Early Support Referral Program FAQs

Last Modified: Feb 28, 2023

What is Spartan Connect?

Spartan Connect is a Student Success Management System that brings students together with specific campus resources to promote student success. Spartan Connect facilitates outreach to students who may need additional support and allows for timely interventions critical to assisting our students on their path to graduation.

Spartan Connect also serves as a central data collection point for student data related to student success, including data from advising/tutoring/other appointments.

When can referrals be made?

Student referrals are accepted at any point during the semester. Referring students early in the semester allows professional staff members to conduct early intervention with the student so that they can achieve their highest potential for the semester.

For non-imminent situations, it is typically most effective to create an Early Referral after direct intervention with the student. Consider questions such as:

• Have I spoken with the student about this concern yet?

• Have I invited them to schedule an appointment or visit office hours to discuss this situation?

• Has the student followed up on any requests or recommendations yet?

If the desired action isn’t taken by the student, create an Early Referral for the student.

What does “Issue a Notification” mean?

The term “issue a notification” refers to the functionality in Spartan Connect that allows a staff or faculty person to identify a student who should be contacted to determine which resources would encourage academic success for that individual. 

What is a Spartan Connect Progress Report?

Each term, the advising community on campus collaborates to run a Progress Report campaign out of Spartan Connect. The campaign has several components:

• Prior to “launching” the campaign in weeks 4-6 of the semester, we usually send email to the faculty and students who will be  included  to let them know the timing of the campaign launch and to provide some context for the purpose of the campaign.

• We also encourage faculty to include information about Spartan Connect in their syllabus. Here is an example of language that could be included:

  • “Our campus has implemented Spartan Connect to bring students together with specific campus resources promoting academic success. I have agreed to participate in this program and may refer you to it if I believe you need additional support services to succeed in this course.”

• Several weeks into the semester, we will launch the campaign with email requests to faculty members to “issue a notification” that will notify the advising community when a student in their class would benefit from additional support.

• When a notification is created, the student will be contacted by the appropriate advising or support resource. The faculty person who created the notification (the system calls this an “notification”) will receive email updates on each notification when it is resolved.

What are the different types of Early Referrals I can create for a student?

Any student who may be in need of academic, basic needs, or personal support would be a good candidate for referral. Referral reasons may include:

• Academic:

  • Excessive class absences or tardiness

  • Lack of participation

  • Needs tutoring

  • Needs mentoring

  • A decline in academic performance

• Basic Needs:

  • Food insecurities

  • Financial concerns

  • Health concerns

  • Housing insecurities

• Personal:

  • Counseling

  • Psychological concerns that are not related to a perceived immediate threat to the student or others.

In addition, students can be referred for positive contributions.  That reason is:

• Positive Acknowledgement:

  • Positive contributions in class

  • Performing well on exams/essays/assignments, etc.

Why are only some of my students on the list?

The cohorts of students included in each term’s progress report campaign are identified in collaboration with SJSU’s advising community as well as administration at the campus and college level. The email requests will be sent only to the instructors of record for classes in which students included in the campaign are enrolled.

How do I create a notification for a student in my class who is not on the list?

Please follow the instructions for faculty initiated Early Support Referrals.

Does creating a notification replace the BIT process?

No. Please refer to the BIT site to determine if a student should be referred to BIT: How to Refer | Behavioral Intervention Team

Is there a deadline to submit notifications through the progress campaign?

Yes - campaigns typically run from about the fifth week of class to about the tenth week of class. Having said that, it is always a good time to create a notification for a student that may need help. If you would like to create a notification , but the campaign has ended, please follow the instructions for creating a notification for a student who is not on the list, above.

What information is kept confidential? How will student confidentiality be protected through Spartan Connect and who views/receives the referral information?

Maintaining confidentiality is important to the Spartan Connect program. Only the referring faculty/staff member, Peer Connections professional staff member, and any campus resources the student has been referred to will know of the referral.

Will I receive any follow-up or updates about the referral I created?

To maintain student confidentiality, you might not be informed of what was discussed during the advising meeting or which office/department, if applicable, the student was referred to. You may ask the student directly to see if they are willing to share this information with you.

What happens once I submit an Early Referral?

Once a referral is generated, Spartan Connect sends an email confirming the receipt of the student referral to the person who created the referral. If the referral is for an academic reason or for a “Kudos” reason, an email is sent to the student with support resources or acknowledgement of good work done. If the referral is for basic needs or personal reasons, then a case is created and automatically sent to the student’s assigned academic advisor, the advisor then begins outreach to the student in order to help the student determine appropriate resources, support services, and/or possible resolutions.

What does a typical Early Referral advising session look like?

During the initial meeting, the student discusses the reason for the referral. The student and their academic advisor discuss a plan for a path to success. Other campus resources may be recommended to support the student and their plan. The resources may include, but are not limited to: tutoring, mentoring, counseling, academic advising (both GE and major), and accessible education counseling.

How many attempts does the advisor make to contact the student?

An advisor will make three to four attempts to contact the student before closing the case if there is no response.

Will the student know who submitted the report or be able to see the notes?

The student will not see the direct comments that the person who referred them made, however, they will know who created an Early Referral for them. During the meeting with their academic advisor, the advisor may release that information if appropriate or relevant. For example: if discussing a referral about a specific class. If the reason was for academic reasons or a good job done, the class where the referral came from will be mentioned.

How will faculty and staff benefit from participating in the Early Referral Program?

Faculty and staff are encouraged to notify the student about the referral. The referral should not be the first interaction with the student. From our experience the student is more open to accepting assistance if the faculty or staff has prepared them for the contact and the reason for the concern.

After the referral has been made, students may receive an email and/or phone call from their assigned academic advisor regarding their referral asking them to set up a meeting to discuss the student’s future success or they may receive an email with support resources and or congratulations.

How will students know about the Early Referral program?

Faculty and staff are encouraged to notify the student about the referral. From our experience the student is more open to accepting assistance if the faculty or staff has prepared them for the contact and the reason for the concern.

After the referral has been made, students receive an email and/or phone call from their assigned academic advisor regarding their referral asking them to set up a meeting to discuss the student’s future success.

Can I refer a student multiple times? And for multiple different reasons?

Yes. If a student continues to demonstrate a need for academic, basic needs, or personal support, faculty and staff are encouraged to refer students again. Please follow the instructions for faculty, above.