From Crisis to Commencement

1. From Crisis to Commencement Student Emergency Services Office of the Dean of Students The University of Texas at Austin Presented by: Christa López Associate Director of Student Emergency Services

2. Objectives • Engage the audience in a dialogue surrounding how to better support the ever-increasing student crisis needs. • Outline a creative and innovative office approach to helping students navigate from crisis to commencement.

3. Exercise • Break up into groups of 4-5 individuals. • You will be presented a scenario and as a group discuss how you would address this concern currently at the institutions you represent (based on your current role). • Prepare to share what are some common resources shared. • Prepare to share where the “gaps” in the system might be.

4. Scenario A Teaching Assistant calls your office and states that there is a student who is talking about people following him. He states that he cannot submit his course work due to security breaches in his computer and that he’s concerned that people are listening in on his cellphone and have ways to hack into his computer. He’s been noticing the same people following him around campus. Finally, he shared with a faculty member that he believes the CIA is also watching him. Faculty are concerned about safety.

5. Sharing • Be sure each person in the group shares how this would be addressed on their own campus. • Have one representative share two things that the various campuses shared in common as their approach and two approaches that might have snags. Would any campuses foresee the student getting lost in the system? Are there any campuses out there with ‘silo’ approaches?

6. UT Austin’s Student Emergency Services Services: Types of Crises/Emergencies: • Apartment fires • Student death • Financial emergencies • Natural disaster affects • Missing students • Sexual assaults/harassment/misconduct • Stalking/harassment • Interpersonal violence • Illness/injuries • Family emergencies, death of a relative • Addresses student-related crisis/emergencies • Helps identify campus and community resources • Provides student advocacy • professor notifications of absences) • Offers outreach and support to students • Manages a student emergency fund • Operates the Behavior Concerns Advice Line • Performs threat assessment (Behavior Assessment Team) • Crisis Intervention Response Team • Major campus safety issues – bomb threats, etc.

7. SES Office Structure • Office of the Dean of Students • 5 full-time staff: 24/7 support • Associate Dean • Assistant Director • 3 Coordinators: • 2 Housing Liaisons • 1 Police Liaison • Emergency Duty Team • Staff within the Office of the Dean of Students who serve as back-up when the SES Team is not available during the regular work day.

8. Behavior Concerns advice Line • Created in August of 2007 • 24/7 resource line to report and document behavior concerns • Access through phone and online submissions • Addresses student, faculty and staff related concerns: • Odd behavior • Concerning essays • Classroom disruptions • Partnership with: • Office of the Dean of Students • University of Texas Police Department • Counseling and Mental Health Center • Employee Assistance Program • Campus Safety and Security/Emergency Preparedness

9. BCAL Statistics 5-Year Comparison

10. Types of STUDENT-RELATED calls

11. The YEARLY cycle

12. Types of Faculty/staff RELATEDBCAL calls

13. Student Death

14. SES Incident/cases

15. Emerging Practices • Continued collaboration: Dean of Students, VPSA, President/Provost’s office, academic affairs, behavior assessment team, employee assistance programs, housing, campus police, counseling center, health services, international office, financial aid, parents association, etc. • Use of technology for emergency response, assessment, and services: online chat feature, BCAL online form, Spokeoand social media (track online activity). • Continued trainings to faculty, staff, and students: Threat Assessment Conference (2012) at UT Austin.

16. Scenario wrap up • How the scenario would play out with the UT-Austin SES/BCAL system. • Who could be key partners? • Case management • Helpful tools

18. LEVEL OF CONCERN LOW MODERATE HIGH Disruptive Behavior • Not the first time I have had a concern regarding this person’s behavior • Threat implied or issued in a vague manner, such as, “you’ll be sorry” or “I don’t care if I live any longer” • Threat through verbal or electronic medium • Quick change in disposition or behavior • Multiple incidents • Multiple concerns from the “low” to “moderate” continuum • Access to or potential to access weapons • Clear direct and specific threat • No direct threats made • 1st time I have had concerns regarding this person • Makes others uncomfortable but nothing specific EXAMPLES OF BEHAVIORS • Excessive eye rolling • Constant interruptions • Irrelevant discussions • Annoying behaviors • Interference in other’s learning or work duties • Continuation of low level behaviors even after addressed • Threatening and posturing in intimidating manner • Hate speech • Active violence • Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL):512-232-5050 • BCAL: 512-232-5050 • Student Judicial Services (SJS): 512-471-2841 UTPD: 911 Then later follow up with BCAL (and SJS if warranted) Student Emergency Services, 2011 We encourage faculty and staff to address behavior independently, however BCAL is available to you, as needed, to address issues of concern and discomfort.

19. Contact information • Student Emergency Services: • Phone: 512-471-5017 • Email: studentemergency@austin.utexas.edu • Website: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/emergency/ • Christa López, M.S. & M.A. • Direct Line: 512-232-2984 • christa.sandelier@austin.utexas.edu