Information about the process
Starting in the fifth week of the semester, all faculty members receive a request to comment, via this form, on any concerns they may have with the academic performance of their students. It is especially important for the Deans’ Office to be aware of students who are not attending classes and/or turning in assignments. These submissions from faculty not only help class deans in their monitoring of a student's academic performance and progress, but also assist them in their efforts to provide the appropriate support and resources to the student. Academic Concern Notices are an important way for faculty to alert the Deans’ Office regarding students who may be struggling; they are a way to help students, not to “report” them or otherwise get them in trouble. Once we receive your form submission, we will be in touch with the student to offer time to meet. During this meeting, we will have a holistic conversation about how they are doing academically and otherwise, and will refer them to campus resources and support services as appropriate.
Once this form is submitted, you will receive a confirmation notice with additional information about next steps in the process.
Academic Concern Notices may be submitted at any point in the semester. However, we recommend that you submit this form as early as possible, ideally by mid-term, so that we can connect individual students with the support they may need in a timely manner.
If the concern is in regards to a Columbia student, faculty should continue to use the Columbia Academic Difficulty Reports found here instead of this form so that Columbia Advising can take appropriate action.
Academic Warning Signs
Instructors are often the first to notice that a student's academic performance is worrisome. Poor academic performance in one class may be indicative of academic difficulty in other courses and/or other personal difficulties.
Warning signs of academic difficulty may include:
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Poor or erratic attendance or nonattendance;
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Unsatisfactory grades;
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Poor or inconsistent work, or missing assignments;
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Inattentiveness in class;
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Unresponsiveness to instructor outreach;
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Extenuating personal or family circumstances that are interfering with work;
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Agitation during class discussions or in individual interactions;
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Change in behavior, attitude, or appearance;
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Inappropriate and/or inconsistent behavior, etc.
In such cases, we strongly urge instructors to submit an Academic Concern Notice, which will alert the student's class dean so that they can connect the student with the appropriate resources for assistance. If a student does not respond to the dean’s outreach, the Dean’s Evaluation Committee, which meets weekly during the semester to review reports and connect students with appropriate resources for assistance, will be notified to determine next steps. Please note that the class deans and Dean’s Evaluation Committee use our best professional judgment when sharing report details with students. Alternatively, please contact Holly Tedder, Dean for Academic Planning & Class Advising, at htedder@barnard.edu.