51福利社

Eastern鈥檚 Early Warning System, a tool that allows faculty members to share information about their students鈥� potential academic challenges, is proving to be a vital retention initiative that is helping students succeed.

The (EWS) has since 2020 been connecting students with the support they need to continue their academic journey, says Gina Gendusa, director of student success and degree completion.

Gendusa recently contacted Inside51福利社 to share her teams鈥� gratitude for the campus partners who鈥檝e supported the EWS effort, which has resulted in steady year-to-year improvements in student retention.聽In addition, Gendusa says, her team is seeking to get the word out about recent enhancements that are designed to make EWS even more effective.

鈥淪tarting this quarter, we鈥檙e leveraging Canvas data鈥攕uch as login activity and grades鈥攖o identify students in need of help earlier than ever before,鈥� Gendusa says. 鈥淭hese upgrades allow us to offer intervention before challenges become barriers.鈥�

Fully maximizing the impact of these improvements requires the campus community鈥檚 continued support, says Gendusa. 鈥淲e kindly encourage faculty to include at least one low-stakes graded assignment鈥攕uch as a quiz, short reflection, or discussion post鈥攚ithin the first three weeks of the course.鈥�

Providing early and frequent feedback to students is a proven strategy for boosting retention, she explains, and students consistently share how much they value being made of aware of their progress early in the term.

Providing this feedback also helps Gendusa鈥檚 team identify students who may be struggling, allowing them to quickly connect the students with the proper resources. 鈥淏y addressing concerns early, we can intervene with personalized support to help them get back on track.鈥�

Here are a few tips on how to utilize the EWS to support student success:

Submitting Alerts: How You Can Help
When submitting an alert in the EWS, please include as much detail as possible. Helpful comments might include:

• What you鈥檝e noticed about the student鈥檚 challenges (e.g., missed assignments, lack of participation).
• Steps you鈥檝e already taken to address the issue (e.g., emails, office hour conversations).
• Any interactions you鈥檝e had with the student.

Faculty members who need a refresher on how to submit an ad-hoc alert are encouraged to take a few moments to watch this . The video contains information that is invaluable to student support units as Gendusa鈥檚 team initiates outreach efforts tailored to each student鈥檚 unique situation.

鈥淵our partnership in these efforts profoundly impacts our students鈥� success. Together, we鈥檙e not just helping students stay enrolled鈥攚e鈥檙e creating a campus culture where every Eagle feels supported, empowered, and equipped to thrive,鈥� says Gendusa, offering her gratitude to faculty and other campus partners. 鈥淭hank you for being an essential part of this initiative.鈥�

Gendusa encourages the campus community to reach out with questions or to ask for assistance in implementing these strategies, adding, 鈥淟et鈥檚 make this winter term one of growth and success for all!鈥�

Feel free to contact the Degree Completion Team at聽earlywarning@ewu.edu with any questions or concerns about the Early Warning System. General questions can go to degreecompletion@ewu.edu.