Faculty Guide to GovSignal

We invite all faculty and instructors to join us in strengthening our coordinated efforts to support students early. GovSignal is a formal communication tool that enables campus community members to share concerns or observations about student behavior, allowing for timely intervention and support. Once a GovSignal is received, students may be contacted through various methods to offer resources, address concerns, or initiate further discussion.

Download Guide with screenshots

View the Faculty Guide to GovSignal

About GovSignal/Referrals

When a GovSignal is submitted, a case is automatically created—so there's no need to submit multiple signals for the same or similar concerns. Instead, we encourage you to use the comments section to provide detailed context or updates. Our goal is to support students effectively by connecting them with the appropriate academic resources, not by overwhelming them with duplicate notifications. Each GovSignal remains active for up to 10 business days or until we successfully connect with the student, whichever comes first.

GovSignal Academic Reasons:

• Current grade below a C

• Excessive Tardiness

• Inconsistent Class Attendance

• Kudos/Student is doing well

• Lack of Participation in Course

• Late/Missing Assignments

• Low Quality Assignments

• Low Quiz/Test Scores

• Midterm Grade below a C

GovSignal Referral Reasons:

• Academic Advising

• Financial Aid

• Tutoring

• Veterans Education Benefits

How to Issue a GovSignal/Referral in AP Navigate

1. Login to OneStop and select the AP Navigate Faculty/Staff tile.

2. If necessary, change your role from Staff to Professor by clicking on the drop-down next to Staff Home and then select Professor Home.

3. You will see different categories on your Professor Homepage: Courses, Students In My Courses, Assigned Students, and My Issued GovSignals/Referrals. Scroll to Students In My Courses to issue a GovSignal/Referral.

4. To initiate a GovSignal from your list of students, check the box next to the student’s name. Then select the drop-down next to Actions and click Issue GovSignal/Referral.

   Note: You can select multiple students at a time if the reason will be the same.

5. A form will appear on your screen and the selected student name(s) will be listed.

   • Select the primary reason from the menu affecting the student’s performance in the course.

     Note: If you select multiple reasons, it will generate a GovSignal, or case, for each reason selected.

   • Next, identify the specific class pertaining to the signal.

   • Lastly, use the Additional Comments section for if there are multiple reasons of concern or if you have recommendations. Additional Comments are attached to the student’s record but are not visible to the student.

     Note: When adding comments, it is helpful if you indicate what you have done to assist or reach out to the student prior to issuing the GovSignal.

6. Click the Submit button to finish.

How to view GovSignal/Referral Progress After Submission

1. Go to My Issued GovSignals/Referrals on the Professor Home which allows you to see alerts you have issued for students in AP Navigate.

2. Step 2: Under Cases, you will see the case is either open or closed. To see the progress of an open case, click on the student’s name.

3. Step 3: When viewing a student’s profile, find Current GovSignal/Referrals and click on the open case.

4. Step 4: You will be able to see the progress of the case and any outreach that has occurred thus far.

5. Step 5: Once a case is closed, an email will be sent to the individual who issued the case or referral, detailing the outcome of the outreach.

What if I need additional information?

If you have any questions or concerns about GovSignal, please contact CaSandra Wiley-Jackson, Outreach Counselor, at (931) 221-6871 or govsignal@apsu.edu.