Faculty and staff members at St. Thomas, who see students daily, have the unique opportunity to engage directly with students and can often identify students who are experiencing challenges and may need additional support.
Stress is a natural part of life and no stranger to college students. Most students cope successfully with the rigors of college life. Those who don’t tend to show signs that they are struggling in some way. You may see these signs in the classroom or other areas on campus.
If you are concerned about a student, please do not ignore your concerns. We encourage you to talk to the student or contact the CARE Team for advice and support.
Not every student will be willing to accept your help, but by being available and ready to listen, you may play an important and timely role in helping students regain the balance needed to get back on track.
Talk to the student in private when both of you have time and are not rushed or preoccupied.
Give the student your undivided attention. Often a few minutes of effective listening may be enough to help the student feel cared about and more confident about what to do.
If you feel anxious, keep your door open or meet the student in a public place.
Listen to the student's thoughts and feeling in a non-judgemental way.
If you have initiated the contact, express your concerns in behavioral, non-judgmental terms. It is important for you to directly state the behaviors you are concerned about to the student. Your follow up statement should emphasize support and concern. For example “I’ve noticed you’ve been absent from class over the last two weeks and I’m concerned,” rather than “You keep skipping class. You’re going to fail if you don’t watch it.”
Let the student talk. Your job is to listen.
Communicate understanding by repeating back the essence of what the student told you.
Try to include both content and feelings for example “It sounds like you haven’t made new friends since you’ve been here and are feeling lonely and worried.”
Assure the student that things can get better.
It’s important to help them realize there are options and things won’t always seem hopeless.
Suggest resources: family, friends, clergy or professionals on campus.
Maintain clear and consistent boundaries and expectations. You are the professor/advisor/etc., not their counselor, parent or friend.
Refer to other resources, such as the CARE Team or directly to the Center for Well-Being when:
Talk to the student in private when both of you have time and are not rushed or preoccupied.
Give the student your undivided attention. Often a few minutes of effective listening may be enough to help the student feel cared about and more confident about what to do.
If you feel anxious, keep your door open or meet the student in a public place.
Listen to the student's thoughts and feeling in a non-judgemental way.
If you have initiated the contact, express your concerns in behavioral, non-judgmental terms. It is important for you to directly state the behaviors you are concerned about to the student. Your follow up statement should emphasize support and concern. For example “I’ve noticed you’ve been absent from class over the last two weeks and I’m concerned,” rather than “You keep skipping class. You’re going to fail if you don’t watch it.”
Let the student talk. Your job is to listen.
Communicate understanding by repeating back the essence of what the student told you.
Try to include both content and feelings for example “It sounds like you haven’t made new friends since you’ve been here and are feeling lonely and worried.”
Assure the student that things can get better.
It’s important to help them realize there are options and things won’t always seem hopeless.
Suggest resources: family, friends, clergy or professionals on campus.
Maintain clear and consistent boundaries and expectations. You are the professor/advisor/etc., not their counselor, parent or friend.
Refer to other resources, such as the CARE Team or directly to the Center for Well-Being when:
If you have concerns about a student (academic or attendance), please try to communicate directly with that student before submitting an alert. You and the student are the two individuals who know the situation best, so the most effective and efficient intervention occurs between the two of you. It’s helpful to initiate that communication by letting the student know you care and are invested in the student’s success.
You can submit an Attendance Alert via Murphy online. The has helpful resources including a Faculty Guide to Attendance Alerts found in the Reference Materials of the Advising Essentials drop-down list.
Using the Academic Alert process, contact the student directly regarding absences. Discuss the impact on their learning and grade and encourage a change in behavior. Provide clear expectations about the student's ability to make up work, if applicable, and discuss remaining coursework. If absences persist, contact Academic Counseling.
You may notice that a student is not comprehending course materials or following up with the faculty's suggestion for additional help.
Response: Request that the student set up a time to see the faculty member to discuss their ability to understand course material and, as appropriate, develop a plan for remaining course work. Refer students to Academic Counseling for a comprehensive list of all tutoring options.
If you notice a student is struggling with choosing a major/minor, lacks information about curriculum requirements, needs assistance with course selection, or has not been able to connect with their academic advisor.
Response: Refer the student to Academic Counseling. If a student is undecided or needs information regarding personal preferences, refer them to the Career Development Center.
If a student wishes to withdraw from the university, refer them to Academic Counseling to complete the appropriate paperwork. If the withdrawal date is past the 100% refund period, refer the student to the Financial Aid Office and/or the Business Office to discuss financial implications and responsibilities. International students must discuss withdrawing from the university with a staff member in the Office of International Students and Scholars as it may affect their immigration status.
Often a student will share concerns about a learning disability, possible disability, or inquires about obtaining appropriate academic accommodations.
Response: The student should be referred to Disability Resources. Staff there are available to screen for a possible learning disability, make referrals for further testing, and determine academic accommodations as appropriate.
When a student wants to file a complaint regarding discrimination:
For students who have been subjected to sexual violence, harassment, relationship violence, domestic violence, or stalking and want to discuss their options or to review the policy and process for addressing incidents involving sexual violence or harassment.
Response: University personnel are obligated by law and university policy to report all suspected or alleged incidents of sexual violence or harassment.
Reports of sexual discrimination, harassment, and assault should be directed to the Title IX Coordinator:
Julie Thornton, Title IX Coordinator
Room 217, Aquinas Hall
title-ix@stthomas.edu
(651) 962-6882
The St. Thomas Title IX website has more information about Title IX at the University, including the Sexual Misconduct Policy, Online Training, and Online or Anonymous Reports of violations of the Sexual Misconduct Policy.
If a student demonstrates significant or chronic sickness/physical health issues.
Response: Talk with the student about health concerns and discuss their plan for responding to the issues. If appropriate, refer the student to the Center for Well-Being. If the student’s health issues compromise their ability to continue classes, refer the student to Academic Counseling.
When a student displays disruptive behavior in class (angry outbursts, threatening behavior, etc.) while interacting with other students or faculty or in written class assignments.
Response: Ask the student to discontinue behavior and document the details and date of this conversation. If the behavior continues, request to meet with the student outside of the class. Discuss concern with specific behavior and, if appropriate, contact the CARE Team.
In the event of violent behavior contact the Department of Public Safety and request immediate assistance.
The university may request that the student take a Behavioral Leave of Absence or withdraw from the university until they are able to demonstrate their ability perform in an academic environment. Contact the Dean of Students Office for more information.
If a student presents signs of depression or anxiety in class or in interactions with students or faculty.
Response: If appropriate, talk to the student about your concerns and the potential impact on their academic work and what is required to complete the expectations for the course. If a student brings up mental health problems directly or in written work, in a private conversation with the student ask about sources for support, identifying campus resources including the Center for Well-Being. Note that staff there are also available for consultation to faculty and staff.
If any suicidal thoughts or hopelessness are expressed by student, either in writing or verbally, consult with a staff psychologist in the Center for Well-Being.
Urgent Referrals: If a student needs to be seen immediately, contact the Department of Public Safety or the Center for Well-Being. For after hours psychiatric emergencies contact the Department of Public Safety.
In situations where a student shares significant concerns about financial issues including a large balance, a perceived insufficient financial aid package, or more general difficulty with financial management.
Response: Determine if the issue is one for the Business Office (account balance, confusion with what they owe) or for Financial Aid (an issue with financial aid package or paper work) and refer the student appropriately. If you are uncomfortable asking or unable to obtain this information, contact the CARE Team.
The Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) provides additional support for international students with financial concerns; international students should be referred to that office.
If a student expresses concern about an abusive relationship or is concerned for her/his personal safety in a more general way.
Response:
If the parent/guardian of a student has contacted you and wants to know if his/her student is attending class, requests information about grades, and/or general performance in the classroom.
Response: Explain to the parent that the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA, a federal law) prohibits university faculty and staff from sharing educational records (grades, class attendance, etc.) with anyone other than the student without permission.
Encourage the parent/guardian to discuss their concerns with the student. Explain that you are only available to discuss grades and classroom performance with their student. If the parent persists, refer to the Dean of Students Office.
When a student is having significant difficulty with their residence hall roommate.
Response: Assuming the student has already tried to resolve the conflict with her/his roommate using Residence Life procedures, refer the student to their Resident Assistant (RA) or Residence Hall Director. If the student reports this level of intervention did not resolve the matter, the student should be referred to the Department of Residence Life or the CARE Team.
Other issues or concerns not listed may include family emergencies or circumstances that may affect a student’s ability to remain in class for an extended or permanent period of time.
Response: Any concern can be brought to the CARE Team and will get a response within 24 hours.