As A Frequent First-Stop for Students, Faculty and Staff Members Are Key to Student Support & Success.
SOU faculty and staff are in a unique and important position to assist students in distress as they may be the first person to see something distressing in a student or be the first one a student speaks with about an issue.
The Dean of Students supports SOU faculty and staff and has team members who are well-versed in student behavior, educational outcomes, and university resources. Please contact the Dean of Students with any questions about students, including behavior in the classroom, potential Student Code of Conduct violations, or students’ general welfare.
This is meant to be a quick reference guide and is not a fully-inclusive list. If you sense any difference or change in a student that concerns you, don’t hesitate to submit a Cares Note.
Academic Indicators
- Sudden decline in quality of work and grades
- Repeated absences
- Disturbing content in writing or presentations (e.g., violence, death)
- You find yourself doing more personal rather than academic counseling during office hours
- Classroom disruptions
Safety Risk Indicators
- Unprovoked anger or hostility
- Making implied or direct threats to harm self or others
- Academic assignments dominated by themes of extreme hopelessness, rage, worthlessness, isolation, despair, or suicidal ideations/violent behaviors
Psychological Indicators
- Self-disclosure of personal distress that could include family problems, financial difficulties, depression, grief, or thoughts of suicide
- Excessive tearfulness, panic reactions, irritability, or unusual apathy
- Verbal abuse (e.g., taunting, badgering, intimidation)
- Significant and persistent mood change
- Expressions of concern about the student by peers
Physical Indicators
- Marked changes in physical appearance including deterioration in grooming, hygiene, or weight loss/gain
- Excessive fatigue/sleep disturbance
- Intoxication, hangovers, or smelling of alcohol
- Disoriented or “out of it”