Related Resources

Student Success Network/Beacon: The purpose of the Student Success network is to establish a procedure that identifies students who are struggling academically. This early warning system provides students with timely feedback on their academic performance. It enlists Academy resources, in particular the Academic Center for Excellence and the Mentoring Program, in an attempt to rectify particular academic concerns, promote success, and increase retention.

There may be several reasons for poor academic performance including problems with family, health, transition from high school to college for plebes, wrong academic major, and even the wrong institutional “fit.” Faculty, through regular contact with students, are the first to see the results of these concerns which may manifest themselves through low test and quiz scores, failure to turn in assignments, and poor class participation. Information from the instructor is used to help diagnose the specific nature of the problem and facilitate intervention that is tailored or customized to its particular cause. The interventions can identify appropriate resources that may improve the motivation and performance of underachieving students.

At the core of the USMMA Student Success Network is the use of the Campus Labs student engagement and retention tool known as Beacon. Beacon is a hub of information related to tracking student success factors, including engagement and retention analytics and an academic alert system accessible to academic support staff, faculty and students. Academic alert notifications, response threads and alert resolutions are critical components of effective early intervention and academic success planning for struggling students. Beacon can be accessed via Campus Labs: https://usmma.campuslabs.com/home

KP CARES: The Academy is committed to the health and safety of the Midshipmen so that they can thrive in a safe educational environment where individuals are able to freely work, learn and teach. To further these goals, the Academy established the Kings Point Campus Assessment, Response, and Education Support (KP CARES) Team. The KP CARES Team is a resource that provides support and care for Midshipmen at risk across the regimental, academic, and social aspects of Academy life. When there is a concern about a student the KP CARES team can be contacted via email at CARE@usmma.edu. Additional information can be found at: https://intranet.usmma.edu/Pages/MIT.aspx

Tutor.com: The Academic Center for Excellence has a partnership with the 24/7 live, academic tutoring program Tutor.com. The service is currently used by U.S. Military installations and other government training facilities: https://military.tutor.com/home

Tutor.com tutors are college professors from across the U.S. and are experienced in tutoring college students. Some Tutor.com product highlights include:

• 24/7 live tutoring sessions
• Dedicated writing support center for the USMMA
• Technical support and product manager assigned directly to the ACE Director
• Interface matches with many of our Gen Ed and basic engineering courses; others forthcoming
• Comprehensive metrics available to measure the effectiveness of the services provided

USMMA student access and usage are monitored by ACE staff as part of an overall student success plan.  This method of tutoring supplements both classroom learning and the scheduled, on-campus professional and peer tutoring sessions.

Blackboard®: The Academy’s Instructional Technology team utilizes the Blackboard® educational delivery system to streamline and enhance faculty management of course content. Students strengthen their educational technology literacy via the ability to access relevant course materials and course-specific communication outside of scheduled class time: https://blackboard.usmma.edu/