LSS Faculty and Staff Resources

Edgewood College
Edgewood College
	Faculty/Staff Resources

Faculty/Staff Resources

Online Forms

I have a student who... Fall 2008

Did you accidentally delete a message you wished you would have saved?

Scroll down to read the Fall 2008 series.
Click on the names of past semesters at the left to see archived "student who" messages.

I have a student who...
08-27-08...Introduction
09-03-08...needs information about Learning Support Services
09-10-08...has a disability (I think).
09-24-08...needs feedback!

Back by popular demand! The Early Alert committee and Learning Support Services are once again continuing the "I have a student who..." email series. In a continuing effort to increase retention and to share helpful tips and tricks, we plan to send ways you can help your students succeed throughout the semester, both in and out of the classroom. Many of these emails will be geared more towards the classroom setting, but if you have work study students or see students on a daily basis, some suggestions could come in handy! Examples of past messages can be found online at http://lss.edgewood.edu/faculty_staff.

If you are interested in receiving these weekly emails, please respond to this message and I will put you on the weekly distribution list.

If you have anything you would like to know or discuss or have useful information you would like to share with other faculty and staff members, pass it along to Sara Anderson in Learning Support Services. Remember, some topics that some of us take for granted might be completely new to other staff or faculty members—if you have an idea, Please pass it along!

Thanks! I look forward to hearing from you!

Sara Anderson
Learning Support Services
Early Alert

I need information regarding Learning Support Services.
Where should I go?

Visit the LSS website!
http://lss.edgewood.edu

The Learning Support Services website is your resource for helping students AND yourself.

Student Assistance
Are you meeting with students who are confused about resources available to them? Direct them to the LSS website.

LSS services explained; direct students to “Tutoring Services,” “Math Lab,” “Writing Center,” or “Disabilities Services”
By going to “on-line forms,” students are able to request tutoring or schedule accommodations through disabilities services without needing to visit the Student Resource Center
Math Lab and Writing Center hours are always available at the click of a mouse
LSS staff information (with pictures) is also available. Sometimes it is less stressful for a student to meet with a member of LSS if they know what we look like in advance.

Study Tips and Resources
If you have a student, advisee, or student worker who is struggling with the start to the semester, studying for tests, or any other study related issue, direct them to the website. Students are able to access all LSS handouts on study skills or visit the vast number of internet resources for study skills, mathematics, or science. If you know of great internet resources you would like to add, contact Sara Anderson. New this year—we also have access to the weekly tips sent via email AND the LSS Podcast.

Do you need information for yourself? From the home page, click on “Faculty/Staff Resources.” This web page is specifically designed to assist you in dealing with students in and out of the classroom.

Academic Alert Notices
As you recall, you can submit an Academic Alert Notice (AAN) for a variety of reasons. The LSS website will give you an overview of Academic Alert Notices, and also links to the on-line form. By going through the LSS website, you can inform students what concerns you have about their academic progress and the steps you believe they need to take to remedy their less than satisfactory performance--wherever you have an internet connection. Bookmark this page!

Early Alert
Do you have questions about Early Alert? The Early Alert page gives answers to frequently asked questions. It also has links to all publications distributed by the committee; if you are unable to find the Early Alert booklet given to you at the beginning of the semester, you can print a copy here.

I have a student who…
All “student who” messages are saved to the LSS site. You can browse all messages sent from Fall 2002 to present.

Disability Services
Do you have a question about students with disabilities in your classroom? “Disability Services Explained” gives you an overview of Edgewood policy, as well as classroom tips for different types of disabilities.

Writing Center
The Writing Center website has a section devoted entirely to instructors. There are articles discussing writing and it’s assessment, how to incorporate the Writing Center into your class, and much more. If you have other resources that you would like to make available for your colleagues, contact Angela Woodward.

Tutoring Services
Would you like to recommend a student to become a peer tutor? Click “Recommend a tutor” and your recommendation will be immediately forwarded to Sara Anderson.

What are you waiting for? Take a tour today!
http://lss.edgewood.edu

I have a student with a disability (I think).
What can I do?

There are typically three situations in which this statement arises:

The student self identifies him or herself and presents documentation
The student tells me he or she has a disability and wants to work with me, but does not have documentation
The student does not seem to be "getting it" or is not following the class

The student self identifies him or herself and presents documentation. Students with documented disabilities have self identified themselves to Edgewood College and are receiving coordinated services through Learning Support Services. Typical services provided to students include: paid peer note taking, alternative testing (i.e. extended time, quiet testing environment, materials in alternate formats), interpreters, Real Time Captioning, books on tape, and materials in other formats. The Disabilities Services Coordinator, Deb Tobin, may or may not provide additional information to the faculty and staff that would be beneficial to the student’s academic welfare.

Please remember any documentation or information provided to you from the student or LSS is confidential, and cannot be shared with other faculty, staff, or students.

A student requests accommodations, but does not have Edgewood documentation. Please refer any students to Deb Tobin in Learning Support Services. She can clarify Edgewood policies and procedures to the student and start the process of an accommodation request.

I have a student who does not seem to "get it," and I think there might be a learning disability. Please talk with the student and inquire if the student has received academic supports in the past. If the student is not comfortable with the discussion, encourage him or her to schedule an appointment with Deb Tobin. This may be done by calling the Student Resource Center at 663-2281. Edgewood College cannot require any student to participate with LSS.

You are free to contact Deb Tobin at anytime to discuss a student. However, it is important for you to understand that there is a limit on the information that can be shared. Disability documentation is confidential and can only be shared with other faculty or staff members if the student has signed a release form. If you wish to know more about how a student best learns or the disability itself, your best venue for information is the student. He or she is generally the expert on what works best (or worst) for him or herself.

We can discuss any requested accommodation by a student, how to best work with students with disabilities, and how to integrate alternative teaching strategies for students into your lessons.

If you have any more questions, please contact Deb Tobin in Learning Support Services at 663-2281. You can also refer to the Learning Support Services website for more information at http://lss.edgewood.edu.

I have a student who needs feedback.

What can I do?

If you have freshmen in your class, you have received an "Early Alert" roster in your Edgewood email inbox. On these rosters, we have listed all freshmen enrolled in each of your classes--it does not mean that these students are "at-risk." This feedback process is a retention tool designed by the Early Alert Committee to track the success of our first year students. (No freshmen? See below!)

It is very important that we receive these rosters back in a timely manner, whether or not you have negative feedback on a student. Positive feedback is just as valuable as negative feedback in determining a student's status. Even if you have been giving frequent feedback (positive or negative to a student), this allows us to compile the BIG picture of a student.

What is the “big picture”? It’s the connections made between the feedback given in every class. It isn’t enough to see what happened in one class for a student—we have to see what happens in every class that student is taking! If students aren’t acting on the feedback you have given, they may be ignoring other instructors as well.

Your feedback could mean the difference between retaining a student and losing a student!

Even if you don't have any absences or late work to report, please return your electronic rosters by
Friday, September 26
Having trouble with your roster, an alternate email address that you prefer, OR you are a MAC user? Email Slanderson@edgewood.edu.

Upperclassmen
It is important to remember that students with sophomore, junior, or senior standing will NOT appear on these rosters. Since feedback early and often is important for ALL students regardless of standing, try one of these other methods for upperclassmen.

Academic Alert Notices. Is attendance becoming a problem? Did the first exam not go well for a student? Fill out an Academic Alert Notice (AAN) online. A copy of the AAN is sent to the student, the Academic Dean's office, and the student's advisor, alerting them to the student's performance. You can find online AANs at http://lss.edgewood.edu/faculty_staff. Bookmark this link! It is a useful feedback tool.

Communicate with the student. Talk with the student directly, make a note on a returned assignment, or send an email. All of these things can communicate your concern with the student directly, allowing him or her to take action. Feedback is crucial to the development of all learners, and should be delivered frequently.

Remember, feedback does not have to be negative, or occur only when something "bad" has happened. Feedback can (and should) exist when things are going well. Do you see marked improvement in student work? Has classroom participation been particularly valuable? Let them know! This is especially important with our “Millennial” generation!

Returning assignments. While we all know that a grade is not the final measure of a student's learning or understanding, it is a way to let students know how they are doing in a course. By handing back assignments in a reasonable amount of time, revisions can be made, allowing the student to learn more from the experience and seek help before it's too late. Remember, students will often not seek help until they are told (or shown) they need it!

Early Alert Committee. If you are having concerns about a student, contact someone on the Early Alert Committee to point you in the right direction. For more information about the Early Alert Committee, review the booklet you received at the beginning of the semester, or go to http://lss.edgewood.edu/faculty_staff.

For advisors: The Early Alert Committee has devised a way to help us “close the loop” and better serve our students. After meeting with your advisees about any concerns (i.e. information you receive from the Early Alert Committee), we ask that you visit http://edgenet.edgewood.edu/LSS/faculty_staff/ea_post_form.htm to fill out our follow-up form. By doing so, it gives the committee a better idea of how and where our students are connected, and also lets us identify which students are in need of more attention. This essential piece of “closing the loop” allows us to focus our attention on the students who are in great need of additional outreach.

Work-study supervisors. Worried about a student? Send the Early Alert Committee an email. We can help you brainstorm, or find someone to help you contact your student. It’s very possible that you could be the only person noticing your workers’ problems!

Fall 2008