News Briefs
A Quarter of Freshmen Receive Fifth-Week Flags
This semester, 244 out of 1,058 freshmen (23 percent of the class) received fifth-week flags, which notify freshmen that they are in danger of failing a class. Freshmen received a total of 300 flags.
The warning rate this year increased slightly from last year. In Fall 2007, 21.8 percent received flags, compared to 17.5 percent of freshmen in Fall 2006.
Most of the flags were given in first-year physics subjects (8.01, 8.01L, 8.012, 8.02, 8.022), for a total of 108 flags. In chemistry subjects (5.111, 5.112, 5.12, 3.091), 90 flags were given out. Biology (7.012) and math subjects (18.01, 18.01A, 18.014, 18.02, 18.02A, 18.022, 18.023, 18.03) each had 41 flags.
After the fifth-week of term, instructors compile a list of freshmen in their classes who are failing or close to doing so. The student’s adviser and the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming are notified, and the flagged student is sent an e-mail offering assistance that ranges from tutoring to mental health services.
In the past, most students have passed the classes they were flagged for.
—Jessica Lin