Implementation Of An Early Warning System In Engineering: A Partnership With Academic Advisors And Instructors Across The Campus

Retention of engineering students has become a major concern for universities across the country. At Iowa State University the college of engineering loses about 10% of their incoming 1 st year students within the first semester and about 25% after one year. Those students who are academically struggling leave at an even higher rate. Research points to the success of early warning systems that include interactions with a significant university authority figure who can reach out to students early on to provide guidance and support. The college developed an easyto-use web-based tool for instructors who teach the first year math, chemistry, and engineering courses. The instructors are able to quickly send email notices within the first four to six weeks to hundreds of students and their advisors informing them on how they are doing in their class. This paper chronicles the development and implementation of using this tool, along with the development of partnerships with engineering advisors and instructors across different colleges. Initial findings indicate that the early warning system is having a positive effect. The results and evaluation of this program is also detailed.