Dear Faculty,
Happy first week of the Fall semester!
As part of our continued commitment to supporting student success, we are excited to introduce the new Red/Yellow/Green Light system for Early Alert. This framework, created by Tricia Dobrient, Senior Director of Student Success, will help us better identify and respond to students who may benefit from additional outreach and support. Last year alone, over 638 early alerts were submitted. However, faculty and staff feedback highlighted a need for clearer guidelines on when and why to submit alerts, as well as the importance of submitting them early enough to make a difference. The Red Light/Green Light system works to do just this:
Green Light (Low Risk): Students who are engaged and thriving. While alerts aren’t required, positive reinforcement is encouraged (e.g., emails recognizing effort, invitations to campus opportunities).
Yellow Light (Moderate Risk): Students showing early warning signs (e.g., inconsistent attendance, grades slipping, signs of isolation). Note: these students will also be asked to meet individually with a member of the Early Alert Committee where a member of this team will perform a needs assessment indicating a plan that the student will take. This plan will be emailed to the person who submitted the early alert, the faculty advisor, and the student for additional follow up to reinforce accountability and provide partnership for student support, helping the submitter understand what has taken place.
Red Light (High Risk): Students at serious risk of attrition (e.g., repeated absences, failing grades, disengagement, stated intent to leave). These cases may also involve BIT or additional interventions.
When & How to Submit
To maximize impact, we ask all faculty to submit Early Alerts within the first five weeks of the semester (critical period for retention) and again at midterms to address any emerging concerns. After these critical times, if you notice concerns, please of course, still submit them. We just want to ensure that there is a strong focus on the first five weeks of the semester and at midterms. For a refresher on how to submit, please follow these steps:
- Log in to J1 Web using your faculty portal.
- Navigate to the Retention tab from your menu.
- Select “submit alert”
- Provide brief comments describing the issue (e.g., attendance, academic performance, engagement, or personal concerns).
- Click Submit – the Early Alert team will review the alert and begin outreach.
- If you need a walkthrough, please don’t hesitate to reach out, and I’d be happy to provide step-by-step support.
Additional Notes
If you would like a laminated copy of this Red/Yellow/Green Light system, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly and I will bring one to you. For your convenience, I’ve also attached the red light green light document for your review so that each of you have it electronically here .
All the more, thank you for your partnership in this important work. For questions or support in submitting an Early Alert, please contact me at cbeck@smumn.edu.
In Lasallian Spirit,
Connie Beck
