What is a Beacon Alert?
Drew faculty members utilize a platform called “Beacon” to provide feedback to students with regard to their academic performance. A Beacon alert will typically identify any concerns and make recommendations regarding resources that can lead to deeper learning and improved academic performance. An alert is shared with your Success Network, a team of Drew faculty and staff that are invested in your success.
It’s about Community!
Your Success Network includes a team of individuals who are directly connected with you: your academic adviser and depending on your involvement on campus, professional staff advisers and/or athletic coaches and academic support staff from the Center for Academic Excellence (CAE). This team is here to collaboratively support you in achieving your goals. Other stakeholders who have access to Beacon include the Directors of Accessibility Resources, Counseling and Psychological Services, and Residence Life.
Alerts are communicated to students via email, and they will remain “open” until the student has addressed the concerns with their professor and/or have followed the recommendations for academic support (i.e. the student is meeting regularly with a CAE tutor).
Why would I receive an alert?
- frequently missing class
- missing or incomplete assignments
- a drop in performance
In submitting the alert, your instructor is trying to raise your awareness of their concerns and to prompt you to respond. When your instructor or adviser submits an alert, it also triggers a process by which your needs can be assessed by your Success Network and recommendations made to ensure your success.
How will I know if I have an alert?
Is this a disciplinary action? Am I in trouble?
Ultimately, a Beacon alert should be considered a tool for your own success!
What should I do now?
While an alert is “open”, faculty and your Success Network may add “comments” (not unlike one would on a social media); you may receive notifications of these comments as your plan is unfolding. In taking the recommended actions you can “close the loop” which will prompt your instructor or Success Network to lower the alert. Lowering of alerts is also communicated via email.
Check out this short video on Closing the Loop!