A pattern seems to be emerging as colleges and universities struggle to improve their graduation rates. Students who are not performing well, or perhaps not going to class, may need a "heads up," urging them to get their act together. Particularly with first-generation students, who may be unfamiliar with the academic landscape, a personal nudge could be effective. A great deal of research has been devoted to student "engagement" as a key ingredient to their success.
A variety of media reports (typically about universities) indicate that schools have adopted a "first-alert" strategy designed to get students on the ball. The idea is to contact them early in the semester, instead of waiting until mid-term progress reports, or even later. Some schools urge (or may even require) faculty members to contact students who are in trouble. Others instruct teachers to inform a designated office about of any students with a problem, and then the office contacts the individual directly. (Obviously this involves resources that may not be available everywhere.) The earlier the better, however it is done, seems to be a crucial strategy.
Thanks to technology, students today are generally easy to contact, assuming they pay attention to e-mail notices, text messages, Facebook updates, etc., that they may not want to see.
Here's a recent article on the subject from the Houston Chronicle profiling several universities.
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