FACULTY-ADVISOR COMMUNICATION TOOL (FACT)

What is FACT? The Faculty Advisor Communication Tool (FACT) is Northeastern University’s early-warning tool to facilitate communication between faculty and advisors to identify and support struggling students. Early identification of struggling students and other issues that could affect their academic performance helps us ensure they are connected with the best options and resources (e.g. tutoring, advising) to be able to succeed.

At set points in your class(es) you may receive a request to submit FACT reports for students flagged for FACT reporting. Students may be flagged for a variety of reasons, but typically are currently on academic probation. CPS instructors are expected to submit FACT reports for concerns about Academic Integrity, and encouraged to do so for other concerns including missing work, participation, and language difficulty.

 Accessing FACT in Canvas

  1. Login  to  Canvas
  2. Click Course
  3. Click the “FACT Reporting & Photo Roster” link in the course navigation menu on the left side.

*Please Note: “FACT Course Roster” may appear lower or be missing in your Canvas course navigation window; however, you can control link order and add missing links.*

4. Click the red “Report” button in the column proceeding the appropriate student’s photo and name to enter the FACT Reporting Form.

5. Within the FACT Reporting Form, select the level of concern, and toggle the slide switches to identify particular areas of concern. You may also provide additional details in the comments. Please note, the text entered in the field “Suggestions for the Student” go directly to the student.

You can also find answers to Frequently Asked Questions about FACT here.

If after reviewing these resources you need additional clarification and/or have any non-technical questions about FACT please send an email to CPS-FACT@northeastern.edu.

If you think you are having a technical issue please also cc the ITS Service Desk via email at help@neu.edu, or call 617.373.HELP (x4357), referencing FACT in NU Online.

What are the goals of FACT?

  • Assist advisors in identifying, at an early stage, those students who are experiencing academic difficulty, so that the students can get the support necessary for their success
  • Facilitate communication between advisors and faculty on important student academic progress information
  • Track academic integrity and conduct issues at the college-level, and connect faculty with support to deal with these issues
  • Allow advisers to provide faculty with feedback for the students about whom they have submitted FACT cases
  • Provide the College with a mechanism to monitor student and programmatic trends in academic performance, attendance, and retention
  • Provide students with an early indication of their progress in specific academic courses
  • Provide faculty a mechanism to inform advisers about students who need extra assistance to comply with the academic integrity policy
  • Increase student success