Faculty Early Alerts for Student Success

The new, streamlined Early Alert process is here! Now in Canvas, it’s easier than ever for faculty to submit an Early Alert to help their students succeed.

To make the best use of Early Alerts and connect your students to the most appropriate resources, follow these simple steps:

Five students smile while studying together at a table. Open books and notebooks are scattered in front of them.

LOW-STAKES ASSIGNMENT, WEEKS 1-3

Make sure you’ve planned an early assessment for student learning during the first 3 weeks of class. Check out our low-stakes assignment ideas for manageable but effective ways to achieve this best practice. This ensures you’ll have insight into student engagement and academic performance early in the semester.
low-stakes assignment ideas
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LEARN HOW AND WHY TO MAKE AN EARLY ALERT, WEEKS 2-6

Familiarize yourself with how to make Early Alerts using Canvas. This short training video (10 minutes) provides step-by-step guidance. We recommend prioritizing sending Early Alerts within the first 6 weeks of class. See the FAQ answers below for more details on scenarios that should trigger an Early Alert and an in-depth training option as well.
Short Training Video
A hand with a pencil fills out a multiple-choice exam sheet, conveying focus and examination.

ENTER 4- AND 8-WEEK GRADES

Submit meaningful 4-week and 8-week grades when the time comes. Try to avoid entering all A’s or all I’s, etc., because progress grades serve as important indicators of academic progress and help you trigger Early Alerts. University staff, who will be responsible for intervening with students, rely on this information to identify students who may need support. Thank you for helping our students succeed!
4-week and 8-week grades

FAQ:

A: An Early Alert is a trigger to identify students who may be struggling academically or personally. It allows faculty and/or staff to intervene early to help students succeed.
A: Early Alerts allow faculty members to leverage their front-line knowledge and expertise to communicate students’ needs to advisors. This short video and instruction guide will provide faculty with the steps to submit an Early Alert through their Canvas course. A longer, in-depth training option is available as well and can be accessed through single sign-on with UTA credentials (username and password).
A: The best time to submit an Early Alert is as early as possible when risk factors that may impact students’ ability to progress are present. For 16-week classes, this is typically between weeks 3-6, and before the halfway point for courses 8 weeks or less. The sooner the alert is submitted, the more time there is for students to access resources and for interventions to be effective.
A: Early Alerts and 4- and 8-week grades are connected in multiple ways. As a faculty member, you’ll only be required to submit 4- and 8-week grades for certain student populations in your courses. However, monitoring academic performance for all of the students enrolled in your courses at these checkpoints is beneficial. If a student has received poor grades at the time of these checkpoints, you should strongly consider submitting an Early Alert. These grades give faculty and academic advisors a snapshot of academic performance, helping them decide who needs tutoring, coaching, or other resources and support. Staff will also be monitoring 4- and 8-week grades in order to intervene with students to support their success. Lastly, students benefit by getting feedback before midterms or finals, giving them time to improve.