Starfish

All matriculated students enrolled in courses have access to the Starfish system. Starfish is an online student engagement tool used to connect faculty, staff and students in order to better support students and their academic success.

Students will have an opportunity to design their own profile page, which allows access to scheduling appointments and communicating with faculty and staff. Through the system students can expect to receive feedback from faculty regarding course progress including “kudos” which commends students on great work!

Students

As a student at DCC you have the opportunity to take advantage of a program through the college called Starfish! This online system allows you to connect with your instructors and your academic coach, receive updates on your academic progress from instructors, submit concerns if you’re having difficulties throughout the semester and access all the beneficial resources the college offers.

Faculty Testimonials

“While nothing can replace the importance of instructor/student face to face interaction, Starfish provides an added layer of communication. The Starfish system allows for a larger network of support for student success. Students who utilize Starfish often have a clearer understanding of their academic progress, and better awareness of and access to resources for their specific academic needs. Additionally, Starfish provides faculty with a network of outreach for students who are reluctant to engage or miss class often. Starfish then becomes a powerful tool in turning academic problems into solutions.”

– Jennifer Yanoti, English Faculty

"Throughout my years of teaching, early alert systems have been present. Starfish, an early alert system at Dutchess, provides students with the opportunity to connect with an academic coach and form a strong and trusting relationship. It also allows students the opportunity to receive feedback from their faculty throughout the semester. Faculty and the ACT Center staff work together to improve student success through student engagement. I have known several students who found Starfish and working with their academic coach to be extremely helpful. These students improved their grade point averages and have now transferred to four-year colleges. Think of Starfish as a support system during your time at DCC. We are committed to helping students succeed and will do what we can to ensure our students achieve their goals."

– Kathleen O’Connell, Health Education Faculty

HOW TO USE STARFISH