In cases where a student’s behavior poses an imminent threat to you or another, immediately call 9-1-1.
If you observe and/or are made aware of student behavior that leaves you feeling concerned, worried and/or alarmed, TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS and SAY SOMETHING. The Grizzly Care Team can assist with the concern and, in some cases, provide you with suggestions as to how you can assist the student directly.
As the eyes and ears of our community it is everyone’s responsibility to take action and assist those individuals who show any type of behavior that could threaten their own safety or the well-being of the campus community.
The Grizzly Care Team strongly encourages you to utilize its referral services to better serve and enhance our community. Please know the success of this process hinges on community commitment to reporting concerns.
Signs of Distress
- Falling asleep in class or other inopportune times
- A dramatic change in energy level (either direction)
- Worrisome changes in hygiene or personal appearance
- Significant changes in weight
- Frequent state of alcohol intoxication (i.e., bleary-eyed, hung-over, smelling of alcohol)
- Noticeable cuts, bruises or burns on student
Emotional signs
- Inappropriate emotional outbursts (unprovoked anger or hostility, sobbing)
- Exaggerated personality traits; more withdrawn or more animated than usual
- Expressions of hopelessness, fear or worthlessness; themes of suicide, death, and dying in papers/projects
- Direct statements indicating distress, family problems, or other difficulties
- Peer concern about a fellow student (in class, lab, residence hall, club/organization)
Academic signs
- Deterioration in quality/quantity of work
- A negative change in classroom or research performance (e.g., drop in grades)
- Missed assignments or exams
- Repeated absences from class or from research lab
- Disorganized or erratic performance
- Decline in enthusiasm in class (e.g., no longer choosing a seat in the front of the room)
- Student sends frequent, lengthy, “ranting” or threatening types of emails to instructor
- Continual seeking of special provisions (e.g., late papers, extensions, postponed exams, and projects)
It’s possible that any one of these signs, in and of itself, may simply mean that
a student is having an “off” day.
Please note, however, any one serious sign (e.g., a student writes a paper expressing
hopelessness and/or thoughts of suicide) or a cluster of smaller signs (e.g., emotional
outbursts, repeated absence, a noticeable cut on the arm) necessitates an intervention.
More information about the warning signs of common types of mental health issues can be found by accessing Navigating Mental Health Issues in College: A Comprehensive Guide.