Subject: Helping Students in Distress

Dear Faculty and Staff:

As we greet a new academic semester, you may occasionally encounter a student who is having difficulty.  Warning signs that a student is in distress include:  nervousness, increased irritability or undue abrasive behavior, poorly-prepared work, change in attendance patterns, marked change in personal hygiene, and/or excessive social isolation with alarming behavior. If you identify these or other unusual signals in a student, we offer these guidelines in helping your students:

• Do not ignore unusual and/or inappropriate behavior.  Share specific concerns about behavior with the student as quickly as possible.  Inform the student that such behavior is distracting and inappropriate. 

• Listen to the student.  Request to talk with the student and listen carefully to the student.  While respecting the student’s privacy, consider your comfort level and personal safety.  If you choose to meet with a student in your office, you may ask a colleague to join you.

• Document your observations.  Write detailed notes about the student’s behavior and your concerns.  These notes can be extremely helpful when a student needs to be referred to another department for assistance. 

• Referral options.  If you believe that the student is in need of additional assistance, there are a variety of offices on campus to help, including:

o   The Counseling Clinic in the Human Services Building (581-3413, https://www.eiu.edu/counsctr) for students who need emotional assistance.  (If it is after business hours, please contact LifeLinks for assistance at 1-866-567-2400.)

o   The Office of Student Standards in the University Union (581-3827, https://www.eiu.edu/judicial) for students who are disruptive in the classroom.

o   The University Police Department (581-3212, https://www.eiu.edu/police/) for concerns involving public safety.  Use 911 in an emergency situation. 

o   The Medical Clinic in the Human Services Building (581-3013, https://www.eiu.edu/health/) for a health-related concern.

o   Additionally, a resource entitled “Distressed Student Handbook” is available at https://www.eiu.edu/counsctr/Distressed%20Student%20Handbook%202016.pdf.

We hope this information will be helpful throughout the academic year.  Thank you for the care, concern, and guidance that you give our students.  Please contact either of our offices at any time if you have questions about finding the right resources to assist our students.

Sincerely,

Lynette Drake
Interim Vice President for Student Affairs

Jay Gatrell, Ph.D.
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs