SmartStart

SmartStart is covered in the NVC catalog under Academic Standards.

College Student Outdoors

Smart Start–The First DAY Counts

Students must attend the first class or contact you. Online students are expected to complete an attendance verification activity by Day 3. You define what that activity is. To Smart Start drop a student, find the Student's Banner ID in your Summary or Detailed class list in ACES. Then go to Faculty Web Services - Student Course Withdrawal. If you're within the Smart Start period for your class, that option will appear. Students who are Smart Smart dropped will get an automated email notifying them of the drop.

If a student requests a drop via ACES, then you will receive an email request. Complete the request using the Student Course Withdrawal link in ACES ➡ Faculty tab ➡ Web Services ➡ Student Course Withdrawal. NOTE: If it is the student's last or only course, the drop must be finalized by an Advisor.

Smart Start vs. After Census Drops

Use Smart Start link to drop any students on or before census. The class will not appear on their transcript, and it will not count towards 6-drop. Drops after census are done by posting a final grade of W (and the last date of attendance) on the Final Grades roster. Once the drop is completed by CSI, the final grade may change to a WS (one of 6 allowed drops), WX (the student petitioned to have the drop exempted from the 6-drop count), W (if the student is exempt from 6-drop ruling), or WM (if it is a military drop).

Smart Start FAQs

Early Alert

Faculty notice to student of progress at 3-week and 8-week in 16-week term with second tier of contact by advisor for students with multiple early alert notices.

If you have no students at-risk, click the link in the Early Alert Progress Report email you receive from District - Academic Success, and then click the “I’m all done” button. This will record all students as not at-risk and will document that you met the requirement.

For students you identify as at-risk, you will find numerous headings with distinct reasons for the faculty member to choose. This will allow faculty to pinpoint student issues in a more precise manner, including when a course average is not yet available for the semester. Additionally, the faculty member may choose to select multiple reasons for the purposes of comprehensive documentation.

The email that is sent out to students once you designate that they are high risk is now much more straight-forward and clearly requests that the student contact the professor to discuss an improvement plan.

NVC Catalog - Early Alert and Interventions

More guidance from DST-Academic Success

Early Alert – Need guidance with how to complete an Early Alert Progress Report? Please refer to your Chair, the training video in AlamoTalent – Faculty Logging into Navigate Training, or the Faculty Resources box in ACES – Faculty tab – Navigate FS Quick guide.

To ensure you submit your Progress Report, whether or not you have students who are At-Risk, select the I’m all done button. This will record all students as receiving a response from you and your report will be complete.

On Demand – Need guidance with how to complete an Early Alert Progress Report? Please refer to your Chair, the training video in AlamoTalent – Faculty Logging into Navigate Training, or the Faculty Resources box in ACES – Faculty tab – Navigate FS Quick guide.

This feature can be utilized at any time, as soon as your class begins through the last day of class and is not tied to any of the Early Alert Campaigns run during the semester.

Grades First

Grades First is the Early Alert System designed to let faculty and advisors know when a student is at risk of failing a class. Click here to see a list of students in your current classes and their at risk status. This is not the location where you will enter your students' at-risk status; that link will be sent to you in an email to your Alamo email account.

For questions, please contact Lenny Arredondo at lguillen@alamo.edu / 210-485-0173 or Steve Szeszko at sszeszko@alamo.edu / 210-485-0188.

NVC Catalog - 2022-2023 Academic Calendar

NVC Catalog - Academic Standards, Smart Start, Withdrawals, etc.

Fall 2022 - Summer 2023 Academic Calendar with Holidays

Academic Calendar 2023 - 2024

22-23 Important Semester Information_v2 8-19-22.pdf

2022 - 2023 Academic Calendar