Dear Colleagues,
As we are in the fourth week of the semester, this is a critical time for our students. I am asking you to please make sure that you are monitoring your students’ participation and progress and working with our partner offices in Academic Advising and Student Success to ensure we understand how our students are doing and provide resources they may need. Progress reporting is open through October 2. Additional information is included in the newsletter.
It is imperative that our students know they belong here and that we care about them. Thank you for all you do for our students.
Research and Sponsored Programs
- Registration is open through September 30 to present at the Celebration of Undergraduate and Graduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities event, which will be held on Thursday, October 26.
- New this semester are two award programs that recognize faculty members: the Outstanding Scholarly and Creative Activity Award and the Public Impact Recognition Award.
The Outstanding Scholarly and Creative Activity Awards recognize those who made outstanding contributions in scholarly or creative activities over the past three years (2020–2023) for their work at Wright State University.
Nominations (PDF) are due by September 30.
The Public Impact Recognition Award recognizes faculty or staff whose research or creative activities have had a significant public impact, where such benefit has been achieved in part through the efforts of those same faculty to bring their research or creative activity into the public arena. For this purpose, the term “public impact” is defined broadly to include scientific, social, cultural, artistic, political, and other forms of public benefit that may be local, national, or global.
Nominations (PDF) are due by September 30.
Progress Reporting Open through October 2
For faculty teaching general education courses this semester, a link to the class roster was emailed earlier this week. This communication is necessary to provide feedback for students experiencing difficulty. Submitting Progress Reports and Alerts will proactively identify students not meeting course standards. For each alert, the following interventions occur:
- Attendance Issues — Email to student: refer to instructor, advisor if schedule changes. No case generated.
- Low Grades — Email to student: refer to Academic Success Centers, schedule advising appointment if needed. Case opened to primary advisor.
- Emotional Well-Being, Physical Safety — No email to student. Case opened to Student Advocacy and Wellness.
Additionally, you can notify a student based on their positive participation and engagement through a:
- Positive Alert — Email to student. No case generated.
Progress Reports and Alerts are not meant to supplant normal outreach to students. Rather, they serve as a referral to support services and allow staff to intervene proactively, especially for students who might have multiple alerts from multiple classes.
If there are no alerts to issue, click the Progress Report link and submit by clicking the “Submit unmarked students as not At-Risk (I'm all done)” button. Active participation in the Progress Report campaigns is very important.
Outside of the current timeframe, “anytime” alerts can be submitted throughout the semester. Following the log-in process, a complete roster of classes is available and an alert for individual students can be submitted at any time.
More information about Progress Reports is available on the FAQ page.
Shared earlier this week were five tips on using Progress Reports and Alerts (PDF); they are:
- Do Not Wait: Respond to Progress Report requests even if you have no students at risk. Progress reports are due during the fourth week of the term. However, if you notice a concern with a student's course progress, you can issue an anytime alert outside of the progress report request.
- Low-stakes Assignments: Create low-stakes assignments such as attendance activities in the early part of the semester to assess student engagement. Early participation and active engagement are necessary to ensure course success. Learn more about why administering low-stakes assessments is student-centered.
- Get Specific: Provide details in the comments of relevant information relating to the student alert and supply specific strategies for course improvement.
- Positive Alerts: New this semester are positive alerts. Reinforcing effective student behaviors for students who are on track (or back on track) and doing well can make a big difference in their academic identity.
- Keep Connected: Reach out to academic advisors or success coaches for questions about the alert process, cases, and interventions.
When a Student Needs Support
Wright.edu/help is a great resource for helping students or making referrals. This site contains contact information for emergency or essential departments that can assist your students all in one location.
I hope you all have a wonderful week! You are appreciated!
Amy Thompson, Ph.D.
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
