Student FAQs
• What is Early Alert? - answer
• Why was I referred to Early Alert? - answer
• What can Early Alert do for me? - answer
• How does Early Alert work? - answer
• Can I refer myself to Early Alert? - answer
• How much does Early Alert cost? - answer
Early Alert is a valuable resource offered by Pitt Community College to students who might need some additional support or resources to be successful. Every student who attends PCC is important to us and we want to make sure that all students have the tools that they need to be successful.
Early Alert is composed of a group of caring staff and faculty members who have been specially trained to work with you and to help you. You will be matched with an Early Alert Coach based on an area of specialty that the coach has in relation to what you need as a student. This person will work closely with you to identify what the best resources to help you reach your potential as a student.
Once you are referred by a faculty or staff member, your coach will contact you and arrange a meeting. In this first meeting, you and the coach get to know each other and you will begin to work on identifying things that the coach can help you with. A second meeting will be scheduled for you and your coach to work through goal setting processes and to identify the best resources for you to use to help you become a stronger student. You will also have the opportunity to be paired with a mentor who will work with you for the rest of the school year.
This program will be slightly different for each student who goes through it. It is aimed to treat you as an individual to address any issues that you might be having at PCC.
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Why was I referred to Early Alert?
Your instructor or a staff person at PCC should have talked to you about this referral. They have referred you to Early Alert because they have noticed that you could use some additional resources as a student. Your instructor believes that you can be a stronger, more successful student if you have access to a person to help you identify the resources that will help you succeed. This person who will help you is your Early Alert Coach.
Being referred to Early Alert is a good thing, because it gives you the opportunity to work one-on-one with a specially trained coach who is there to help you. This coach will work with you to identify resources that will benefit you and will work to answer any questions you might have about being a Pitt Community College student.
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What can Early Alert do for me?
Early Alert is not a magic bullet that will instantly turn you into an honor student. In order for the Early Alert Program to help you, you must be willing to work with the program. If you work with your coach, listen and take their advice, and take full advantage of the resources that are available to you, you should be able to achieve your academic goals.
All types of education require commitment and work on the part of the student. Your education at PCC is no different. Early Alert is a resource that is available to you to help you get to your goals. It will not do the work for you, but it will help you to work smarter, not harder.
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If your instructor notices that you would benefit from additional resources, they will sit down and talk to you about some of your options. In some cases, you might be directly referred to the resource- for instance, if you need additional help with your math class, your math instructor may refer you directly to one of the many tutoring services that are available on campus. However, if you would benefit from a more comprehensive set of resources, you may be referred to Early Alert.
Once your instructor completes the online referral form, you should keep an eye on your student email account. An Early Alert Coach will be assigned to you and they will email you to set up an appointment to meet. If you do not reply to this email, your coach will attempt to contact you by phone. If there is no response to the phone call, your referral will be returned to the Early Alert Coordinator. At this point, we will attempt to contact you with a postcard and then a letter.
Once you talk with your Early Alert Coach, he/she will set up a time for you to come in and meet with him/her. At this first meeting you will fill out a form and you and your coach will talk about this information. At the end of this meeting, your coach will set up another meeting with you and give you a worksheet to fill out before you come back.
At your second meeting, you and your coach will work to clarify your goals and will set up a plan that will allow you to be successful in reaching them. Additional meeting may be scheduled with your coach or with others, depending on what your unique situation calls for.
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Can I refer myself to Early Alert?
At this time, all referrals need to come through a faculty or staff member. If you are concerned and think you would benefit from these services, talk to your advisor or to an instructor about the issues that you are facing. This person will be able to refer you to the appropriate resource to help you- there are many services available to help you as a student and finding the right one is important.
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How much does Early Alert cost?
Early Alert is a free service offered to currently enrolled PCC students. However, the benefits you can gain from using these services are priceless.
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