Early Alert and Instructional Faculty Progress Survey User Guide

Sierra Connect's Early Alert Survey function empowers educators by streamlining progress monitoring and simplifying reporting, facilitating timely communication with support staff and students. This student-centric approach aims to enhance academic success, fostering a supportive learning environment and proactive student engagement.

Instructional faculty can use Early Alert Surveys to give a well-deserved kudo, notify the student's support network about a concern through a flag, refer a student to talk to you, and refer students to the Tutoring and Writing Centers.

Early Alert Survey Tracking Items

The Early Alert Survey is made up of five tracking items.

  • Kudos To You
  • Support Needed
  • Referral to Contact Me
  • Referral to Tutoring Services
  • Referral to Writing Center


The Kudos to You

This Kudos is used to recognize students who have made any kind of progress in the class. Showing up on time, extra credit, happy to have in the class... This Kudos is appropriate at any time.

Link to more information about the Kudos to You referral. https://solutions.sierracollege.edu/TDClient/1795/Portal/KB/ArticleDet?ID=85931


Support Needed Flag

Support Needed flags are used to connect students to resources they need for your course(s) and/or online learning.

When you raise a Support Needed flag on a student, the student's Support Specialist will manage that flag and attempt to make contact with the student regarding your concerns. The Support Specialist will email, call, and sometimes text your student to make contact. After contact or three failed attempts, the Support Specialist will close the loop by lowering the flag and inputting the outcome.

You can view the outcomes of the flags and referrals you raise. Here's a link to an article showing you how. https://solutions.sierracollege.edu/TDClient/1795/Portal/KB/ArticleDet?ID=65292

Students Are Not Emailed By The System

Students are NOT notified or contacted by the system when a Support Needed flag is raised. ONLY the instructional faculty who raised the flag is notified.

Link to more information about the Support Needed flag. https://solutions.sierracollege.edu/TDClient/1795/Portal/KB/ArticleDet?ID=147678 


Early Alert Survey Timing

The Early Alert Survey is sent to instructional faculty four times a semester during Spring and Fall, and once during the Summer term.

The timing of the Spring and Fall surveys starts on day one and continues through the sixth week.

Good Start = Day 1 Early Alert opens, and an email is sent to instructional faculty.

Link to email text for Good Start Survey: https://solutions.sierracollege.edu/TDClient/1795/Portal/KB/ArticleDet?ID=147909

Survey 2 = Week 2 Early Alert opens, and an email is sent to instructional faculty

Link to email text for Survey 2: https://solutions.sierracollege.edu/TDClient/1795/Portal/KB/ArticleDet?ID=147910

Survey 3 = Week 4 Early Alert opens, and an email is sent to instructional faculty

Link to email text for Survey 3: https://solutions.sierracollege.edu/TDClient/1795/Portal/KB/ArticleDet?ID=147911

Survey 4 = Week 6 Early Alert opens, and an email is sent to instructional faculty

Link to email text for Survey 4: https://solutions.sierracollege.edu/TDClient/1795/Portal/KB/ArticleDet?ID=147912


Responding to a Progress Survey

For more information on how to find and respond to progress surveys, click the link below

https://solutions.sierracollege.edu/TDClient/1795/Portal/KB/ArticleDet?ID=71114

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