The University of Arizona
e-Newsletter Header


March 2008
Volume 1, Issue 1
 

Hot Topic
Supporting Students: Signs of a Distressed Student

Hot Topic

By Veda Kowalski, Ph. D. & Marian Binder, Ph. D.

All of us interact with students in a variety of settings: in the classroom, with student workers in our classroom, or even as we walk across the mall. During these interactions we have the potential to most positively impact our students as relates to their personal safety on this campus. Our experience is that students will report to you – faculty and staff – about their college experiences, personal relationships, and just their “ups and downs” in general. But what about those moments when a student shares information that causes you to have concerns?

At the Dean of Students Office, we want UA faculty and staff to:

The Dean of Students Office also has short podcasts available to help faculty and staff support disruptive and threatening students. They are available for you online at: Disruptive students and Threatening students.

Signs of a distressed student include, but are not limited to:

In addition to behavioral signs, there are also academic warning signs. They should be taken in conjunction with behavioral issues. In our experience, you may see changes in a student’s attendance, a decline in work performance and/or missed assignments. This may be followed by a series of electronic correspondence or messages left on voice mail.

STEPS YOU CAN TAKE

It is preferable to connect with students early, before a problem escalates that may go beyond your control. Check in when you see signs of early stages of anxiety and distress. It’s important to touch base with students who are going through a difficult time and assist them in getting connected to the appropriate resources before they begin to exhibit disruptive or threatening behavior.

There are many things that you can do to manage or address distressed students’ behavior. Should you determine there is indeed a problem, assess your level of comfort when talking with students about behavioral issues. There are many situations where it is appropriate for you to meet and speak with the student. For example, if you have a student who is missing work and seems irritable in class, you can have a conversation about the missing work, which then allows you to establish concern for the student’s academic progress. During that conversation you may hear things that concern you.

Perhaps the student turns in a written assignment with suggestions of hopelessness, despair, isolation. We recommend:

Students may assume that what they share with you is confidential. In cases where their health or safety is in question, your role is to report to university police and Dean of Students for immediate follow-up for that student crisis. Do not promise the student confidentiality.

The Dean of Students Office recently hosted two open campus forms on supporting disruptive and distressed students. A member of the Dean of Students Office team will also be glad to present this and other student support measures to your department. Please contact us to schedule a presentation.

We are always available in the Dean of Students Office to offer assistance and support. Don’t hesitate to call us!

Important Student Support Information

Please help the Dean of Students Office improve its online resources. After you have listened to one of our short podcasts or viewed an online training video, we would appreciate you providing feedback by taking a 1 minute survey. Complete the survey to send us your feedback.