“Responding to Difficult Students”

1. “Responding to Difficult Students” COTL Presentation August 28, 2007 Mick Miyamoto, Ph. D. Assistant Dean of Students Jon Hageseth, Ph. D. Director, Counseling and Testing

2. Outline • Difficult/Challenging Behaviors • Sharing some perspectives • Conduct Codes and Laws • Practical Suggestions • Resources • Questions and Hopefully Answers

3. Based on Your Experiences 2 minute exercise

4. Consider the following profile of a troubled young adult, based on actual case history… • Talked about suicide for weeks at a time • Reportedly wrote poetry about thrusting a dagger in his heart and drawing blood in showers • Was known to “go crazy,” requiring the removal of knives and dangerous items from his room • Purchased opiates and cocaine • Wandered around with a gun during periods of suicidal ideation • Collapsed while speaking openly of his hopelessness and thoughts of suicide • Was eventually diagnosed with “recurrent major depression.” Did you have a person like this in your class? So who was this “risk to himself and society”?

5. Abraham Lincoln Source: Webinar by Gary Pavela: www.magnapubs.com, 7/25/07

6. Predictability • Predicting violent behavior is very, very difficult…especially without previous violent behaviors, threats or gestures. • Suicide assessment scales have very low predictive value • No accurate or useful profile of the school shooter Source: National Academy of Science

7. Suicide on Campus is Uncommon Suicide Ideation…. • TEN PERCENT think about it (often) • 1.5% will make a “gesture” • 1,000 to 1 odds that one will actually attempt with the intent to die • Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for 15-24 year olds. • Mental Health Issues Source: Paul Applebaum…and David Mays

8. Lethal Shootings • 9 incidents between 1966 and present • 2.25 incidents every 10 years • Not to minimize - Wisconsin • Access to firearms • Alcohol

9. Violence & Mental Health • Relationship is similar to that between “violence” and “male gender” • American with Disabilities Act (ADA) “The Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act do NOT give students with disabilities a different standard for appropriate behavior. When institution officials determine that a code of conduct has been violated, they can take action as long as it is NOT BASED UPON THE STUDENT’S DISABILITIES.” Source: LRP Publications, 2005, Vol. 11, Issue 3, October 2005

10. Discipline • Goss v. Lopez (1975) • UWS Chapter 17 -4) (a) For conduct that obstructs or seriously impairs or attempts to obstruct or seriously impair university-run or university-authorized activities, or that interferes with or impedes the ability of a member of the university community, or guest, to participate in university-run or university-authorized activities. (

11. UWS 17 cont… b) Examples of the conduct prohibited under this subsection include, but are not limited to: preventing or blocking physical entry to, or exit from, a university building, corridor or room; engaging in shouted interruptions, whistling, or similar means of interfering with a classroom presentation or a university-sponsored speech or program; obstructing a university officer or employee engaged in the lawful performance of duties; obstructing or interfering with a student engaged in attending classes or participating in university-run or university-authorized activities; or knowingly disrupting access to university computing resources, or misusing university computing resources.

12. UWS chapter 18 • (30) DISORDERLY CONDUCT.  No person may engage in violent, abusive, indecent, profane, boisterous, unreasonably loud or otherwise disorderly conduct under circumstances in which the conduct tends to cause or provoke a disturbance, in university buildings or on university lands.

13. Suggestions • Personal Safety • LaCrosse Police call 911 • University Police call 9-9999 When should you call the police?

14. Call if there is Imminent Danger • “Imminent Danger” - “Direct Threat” = • “a high probability of substantial harm….” CALL UWL POLICE – 789-9999 or 911!

15. Suggestions • Personal Safety • La Crosse Police call 911 • University Police call 9-9999 • Consult

16. Consultations • Paula Knudson, Dean of Students – 785-8150 • Office of Student Life, Mick Miyamoto or Marcia Johnson Sage – 785-8062 • “On Call Staff” or Jon Hageseth, Counseling & Testing– 785-8073 • June Reinert, Disability Resource Services – 785-6900 • Scott Rohde, Chief University Police – 9-9000 and/or 785-8711 • Ingrid Peterson, Violence Prevention Advocate – 785-5126

17. Suggestions • Personal Safety • La Crosse Police call 911 • University Police call 9-9999 • Consult • Talk with Student – CTC Brochure • Refer Student, e.g. BIT

18. Concerned about a student? • Behavior Intervention Team (BIT) consists of staff from: Office of Student Life Counseling and Testing Student Health Residence Life Campus Police Other units may be called in when appropriate

19. What we learned from the Virginia Tech tragedy

20. FERPA • The Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act does NOT… Prohibit sharing between those who have a legitimate educational interest/goal

21. Q&A Ms. June Reinert Disability Resource Services 785-6900 Mr. Scott Rohde Chief of Campus Police 789-9000