The student body at United Tribes Technical College (UTTC), a tribally controlled college in Bismarck, North Dakota, is largely composed of first-generation learners. As such, the college faces a diverse set of challenges when it comes to promoting student success.
Monte Schaff is the Dean of Enrollment Management at United Tribes Technical College (UTTC) and he recently joined us to share his experiences, challenges, and triumphs in implementing and refining an early alert system.
Student data has fuelled this initiative and proven essential for driving student success at UTTC. During the webinar, Monte walked us through exactly how powerful that information has been for his institution.
Missed the webinar? Fear not, below you’ll find the key takeaways…
A journey of improvement and lessons learned
UTTC embarked on their journey to evolve their approach to student success in 2015. The project was initiated by integrating a comprehensive retention system into their student information system (SIS).
This system, featuring an early alert platform, sought to proactively identify students at risk of not persisting in their studies - enabling timely interventions.
However, the initial implementation was not without its challenges. The process lacked a clearly defined structure, leaving key questions unanswered and creating ambiguity amongst staff.
For instance, there was no consensus on what exactly constituted an alert. Was it solely for academic issues like missed assignments or poor grades, or could it encompass broader concerns like student wellbeing or financial difficulties?
This lack of clarity led to inconsistencies in how alerts were used.
Likewise, the roles and responsibilities surrounding alerts remained unclear. Who had the authority to submit an alert? Who was responsible for taking action and providing support? And how were alerts ultimately closed?
Without clear answers to these questions, the process lacked efficiency and accountability.
Finally, the college lacked a system for measuring the effectiveness of interventions. Without a way to track outcomes and assess the impact of support efforts, it was difficult to determine what interventions were most successful and how to improve the overall system.
These initial challenges highlighted the need for a more structured, well-defined approach to early alerts and student success initiatives.
Enhancing early alert processes
Based on their initial experiences, UTTC made the following significant changes to improve the effectiveness of their early alert system:
- Streamlining alert types: They introduced a tiered system with Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 alerts, each with a clear workflow and escalation process. This streamlined how alerts were registered and clarified roles and responsibilities.
- Developing a faculty guide: A comprehensive guide was created to provide faculty with clear directions on when and how to submit alerts, ensuring consistency and understanding across the institution.
- Refining the retention model: Recognizing the evolving nature of their student population, UTTC updated their retention model, reducing the number of risk factors from 17 to 3, allowing for more targeted interventions.
- Rebranding and messaging: The early alert system was rebranded as "Thunder Alerts," aligning with the school's mascot and creating a more positive association. Messaging was also revised to be more action-oriented and less alarming for students.
Analyzing retention data to engage the campus community
UTTC actively engaged both faculty and students in the analysis and interpretation of retention data.
Through visualized data "walks" and interactive discussions, they fostered a data driven culture on campus.
Key insights from data analysis included:
- Correlation between alerts and academic performance: Students with a higher number of alerts tended to have lower GPAs, highlighting the importance of addressing early warning signs.
- Differences in alert patterns across majors and modalities: Higher alerts in general education courses compared to major-specific courses prompted discussions on curriculum alignment and student engagement.
- Performance disparities between online and on-campus students: This finding led to further investigation and targeted support for online learners.
UTTC's commitment to continuous improvement is evident in their ongoing efforts to refine their early alert system and leverage data to enhance student success.
Current initiatives include integrating the retention model into advising practices to provide more proactive support for at-risk students. The college also plans to conduct deeper analysis of the content within alerts to identify recurring themes and trends that may inform interventions.
To foster a more positive and encouraging environment, UTTC is exploring the development of a "kudos alert" system to recognize and celebrate student achievements.
Finally, recognizing the value of peer-to-peer support, they are working to implement a mentoring program where students can connect with and learn from one another.
United Tribes Technical College's journey exemplifies the power of data-driven decision-making in promoting student success.
By learning from their initial challenges, actively engaging stakeholders, and continuously refining their processes, UTTC has made significant strides in improving student retention and persistence.
Their story offers valuable insights and inspiration for other institutions seeking to leverage data to create a more supportive and successful learning environment for all students.
