What is the faculty member’s role in the Bengal Success Portal?
Within the Bengal Success Portal, the faculty member can set up their profile, configure office hours, and raise flags (either manually or by completing surveys). If a faculty member sets up his or her office hours in the Bengal Success Portal, students may use the system to make appointments.
In the role of instructor, a faculty member can raise flags on students for concerns that he or she would like the student or an adviser to address. The faculty member may also give kudos to students who are doing well.
In the role of adviser, a faculty member can view flags that have been raised on a student, then make interventions such as calling or emailing the student to address the issue. After the intervention has been made, he or she can clear the flag, signaling that outreach has taken place.
When can we expect that all faculty and staff will be using the Bengal Success Portal?
Over the next academic year, we hope to get as many people on board as possible. It is currently available to all faculty and staff advisers. Training is available through Instructional Design and Training. Check out the workshop registration system for upcoming training opportunities.
Should faculty and students be using the system fully now? Do we want to promote experimentation with the system?
Yes, we are promoting full use of the system and encouraging people to experiment with all components of the system.
How should various advisers communicate with each other?
Advisers can read notes about students and communicate with other advisers right within the Bengal Success Portal.
Lots of folks are working on parts of the system (e.g., professional advisers, department advisers, technical aspect), but who is responsible for developing the policy details surrounding the integration of the whole?
The Bengal Success Portal Steering Committee is responsible for crafting policy around the system. To make a suggestion to the steering committee, email bengalsuccess@buffalostate.edu
What is the plan for introducing the system to students?
We will be introducing the system to students at orientations, with digital signage, and through an article in the student newspaper that will include an interview with the Provost.
We are developing a marketing plan with standard language that departments can use while they're communicating about the Bengal Success Portal.
Should the faculty use the Bengal Success Portal as the "default” portal for emailing students?
Faculty can decide whether or not to use the Bengal Success Portal for email. All emails will go to students’ college email addresses. (Buffalo State email is the official method for campus communication.)
Should faculty regularly enter class attendance into the Bengal Success Portal?
Instructors are strongly encouraged to take attendance through the Bengal Success Portal.
What is the relationship between the Bengal Success Portal (powered by Starfish) and other campus systems (e.g., DegreeWorks, Banner)?
The Bengal Success Portal receives information from Banner, Blackboard, and DegreeWorks through a daily feed:
Information entered in the Bengal Success Portal is not sent to Blackboard, Degree Works, or Banner.
Is the feed from DegreeWorks, Banner, and Blackboard continual or just once?
The feed runs once nightly from DegreeWorks, Banner, and Blackboard to the Bengal Success Portal.
Is the data that I enter into Starfish secure?
Yes. Every user needs a role in the system and a connection to a student to access information, so per FERPA, only “school officials with a legitimate educational interest” will be able to view students’ records in the Bengal Success Portal.
Who is responsible for responding to alerts raised by the system?
All flags are viewable by the student's adviser(s). From there, any of their advisers can manage the flag.
What should not be “flagged” or reported in the Bengal Success Portal?
The Bengal Success Portal should not be used to report emergencies, academic integrity issues, and/or health/wellness issues.
When should instructors flag students?
When an instructor has an academic concern about the student, the student should be flagged in the Bengal Success Portal.
What happens when students are flagged?
When a student is flagged, the student and/or their adviser will receive an email from the Bengal Success Portal (depending on the type of flag raised). The student can then take action or the adviser can make an intervention to improve the student’s chance of success in a course.
How will I know when a flag has been resolved?
You will know when a flag has been resolved because the adviser will “clear” a flag, and likely enter notes about the intervention that he or she made with the student.
I am an adviser and have received a flag for one of my advisees. What do I do?
If one of your advisees is flagged for a higher-level concern, it is recommended that you reach out via phone or email. Once you have reached out, you should “clear” the flag and enter notes about the intervention you made.
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