Starfish Early Alert for Students

Starfish Early Alert for Students

Starfish Early Alert allows an instructor to notify a student when there is a concern about performance or success in a class. Early Alerts, also known as flags, may identify frequent absences, missed assignments, low scores, or possible failure in a class. Starfish also allows instructors to raise kudos to celebrate a student’s success or improvement in a class. Students who receive early alerts, kudos or referrals will receive an email and notification in the Starfish Student Center.

Starfish is accessible from the campus portal and Canvas. Once students log into Starfish, it is strongly recommended that they update their Starfish profile with a brief biography and review their email address and phone number to ensure accuracy.

Early Alerts are not grades, nor are they a form of punishment. Early Alerts are a great way for faculty and student support services staff to communicate to students that a change may be necessary for academic success, as well as identify additional resources that may support a student's learning.

When an instructor raises a flag or early alert, notification is sent directly to the student. SBCC respects your privacy. Though all instructors have access to Starfish, Early Alerts are only visible to the instructor who raised the flag, the student, and the Academic Advisement team. Starfish is protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA)

A student needs to be aware that withdrawing from a class could affect financial aid status and eligibility. All students receiving financial aid should consult with an academic counselor and Financial Aid Office before withdrawing from any class.

Getting Help

All students need help in college, but sometimes it is difficult to know who or what to ask. Students should talk to their instructor about the problem as soon as possible to get recommendations for how to improve in the course.

Additionally, seek help through the many academic support services available to all students. SBCC provides a number of services and resources free of charge to students, including tutoring through the Tutoring and Learning Center, Academic Counseling, the Disability Resource Center and much more.