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MCC Daily Tribune

Starfish News: Feedback, Changes, and Moving Forward

Based on Spring 2017 surveys of faculty and students and trends that emerged from faculty usage data, we have learned the following:

  • Flag purpose and the intended intervention has not been clear
  • Response time to flags needs to be more timely and relevant
  • Students are unaware of Starfish until they get an email or a phone call about a flag
  • As a result of receiving a flag, the intervention most acted upon by students is to communicate with their professors

Improvement Steps Taken

The flags have been renamed to clarify the purpose of each. Renaming the flags has greatly reduced the response time as the protocol now has two categories: flags that trigger an email only and flags that trigger an email and follow up.

Flags that trigger an email are:

  • Early Alert: Academic Progress (Email Only)
  • Early Alert: Attendance (Email Only)

Flags that trigger an email and personal follow-up are:

  • Early Alert: Urgent Academic Concern (Outreach Requested)
  • Early Alert: Critical Attendance Concern (Outreach Requested)
  • Early Alert: Student Needs Course Materials (Outreach Requested)

How Faculty Can Help

Inform your students about Starfish. Show them the "What students need to know about Starfish" video provided on the Starfish Support tab in Blackboard.

In the flag comments please detail:

  • The specific concern
  • If you have already spoken to the student about your concern
  • Any action you have suggested or would like to suggest to the student

Stay informed by reading the "Starfish News" articles in the Trib! Visit the Starfish Support tab in Blackboard to view guides and video tutorials. Direct any technical questions about the use of Starfish to Kim Ross, Starfish Technical Assistant: kross25@monroecc.edu, extension 2553

Kim Ross
Academic Foundations
10/17/2017