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Student Support System (SSS)

The goal of the Student Support System (SSS) is to identify and effectively intervene with students who are exhibiting at-risk behaviors by providing strategies, support, and resources to improve course success and overall retention of students.

How to submit a referral

Faculty can submit a referral for a student through Faculty Portal. The Faculty Portal provides current term your course roster(s) and your referral history in the setting menu.

SUBMIT A Student Support System (SSS) Referral

Identifying the proper referral

Type of SSS Referral	When to choose this referral	Possible Interventions
Academic Reading or Writing Support (TLC)	At any stage in the writing process for any discipline (and for any genre of writing assignment), from gathering ideas to reviewing final drafts. To improve reading comprehension and understanding of academic reading material	Note: Reading or writing consultations are NOT meant to replace classroom instruction nor provide a complete review of expected pre-requisite/foundational knowledge, skills, or abilities. Intervention based on: 1.) instructor’s concern as described in faculty notes; 2.) student-identified concerns; and 3.) professional expertise of TLC or WRIT Center staff. Reading-related strategies: Review of specific reading strategies, including prediction skills, application/activation of prior background knowledge, vocabulary development, text interaction, or content analysis. Writing-related content/strategies: Review of idea- generation techniques, paragraph development/ organization/transitions, and/or appropriate source integration/citation in MLA or APA format.
Basic Needs (Counseling) (This referral is not appropriate for crisis situations, BIRB, or Disruptive Student/Conduct. See guidelines (PDF).)	A Basic Needs referral would be used in situations where a student needs to be connected to campus or community resources (Food Pantry, Disability Resources, Delta’s Closet, Student Success Workshops, Homeless Shelter)	Interventions will be assessed as appropriate by a Licensed Professional Counselor and are confidential as outlined by HIPAA.
Content-Specific Course Support (TLC)	Student demonstrates effective study habits but may need additional review, application, or practice with a specific course concept or topic.	Note: Tutoring sessions are NOT meant to replace classroom instruction nor provide a complete review of expected pre-requisite/ foundational knowledge, skills, or abilities. Intervention based on: 1.) instructor’s concern as described in faculty notes; 2.) student-identified content; and 3.) professional expertise of TLC staff. Individualized explanation of specific course topic or concept, assistance utilizing resources, practice applying course concept(s), and/or opportunities to problem-solve and apply metacognitive strategies.
Learning, Study, or Testing Strategies (TLC)	Student needs to improve their approach to learning and studying at the college level. OR Student knows course content but has difficulty accessing it during a test.	Intervention based on: 1.) instructor’s concern as described in faculty notes; 2.) student responses to academic coaching intake form; and 3.) professional expertise of TLC staff. Individual coaching session (or group workshop) on learning and study strategies that improve long-term retention of information. Individual or group review of effective test preparation tips and/or test-taking strategies.
Mental Health (Counseling) (This referral is not appropriate for crisis situations, BIRB, or Disruptive Student/Conduct. See guidelines (PDF).)	A Mental Health referral would used in situations where a student is possibly struggling with the loss of a loved one, a relationship ending, test anxiety, or coping with a situation.	Interventions will be assessed as appropriate by a Licensed Professional Counselor and are confidential as outlined by HIPAA.

Automated Attendance Notifications

We appreciate your feedback regarding the submission of attendance in Self-Service and attendance alerts in previous terms. In an effort to enhance our processes, we have implemented Automated Attendance Notifications. These notifications will automatically send email communications to students based on your submission of attendance in Self-Service. As of Fall 2024, we are also sending a text message to students upon their third notice email, shown in the PDF below, with an option to have their Student Success Advisor call them for assistance.

As part of this improvement, faculty members are no longer able to submit a referral for an attendance option. This change is aimed at avoiding duplication of communications and preventing overwhelming messages to the students. For further information, please refer to the Automated Attendance Notifications Process Map and Communications (PDF).

Frequently asked questions

What is the Student Support System, and why do we have it?

Delta College's Student Support System was developed to provide a referral system for faculty who witnessed students struggling or showing improvement in their courses. The system was set up so faculty could easily refer names of students who may benefit from additional assistance outside of the classroom. When possible, referrals should be made early in the semester, as soon as a need is observed or suspected. The referral communicates to staff from Student and Educational Services or the Teaching/Learning Center that a student is in need. This allows Delta College to communicate to and coordinate supports for students and to monitor their progress while guiding students to make good choices. We rely on faculty as the first line of defense to use this system to help us identify students who need additional support.

How can I access the Student Support System?

Faculty can submit a referral for a student through Faculty Portal or Ellucian Experience.

The Faculty Portal provides your course roster(s), and your referral history in the setting menu.

Faculty Portal: https://delta.elluciancrmadvise.com/FacultyPortal/

How can I let my students know I am using the Student Support System?

You can let your students know you are using the Student Support System by including the following section in your syllabus.

Drafted syllabus language for you to use:

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, life gets the better of us. Delta College wants to support your academic pursuits and your well-being. We are here to help you succeed. If you are having difficulties keeping up with classwork or dealing with life issues that affect your schooling, please let your professor know.

There might be resources to help you manage these situations. If your professor becomes aware of an obstacle you are facing, they may reach out to the Student Support System (SSS) to ask they check in with you and share information to support you in addressing your challenges.

Students may experience stressors that can impact both their academic experience and their personal well-being. These may include academic pressure and challenges associated with relationships, mental health, alcohol or other drugs, identities, finances, etc.

If you are experiencing challenges, seeking help is a courageous thing to do for yourself and those who care about you. If the source of your stressors is academic, please contact me so that we can find solutions together. For personal concerns, Delta offers many resources at Inside Delta > Current Students.

Why should I take attendance in Faculty Self-Service?

1. Students and Faculty are sent automatic notices if students have been marked as missing 1 or more accelerated or 2 or more fifteen-week classes as part of the new Student Support System automated process for attendance.
2. Students can see the exact dates they have been marked as absent or tardy for your course in their Student-Self-Service account, making their attendance standing transparent and helping them take responsibility for their performance in your course.
3. Relatedly, Delta College is an attendance-taking school. As such, Faculty are to take attendance for their classes.

What are best practices of submitting a referral?

Please only submit one referral per type (Academic, Counseling, or Kudos) for each student. If you think more than one referral per type is applicable, choose the referral of best fit, and include notes in your referral that include more about what the student needs.

Each referral ends with the office it's associated. Please choose the one in those categories of best fit for the students you are submitting an alert.

You are welcome to use different types of alerts for students. For example, if the student should be referred to both the TLC and Counseling, you may submit a referral for both types. We ask that you simply don't choose more than one referral per office type.

An email is sent to the student upon the creation of every referral you submit.

How will a student be notified a referral was submitted on their behalf?

Once the referral is received in the system, the student will receive an email notifying them of the referral and the purpose of the outreach. The email will encourage the student to reach out for assistance and give contact information for the Teaching Learning Center or Personal Counseling Services – based on the nature of the referral.

Who will follow up with the student, and what interventions will be in place, once a referral is submitted?

Depending on the nature of the referral, the student will either be contacted by the Teaching Learning Center to offer support or a Counselor for mental health support or basic needs support.

Emails and phone calls will be made within 48 business hours to the student, giving the student a 14 day period to respond.

Interventions will be determined on a case by case basis. Be sure to include specific notes in your referral to help the staff have a conversation with your student.

Who can see Student Support System (SSS) referrals on a student record?

SSS referrals are on a CRM Advise student record, different than the student record generated for transcripts or transfer. Staff with these privileges are limited to those who have an educational need for such information as contained within CRM Advise. Therefore, our system is FERPA-compliant.

What do I do once I submit a Student Support System (SSS) referral?

Student and Educational Services and Teaching and Learning Center staff will reach out to the student depending on the nature of the referral. You do not need to do anything once you have submitted the SSS referral. You can view the status of your referral (Open, Closed, Complete) in the Faculty Portal. You can view the status of your referral (Open, Closed, Complete) in the Faculty Portal.

What does the referral status mean?

Within Faculty Portal, you can view your referral history in the upper-right menu options. Select the course for which alerts you would like to see. The status of the referral, in the far right column, will be one of three options: open, closed, or canceled.

- Open - the referral has been submitted to the owner of that referral to take action. We are in the process of reaching out to the student to provide services through a two-way conversation or to schedule an appointment.
- Closed - the student and staff member have made a two-way connection via a phone conversation or the student attended a scheduled appointment. If an appointment was scheduled, the referral is 'closed' only if the student attended the appointment.
- Canceled - after 14 days, if the staff member was not able to make connection with the student, the referral is canceled.

I submitted a Student Support System referral, but nothing happened, so what was the point?

The process behind the Student Support System is semi-automated, but there are certain steps that require student response in order to progress further. It is helpful when students know that their faculty are submitting a referral on their behalf so that they can be on the lookout for someone to reach out to them. On your end, it may seem like nothing happened, but there will be several behind-the-scenes attempts at communicating with a student before a referral is closed out.