Early Assist is a confidential, voluntary program that helps identify students facing personal or academic challenges through Saskatchewan Polytechnic community referrals or academic indicators and connects them with support early.
The Early Assist program aims to make support easier to access and help students stay on track. It is open to all students, especially those who may not reach out on their own. The Early Assist team meets one-on-one with students to discuss concerns, explore support options and develop a plan that fits their needs.
Early Assist does not show up on transcripts or general student records. Information shared by students accessing supports is not shared with other departments or the person who made the referral, unless the student requests it and provides consent.
How Early Assist works
There are two main ways the Early Assist team may learn that a student needs support:
- By referral from a Sask Polytech community member.
- Through academic indicators including Brightspace activity, grades and attendance patterns.
Any member of the Sask Polytech community including faculty, staff and students can refer a student to Early Assist through the Early Assist card on mySaskPolytech (Sask Polytech login required). Referrals often come from program staff who have noticed a change and want to help connect a student with support before things become more difficult.
Once the Early Assist team is notified, a team member will reach out to the student. Students can choose not to respond or take part. Students can also opt out of Early Assist at any time.
Contact us
If you have any questions, please email earlyassist@saskpolytech.ca
