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Growth of QuickConnect program benefits student success at NMSU

The QuickConnect program, an early warning and intervention system for NMSU students, has benefited from recent growth not only in the amount of referrals and the students it has helped guide to success, but in the support it has received from volunteer staff and faculty.

Established in fall 2006, QuickConnect is modeled on using class absences and instructor concerns as prompts to contact students who may be struggling during the semester. The goals of the program include promoting responsible class attendance and providing one-to-one intervention to connect students with resources according to their individual needs.

"Though the purpose of the program has not changed, it has become more available and efficient for the faculty to use," said Lisa Kirby, program coordinator for NMSU Campus Tutoring and QuickConnect.

At the program's start, faculty concerned about students had to fill out cards in hard copy, which was time-consuming.

"But now," Kirby said, "it is all done electronically on the Web through the NMSU Banner System. I believe this has made the program easier to use. It has become more streamlined, and so more faculty have begun to use the program."

QuickConnect has experienced significant growth even just in the last year, said Kirby. The amount of referrals has increased dramatically since the spring 2009 semester. To meet the demands of increased referrals, the volunteer base of faculty and staff has kept pace. The QuickConnect volunteers, who are referred to as "responders," receive training, are armed with knowledge of the multiple resources available to all NMSU students and are waiting to assist the faculty's referrals.

The growth of QuickConnect can only help the student success at NMSU. The program benefits students hugely, particularly in the large lecture classes where it's hard for the professor to monitor each and every student personally, Kirby said.

"Many problems have been solved through the program that might have otherwise gone unnoticed," Kirby said. One such example is a student who was enrolled in the incorrect biology lab and never would have known if QuickConnect had not been involved.

For more information contact NMSU Student Success at 646-1342.

Written by Bryant Million.