Student success can be indicated by students' achievement in English and Math courses. In order to easily track and increase student success in English and Math, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College created "Signals of Success" or SOS, a homegrown early alert system designed for faculty, by faculty, with all students in mind.
In summer 2017, Chairs Dr. Jenny Billings and Melissa Reid were tasked with creating an early alert system for Rowan-Cabarrus students. The ask was that the system be user-friendly for faculty, was created in-house at the College, and used color-coded indicators to signal a student's current success in their course. During the year of development, Billings and Reid worked with IT in order to develop "Signals of Success" or "SOS". SOS was first piloted in fall 2018 and has been used consistently ever since. Since rolling out, SOS has increased efforts in communication, documentation, participation, and student success.