1. Starfish Training Minot State University
Advisor Role In Starfish Early Alert
August 20, 2015 – Main 314 – 8:00, 10:00, 11:00 am
Presented by MSU Faculty Senate Ad Hoc Starfish Committee

2. Why should you use Starfish Early Alert?
Tool for Student Success
Improve communication among students, faculty, and staff through increased faculty access and efficiency of contacts with students and support services/referrals
The campus community can identify which students are at risk and engage with those students, helping lead to their success
One of the goals is to increase overall term-to-term persistence rates as well as course completion rates for students
Never Attended flags notify students and advisors immediately that there is a problem and class drops can be avoided if immediate action is taken - also Never Attended flags help MSU avoid disbursing federal, state and institutional funding to students who aren’t eligible

3. User Roles in Starfish Instructors Students Support Staff
Raise flags by submitting Early Alert report (twice each semester) or manually throughout the semester
Watch for ‘close the loop’ message or clear flags
Academic Advisors
Receive notifications from Starfish
Contact advisees
Record follow up actions in Starfish:
Add notes
Clear flags
Students
Receive Early Alert notifications with instructor comments
Contact instructor, advisor, or appropriate support office
POWER Advisors, and Veteran’s Services will receive Early Alert flag s for their students
Contact students
Support Staff

4. What makes Starfish most effective
A collaborative effort between the instructors, academic advisors and support staff at MSU
When all instructors submit early alerts in order for advisors and support staff to see the complete picture and recognize a need for action
When advisors and support staff reach out to students and connect them to the appropriate resources
When advisors and support staff document in Starfish the actions taken, generating a response to the instructor
When instructors receive feedback that action has been taken they are more likely to raise future flags

5. Emails will go to student, academic advisor and other support staff.
Never Attended Flag
Example Flags
Student has not yet attended any ED 260 class periods, or the other classes associated with the First Year Experience. I have not been able to make contact with her through the available in Campus Connection.
Student has yet to sign into Blackboard, therefore, has not completed any of the online assignments.
s will go to student, academic advisor and other support staff.
These are URGENT messages; your profile notification settings will be overridden.

6. Emails will go to student, academic advisor and other support staff.
Academic Concern Flag
Example Flags
I am concerned that you are not fully participating in class. This participation is an essential part of the UNIV 110 course, and will enter into the final grade calculation. Perhaps part of this is due to not being fully prepared for the topics from the assigned readings that we discuss. I hope that you have made the necessary arrangements so that you are completing the reading assignments.
You are missing the Applied Assignment 1, which has an impact on your grade. I will accept late work, although more points are taken off the longer you wait to complete the assignment.
Currently failing the class based on first assignment.
s will go to student, academic advisor and other support staff.
Notes are required to detail the specific concerns, and these notes are viewable by the students.

7. Attendance Concern Flag
Example Flag
Just wanted to inform you that the last day to drop classes is November 10th if you want to withdraw. Otherwise I strongly encourage you to attend class regularly as I am adding more participation points to the course. Attendance for this class is crucial in helping out your grade.
Already missed 50 % of the classes in the first two weeks.
Sleeping in class and usage of the phone affects the class environment. These behaviors also affect the final "participation" portion of the grade.
Class meets once a week. As a Methods class, attendance in this class helps students develop the habits they will need as teachers and for student teaching, namely reporting absences before hand and making arrangements for someone to cover any facilitating or teaching responsibilities the candidate has. The student has not reported ahead of time her absence, has not submitted Reflection assignments, and has not signed up for Facilitating. The level of responsibility candidates display in this class is connected to their recommendations for student teaching. To progress in this class, she will need to apply these practices and dispositions.
s will go to student, academic advisor and other support staff.
Notes are required and these notes are viewable by the students.

8. Emails will go to student, academic advisor and other support staff.
In Danger of D, U or F Flag
Example Flag
Is not engaging in course work or in class group work and is in danger of failing.
Poor performance on first test and no extra credit handed in.
In danger of earning a D.
Currently earning 47% of points for class (F).
s will go to student, academic advisor and other support staff.
These are URGENT messages; your profile notification settings will be overridden.

9. Access Starfish and Find Student List
Login to Blackboard and click on the Starfish tab.
Click Students in the top frame navigation.
Search for a student by either…
Typing the student’s name into the Search field
Choosing your Connection to them
To choose students who have been flagged, select the Tracking tab.
Click the plus icon to view flag comments (only available if comments were submitted) Please note: If students have multiple advisors, flags may have previously been resolved and cleared by another advisor.

10. Correspond with Advisees
Reach out to advisees through s and/or phone calls to provide guidance and support - phone numbers and s are available in Starfish when viewing students’ flag history
Option to send messages in Starfish and request copies of the messages to be ed to yourself, as well - provide advisees with appropriate on- or off-campus referrals based on concerns
A quick listing of campus resources is available at campus_resources.shtml

11. Clear the Flag and Close the Loop
Advisor completes action required and clears flag, closing the Loop, trigger an to the instructor who raised the flag.
Hover over the flag icon and click clear

12. Feedback and Discussion
How do you use Starfish Early Alert?
What concerns do you have with the system or what prevents you from using Starfish Early Alert?
What improvements or additional features would you like to see in Starfish Early Alert?
Have any students followed up with you in response to receiving a flag from the Starfish Early Alert system?

13. Thank You For Making A Difference!
“I made a difference for that one.”