Cardinal Star Resources

Depending on your assigned role(s), you will have different views in Cardinal Star. If you are a faculty member, you will see certain information about students in your classes. If you are a first major advisor, you will see information about your advisees. The more roles that you have, the more information you will be able to see.

It is always important to remind yourself that your view will be different than your students’ view.

Cardinal Star has functions that lets us give positive feedback to students as well as identify issues that may hold back their academic progress. In Cardinal Star these are called “Kudos” and “Flags”.

Kudos are given to recognize exceptional performance or significant improvement. Using these can encourage students towards behavior we want them to continue. This is especially true for students who do not have a lot of confidence about their academic ability.

Flags are indicators of a problem and can also alert a student to change their behavior or get back on track. In addition, they alert other personnel on campus about student needs. We can then work together to help the student. Your role on campus (i.e., instructor, advisor, support personnel, etc.) determines the types of flags you can raise and the types of flags you are expected to respond to. Students can also raise flags on themselves to request help.

Most faculty and staff can raise the following critical alert flags. The student is not notified by Cardinal Star when these are raised. A staff member from the Student Health and Counseling Center or other appropriate personnel will receive these flags and will reach out to the student. The critical alert flags are as follows:

• Mental health concerns
• Non-academic behavioral concerns
• Health-related concerns

Cardinal Star is not for emergency assistance. Call 911 or University Police if there is an immediate need. You may also contact the appropriate resource office directly.

In addition, advisors and instructors can raise the following:

• Disability/need for accommodations

When a student is not doing well academically, you can raise academic flags. These can be seen by the student, and some members of their Success Network when raised. Instructors have these options for flags to raise in their courses:

• Academic concern
• Attendance concern
• Course materials missing
• Course withdrawal recommended
• In danger of failing
• Missing/late assignments
• Never attended (can be raised after the 3rd week)
• Poor performance in early assignment

When the student has taken action on these notes, academic flags can be cleared by instructors, even if the problem hasn't been fully resolved. The Cardinal Star system will also flag if a student has had three or more flags raised.

When writing a message in the comment box for a flag that a student will see, it is important that:

• You address them in the first person (e.g.: “Dear Alex”)
• Your tone is inclusive and positive
• You give specific instructions for what the student’s next steps to succeeding are (e.g.: “Please make an appointment with me” or “Make up quiz #2 and then we can meet”)

By logging into Cardinal Star and clicking “Appointment Preferences” under your name, you can link to your personal Zoom room when you click “Add Location.” Complete the popup box for an online location by entering your Personal Meeting Room information (ID and/or link). Click “Save” at the bottom of the popup box. Click “Submit” in the upper right corner of the Appointment Preferences page when you have finished.

Next, you can set up when you are available by clicking Appointments and selecting “Office Hours” to add available time slots. You can also specify which of these times are for office hours and for advising appointments if you have dual roles.

This video by Dr. Wendy Gordon can also offer you a step-by-step look into how to set up appointment slots:

Faculty and staff can schedule House Calls (via Zoom or in person) with members of the Cardinal Star team. Email [email protected] with any other questions you may have.

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Cardinal Star Team Members:

JoAnn Gleeson-Kreig, Ph.D., RN (Cardinal Star Coordinator)
Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs
Professor of Nursing
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 518-564-2195

Michele Carpentier, Ed.D. (Cardinal Star Coordinator)
Assistant Vice President for Enrollment and Student Success
Director of Special Programs
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 518-564-3811

Dr. Katherine Dunham, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 518-564-3381

Dr. Wendy Gordon, Ph.D.
Professor of History
Chair, Criminal Justice
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 518-564-5212

Karin Killough
Director, Claude J. Clark Learning Center
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 518-564-2258

Cardinal Star is a software program that allows you to connect with your professors, your advisor and all of the offices here on campus that are part of your personalized Success Network. 

Your Success Network is a group of people and organizations you are connected to for supporting your academic endeavors, such your advisors, the Learning Center, the advising office, etc.

Once you have logged into Cardinal Star, you will see that in the upper left-hand corner, there is a menu icon, click on the menu icon or “hamburger icon”.

That will bring you to a whole list of options. If you have a specific question, scroll down to the hand icon and select “Request Help.” From there, you will see a dropdown menu with a number of options that will help to direct your question to the appropriate campus resource.

When you are in the Cardinal Star menu, at the top of the page, you will see your name and a directional arrow. Click that arrow and you will see “Profile.” When you complete your Cardinal Star profile, you are providing members of your Success Network with helpful information about who you are, the best way to contact you as well as adjusting any settings related to how you receive messages and reminders. If you do not have a profile picture, take a minute and upload one so that your Success Network knows what you look like.

The “tell us about yourself” survey is also located in your Cardinal Star dropdown menu. It goes beyond your Cardinal Star profile in that it provides you with an opportunity to share information about your academic goals, your strengths as well as any areas that you might struggle with.

When you want to schedule an appointment in Cardinal Star, the best place to start is by checking out some helpful resources, including:

• The Introduction to Cardinal Star handout
• The Learning Center guide to scheduling and cancelling peer tutor appointments may also be useful

Q: What should I do if my professor does not have appointments available in Cardinal Star?
A: If your professor does not have hours in Cardinal Star, you would need to contact them in their preferred manner such as email.

Flags are an alert that is sent out to you and/or members of your Success Network. SUNY Plattsburgh has a number of different flags available from “Attendance Concern” to “Poor performance in an early assignment”. It is important that you take action when you receive a flag. Reach out to the person who raised the flag — for example, your instructor or academic advisor — and make sure you follow up as directed.

Kudos are a way for members of your Success Network — faculty, academic advisors, special program advisors, etc. — to recognize your hard work and achievements.

If you’re not sure where to get help or who to go to, you can use the “Request Help” option in Cardinal Star — this can be anything from needing a librarian to wanting to see a counselor. “Request Help” will send alerts to the appropriate offices.