Flags and Kudos

S&T Connect provides users with the ability to interact with their students through a number of tracking items, which may be used to raise alerts  (Flag students) or provide encouragement (give Kudos).  Flags and Kudos provide a convenient way to notify individuals throughout campus about student concerns or successes.

Raise Tracking Items

  • For a single student: click on the student's name to navigate to the student's folder or click the checkbox to the left of the student's name.
  • To select multiple students, select the checkbox to the left of each of the desired students' names.
  • To select all students listed on the current page, select the checkbox at the top of the list of names.

Select the desired tracking item (such as Flag or Kudo) from the button bar at the top of the My Students list or from the button bar at the top of the individual student's folder.

On the form displayed, select the tracking item to be raised from the drop down list presented. Only those items that you have permission to add for the student(s) selected will be displayed.
Complete the fields in the form (where applicable) to create the tracking items:

  • Select item: Select which item you are creating in the tracking item drop down box. Options will be based on the role/relationship you have with the selected students. Additional fields may be included/excluded based on the selected item.
  • Due Date: Depending on the item, you may be able to include a Due Date to give the student a deadline for the item.
  • Course Context: If relevant, and if you have permission, you may select a Course Context related to the item (for example, if you are raising a concern for a specific course section or referring the student to tutoring for a specific class).
  • Assignee: If you have permission to assign this item to a team member, the Assignee field will be displayed. You can leave the item unassigned or select someone to be the owner of the item.
  • Comment: In the Comment box, provide specific guidance related to this item. Typically this would be information for the student. To determine whether or not the student will be able to view these comments, refer to the line labeled "Student View" in the light blue box beneath the Comment box. If this item is visible to the student(s) provide comments that will personalize the request and ensure the student understands what is expected.

The notes you enter in the comment box will also be visible to those with a role/relationship to the student listed under the Permissions heading in the light blue box under the comment box. The comment will be available within the student folder, both associated with the item on the Tracking tab and on the Notes tab.

The appropriate individuals will be automatically notified.

Use Flags, Kudos and Progress surveys

S&T Connect includes two types of tracking items: Flags and Kudos. The Progress Survey feature allows instructors to quickly raise tracking items on students in their classes.

Each institution can customize the set of alerts available to users of S&T Connect. For each tracking item, your S&T Connect admin sets which roles are notified when the alert is raised, as well as permissions for who can view the alert and who is able to comment on or clear an existing alert. 

  • Raise a Flag to alert the student and/or staff of a student issue or concern related to a course or to some other aspect of the student's academic career. Often a Flag triggers an email to the student about the Flag, with comments that were made by the person who raised the Flag. Flags might also trigger email notifications to staff members. 
  • Add Kudos to acknowledge positive progress/achievements of students. Kudos almost always include an email to the student with the comments of the person who is adding the Kudos.

Flags and Kudos may be raised manually by logging into S&T Connect and selecting the appropriate action for the desired student.

Very often, instructors will receive an email requesting them to complete a progress survey for their courses at key points during a term. A progress survey provides instructors with a quick way to raise alerts on students by course. Your S&T Connect administrator sets up when the survey will be sent out, which courses will be surveyed, and which alerts to include for your feedback.

progress surveys screenshot in S&T Connect

When you respond to a progress survey, your input on the survey raises the corresponding alerts as if you had raised them manually, and your permissions to view or update the Flags raised from a progress survey are the same as if you had raised the Flags manually.

Once you click 'submit' on a progress survey, the items that you marked will be raised on the students you selected, and you will no longer have access to a survey for that class section. 

For a video demonstration about how to respond to a Progress Survey, watch Respond to a Progress Survey.

Depending on the role(s) you have in S&T Connect, and the permissions that have been set on each alert, you may have permission to view or manage one or more Flags for your students.

tracking_item_card screenshot in S&T Connect

The View permission means that when the Flag is raised on one of your students, that Flag will appear on your Students/Tracking tab as well as in the Tracking tab within that student's folder, and you will be able to review the comments included by the Flag raiser. The Manage permission allows you to do the following:

  • Add comments to a Flag that has already been raised
  • Review comments added by other Flag managers
  • Clear (resolve) the Flag

Your role may also have permission to assign active Flags to yourself or other team members that have Manage permission on the Flag.

View and Manage Raised Items

Once an item has been raised, faculty and staff can view and manage those items.

If you have permission to view tracking items raised for your students, you will see them displayed in the student's folder and in the Tracking sub-tab within your Students tab in S&T Connect. When viewing tracking items, hover over the icon beside each tracking item to take additional actions based on your role permissions.

Resolve or Clear Tracking Items

Depending on the products licensed and features used by your institution, you may have access to view and/or manage one or more tracking items in Starfish (example: Flags or To-Dos). If you have manage permissions for a tracking item for a particular student, you will be able to resolve the tracking item (example: it is no longer an issue or your work on the issue is completed).

You can resolve a single item, or multiple items at once.

Tracking items can be viewed and resolved/cleared from a number of places, including the following:

  • Students tab
  • Recent Changes channel on your Starfish Home page
  • The Student Folder Tracking tab

Resolve items from any of these locations as follows:

1. When viewing the tracking item, hover over the icon to the left of the tracking item name.

Tracking item menu icon screenshot in the S&T Connect
2. Select the resolution option (Clear Flag or Remove Kudo) for the selected tracking item.

tracking_item_card screenshot in S&T Connect
3. In the form that opens, you may be given the option to select a reason, and you will be prompted to add a resolution note.

4. If you are clearing an item you did not raise, you can also provide a detailed Close the Loop comment for the flag raiser.

*Note : If you are clearing a Flag that was raised by a student, sending a close loop message is not recommended. Check to ensure that the "send message" box is unchecked.

5. Click Submit to clear the item.

For a video demonstration of both clearing flags and closing the loop, watch Close the Loop When Clearing a Flag.

1. Navigate to Students > Tracking.

2. Use the checkboxes next to each student's name to select the items to be resolved.
*Note : there will not be a checkbox next to any items for which you do not have Manage permissions.

Tracking_Tab_Checkboxes in the S&T Connect

3. Select the Resolve button in the action bar at the top of the page. In the form that opens, the number of items being resolved is noted in the form's header (example: "Mark 2 Flags as Cleared").

4. Verify the selected number of items and add a resolution comment that is applicable to all of the selected items. If you haven't raised the items being cleared, you will also be prompted to add a close loop comment. You may also be prompted to select a reason for clearing the item. 

5. Click the Submit button to clear the selected items.