UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Starfish early indicators progress surveys begin on Monday, Jan. 26, when instructors and teaching assistants are asked to provide feedback to students in their full-semester undergraduate courses (499 and below).
Early indicators progress surveys focus on the first signs of whether a student will be successful in their courses, as well as actions students can take to better meet desired course outcomes. The early indicators progress survey period will be open for 1.5 weeks, closing on Feb. 4.
This first round of progress surveys, during weeks three and four, come at a time when early intervention can make the biggest difference to course performance and give students momentum, particularly in foundational learning experiences.
The midsemester progress survey period will be open from Feb. 23 to March 18, weeks seven and eight of the semester.
In addition to asking about actions students can take to improve upon their course performance, midsemester progress surveys also ask about performance on graded work and allow students and those supporting them to make informed decisions about their enrollment decisions later in the semester.
To support instructors and TAs in planning for progress surveys, two progress survey guides (developed by the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence and the Division of Undergraduate Studies) are available on identifying early indicators of student success and helping students to understand the purpose of progress surveys.
Instructors and TAs connected to a course in LionPATH have three ways to submit feedback in Starfish and may choose the method that best suits their course. The progress survey is one of those methods. Students and instructors can find answers to frequently asked questions about progress surveys.
The Division of Undergraduate Studies is the second-largest unit of enrollment at Penn State and leads academic advising across the University. It is part of Penn State Undergraduate Education.