allows for communication to be shared among “school officials” who have a legitimate educational interest. Under FERPA, there is clear exception for any risks to health or safety.