Students At Risk Committee
Why?
Coastal Carolina University maintains a “Students At Risk” Committee to identify and assist students who are at risk of failing or having to leave the university for behavioral, psychological, or health reasons.
What Students?
- Students who are struggling to maintain adequate and successful functioning or
- Students whose behaviors are disruptive to the educational environment.
Who’s on the Committee?
Regular members of the committee include:
- Vice President of Student Affairs
- Dean of Students
- Director of Residence Life
- Chief of Public Safety
- Director of Counseling Services
- Director of Student Health Services
- Director of First Year Advising
Other members of the university community may be asked to attend an occasional committee meeting when a student of concern to that individual is being discussed.
What Will the Committee Do?
- Share the identity of students with whom they are concerned with other members so that others will be aware of student needs and may be able to initiate assistance;
- Consult with one another about appropriate strategies for assisting students of concern;
- Agree upon a plan of action so that various university personnel are taking a consistent approach to assisting a student;
- Identify a “point” person who will coordinate the assistance that a particular student of concern receives;
- Determine who needs to have information about particular students of concern so that the optimum balance between offering assistance and maintaining privacy of students is achieved.
What Can Faculty and Staff Do?
- Observe student behavior. Look for:
- Unusual emotional displays
- Disruptive classroom behavior
- Excessive absence/tardiness
- Changes in typical behavior
- Repeated requests for special considerations
- Inability to get along with others
- Complaints from other students
- Disjointed thoughts
- Dramatic weight gain or loss
- Physically harmful behavior
- Reference to suicide or homicide in verbal statements or writing
- Talk to students about your concerns. The possible intervention by the “Students At Risk” Committee is not a substitute for your normal response to students.
- Make a list of behaviors that have caused you to be concerned about a student.
- Refer students to services that can help.
Staff
- Notify your director or direct supervisor of your concerns about a student. Your supervisor can offer you assistance and decide whether to take the concern to the “Students At Risk” Committee.
Faculty
- Call members of the “Students At Risk” Committee to consult about a student who concerns you.
- Contact the Vice President of Student Affairs for consultation, to request that a student be discussed by the committee, or to attend a meeting to discuss a student that may be at risk.
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