As federal and state involvement in higher education has evolved over the last century, increased funding preceded new measures of accountability. Even with a more diverse student population, the graduation rates for bachelor's seeking students has stayed the same for nearly 40 years. Student retention and departure theories have imparted a rich knowledge of how particular characteristics can provoke the decision to stay. Colleges and universities used early alert systems, like the IU FLAGS system, to facilitate a meaningful interaction with students directing them towards success as more states leverage performance funding formalize accountability. Two interconnected principal-agent relationships between the state and a public institution and between the institution and its faculty serve as the theory of change between major student success stakeholders. Characteristics of class sections from fall 2016 and spring 2017 English composition, finite mathematics, and public speaking from every campus create the sample of 1,133 class sections that enrolled 33,223 total students. Logistic regression determined the relationship between the treatment variable, faculty use of the FLAGS early alert system, was statistically significant with 14 of the 16 model covariates. FLAGS was found to be more likely used with class sections containing higher proportions of women, being from out-of-state, traditional aged, White, and a lower class GPA; along with the instructor being either adjunct or of lecturer rank, being from either a regional, IUPUI, or IUPUC, and if the class was English composition. Both outcome variables -- course completion and retention to fall had a statistically significant and positive relationship with faculty use of FLAGS early alerts. Even though the research design limits generalization to the sample in the student, as the Average Treatment Effect on the Treated, it still has meaningful implications for future research and practice. If there were a single takeaway from this study is that early alerts used in general education classes with faculty who are focused on teaching can be a mechanism to assist with student success. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]