With Navigate, faculty and staff can help students in just a few clicks

Iowa State builds a strong campus community when Cyclones look out for one another. Cyclone Support is a campuswide initiative that makes it easier for students to connect to resources that assist them with a range of issues from health to finances.

Cyclone Support provides resources for emergency and nonemergency situations. Students can struggle seeking help and one of the ways they get connected for nonemergency issues is through Navigate -- an online portal found on everyone's apps dashboard. Faculty and staff use Navigate to help students get assistance from experts across campus and these links are called "connections." Navigate is accessible on a computer or cellphone.

"Navigate taps students into a network of on-campus experts, messaging and outreach that helps them get to that next step, whatever that might be," said Leif Olsen, student success and retention specialist in the office of the senior vice president and provost. "By issuing a connection in Navigate, students get information and continued support from people who care about them."

All faculty and staff can learn more about Navigate and the Cyclone Support connection model through a 25-minute training video that walks through effective steps to interact with a student and how to issue a connection in the system. The training also provides practice with connections through artificial intelligence coaching and feedback.

When to act

Faculty and staff have some of the most consistent interactions with students, but Olsen noted that knowing when to act and offer assistance can be difficult.

"When a faculty or staff member observes something that seems unusual about a student, it's a great opportunity to connect with that student and have a conversation," he said. "Check in after a lecture or class, or invite them to office hours or send them a quick email."

Navigate is designed to direct students to help without faculty and staff having to be experts on all services offered at the university. From a list of possible reasons for a connection, the faculty or staff member selects the best one for the situation. A comment box lets a faculty or staff member include important details. But as a rule, only add information you would feel comfortable saying directly to the student, Olsen said.

When talking to a student, Olsen said it's important to be supportive and, if they agree to receiving additional help, let them know you will issue a connection in Navigate. This keeps them alert for an initial follow-up email.

If faculty or staff members observe student behavior that concerns them or if they are unsure how to handle a situation, contacting the office of student assistance is another option. Student assistance staff will offer consultation and can connect with the student.

What happens next

After a connection is issued, the student receives an email with resources and information for next steps. The student can set up an appointment with a relevant campus resource -- for example, the Academic Success Center -- or decline assistance. Cyclone Support specialists Megan Kostka-Dietz and Stephanie Negoda, also working out of the provost's office, follow up with a student via text message to answer questions and help schedule appointments. 

Outreach to the student continues until an outcome is reached. Typically, the outcome is meeting with a recommended resource or letting a specialist know support is no longer needed. The connection issuer will receive a notice through email informing them about the outcome of their connection. Olsen noted that every case is unique, and students are at differing levels of readiness to connect with support. 

New additions to Navigate

Recent additions to Navigate allow its connections to be made easier. Faculty are encouraged to add their office hours to Navigate for ease in scheduling appointments. Navigate and Outlook work together so only open times are offered to students.

A "hand raise" feature allows students to initiate a connection to request support when they don't know the best resource. It follows the same steps without a faculty or staff member operating as go-between. Instructors can help by letting students know about this option during class, Olsen said.

Positive impact

Olsen said the addition of Kostka-Dietz and Negoda to the student success and retention team over the last two years has made a significant impact, replacing work previously done by a chatbot or email. Each semester, Navigate offers students a three-question survey to assess any challenges they are experiencing before they can opt in or out of receiving additional support.

"Previously when we were offering the survey, only about 4% of students completed the recommended intervention," Olsen said. "Now that we have people on campus reaching out and offering to help, that has increased to 29% in about three years."