Recently, a "Academic Warning List of Undergraduates in the School" released by South China University of Technology has attracted attention. 737 students received academic warnings, and more than 200 students were also facing demotion trial reading. In recent years, many universities have implemented academic early warning mechanisms. Previously, universities such as Shenzhen University of Technology and Guangdong Medical University also announced similar academic warning information.

  Under what circumstances will students receive academic warnings?

  Why do colleges and universities implement academic early warning mechanisms?

  What work should the school do after issuing an academic warning?

  Solve students' difficulties in completing their studies from the root

  What else can be done?

  What is academic warning? What is the "trigger condition"?

  Academic warning is mainly a mechanism for the school to help students who may or have problems with learning, such as excessive absenteeism and frequent failure of subjects, through warnings, communication and some assistance measures, to help students complete their studies smoothly. There are often two types:

  Attendance warning: It is aimed at students who have absent from class for no reason or have reached the specified number of hours.

  Score Warning: For students who fail the courses in one semester or academic year, there are more than a certain number of students.

  Many universities have their own regulations on academic warnings

  South China University of Technology stipulates that if a student fails the credit score of more than 15 points, he will trigger an early warning, and if he exceeds 25 points, he will be demoted to the trial. Those who fail to meet the standards again will be persuaded to withdraw.

  Shenzhen Technical University provides academic warnings to students whose total course credits obtained in the semester do not reach half of the total credits selected for the courses selected for the semester.

  Shanghai University of Technology stipulates that students must complete 25 credits at the end of the first grade, 60 credits at the end of the second grade, and 100 credits at the end of the third grade and above. Every academic year, the Academic Affairs Office provides academic warnings to students who do not meet the requirements for the first time and sends "Academic Alert Notices".

  Shanghai University of Engineering and Technology warns based on the number of credits that fail the courses per semester, which are divided into three-level warnings, two-level warnings and first-level warnings.

  Shanghai Maritime University stipulates that students who fail more than 2 courses per semester and who fail more than 9 credits will be given professional warnings.

  Academic warning is not new. There are already relevant regulations  

  It is actually not new to warn students who have academic problems and may not be able to graduate. As early as 2019, the "Opinions on Deepening the Reform of Undergraduate Education and Teaching and Comprehensively Improving the Quality of Talent Training" issued by the Ministry of Education proposed that colleges and universities should establish academic warning and elimination mechanisms. All universities also began to explore immediately.

  What does it mean to receive an academic warning? What is the purpose of establishing this mechanism? Let’s listen to the expert’s interpretation.

  Chu Zhaohui, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Educational Sciences: It is obviously an abnormal situation if the assessment fails in many subjects. As for the severity, it mainly warns based on how many disciplines have problems. The meaning of the test scores of different subjects is different, but they should all be taken seriously by students. If you do not take measures, you may not be able to complete your studies next, may face relegation, and may face elimination.

  Chen Zhiwen, academic committee member of the Chinese Society of Education Development Strategy: For example, he was supervised by his parents since childhood, supervised by his teachers, and then went to college to "herd the sheep". Also, if you don’t want to learn, then the phenomenon of skipping classes and failing subjects is more common. If he is not a subjective attitude problem, he may have learned what he is not good at. Many children blindly follow the college entrance examination application, and even misled the major to find a job, and then apply for this major, but in fact he is not suitable at all. We should not wait until the students finally graduate, because there are too many failures in the subject and cannot get the graduation certificate. We should continue to provide multi-level reminders. For example, if you fail the 8 courses, you don’t have a graduation certificate. We start reminding you when there are 4 courses in advance. Synchronization often informs parents to form a joint force to urge their children to study.

  Dynamic monitoring and precise assistance to help students complete their studies

  The education cycle of universities is relatively long, and the establishment of an academic warning mechanism also sends a signal, that is, colleges and universities monitor students' academic status more dynamic and normalized, and runs through the entire process of student education and training.

  So what will the school do after issuing an early warning? Can students who receive the warning graduate successfully?

  At Guangdong Medical University, the academic warning system for undergraduate students has been implemented for more than three years. Over the past three years, nearly 100 students have received academic warnings. Among them, 70% of the students successfully completed their studies through assistance measures under the academic warning system.

  Zhou Yanfang, director of the Academic Affairs Department of Guangdong Medical University: It is more of a kind of care. For example, the earliest caring consultations were conducted, academic tutors and professional tutors conducted one-on-one communication, and found some questions in them, such as problems of study habits, learning ability, or psychological pressure; then some precise assistance strategies were carried out, including academic assistance and psychological assistance.

  At Beijing University of Science and Technology, the school conducts academic analysis on students every semester, expanding the scope of assistance to all students who fail subjects, and carrying out peer exercise classes, one-on-one tutoring and other assistance activities guided by professional course teachers. The tutoring subjects cover multiple subjects such as mathematics, physics, and chemistry.

  Gao Yan, deputy director of the Student Affairs Department of Beijing University of Science and Technology: We have divided the warning mechanism of the third line of red, yellow and blue. If the student has already received an academic warning or is about to face an academic warning, we must put him in the red line to pay attention; if the student’s compulsory course credits cannot be completed 70%, we must put him in the yellow warning; all students who fail the course must put him in the blue warning. Through early detection, early intervention and early treatment, I hope that he will receive certain external counseling and support when he fails the subject.

  What else can I do to solve the "learning difficulties"?  

  Some of the college students become "learning difficulties" are due to subjective factors, such as weak independent learning ability, and the school can provide targeted early warnings and assistance to them. However, some of them also exist objectively, such as being confused when applying for a major, or the course does not match expectations, which leads to difficulties in completing the course. In response to this kind of problem, what else can we improve in the teaching process?

  Chu Zhaohui, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Educational Sciences: I think it is not just after issuing an early warning, but should be reconsidered in education and teaching.

  First, there are relatively more compulsory courses in colleges and universities, and relatively less content in elective courses, so there is less room for students to choose. Is it the course he likes and is it valuable to his studies? In fact, different courses are different for different children.

  The second aspect is that the student assessment is subject to the academic year system, and undergraduate studies must be completed within four or five years, without flexibility. For those students who have not yet realized the significance and value of learning, I think the school can consider implementing some flexibility. Due to the differences in this academic year system and credit system, this may be a bit difficult.

  The third is professional direction. In the changes in the past few years, some universities have set up majors to change. But overall, there are still some obstacles to changing majors, especially when there are problems with academic performance. In the past, many schools changed majors, but in fact they had to get to the top few in the grade before they could transfer.

  For those students with early warning, they must understand and investigate their situation to make predictions. Instead of saying that if I issue an early warning, I will fulfill my responsibilities, and there will still be some new problems.

[Editor in charge: Wang Qi]