Student Assembly

Dear President Skorton,

I would like to formally communicate Student Assembly Resolution 29, “Crisis Manager Follow Up Process”, sponsored by S.A. VP of Internal Operations Melissa Lukasiewicz. The resolution passed unanimously at our January 31st meeting.

The resolution calls for the university’s crisis management protocol to include a follow up check-in with students who experience a crisis. The follow up check-in would occur after a set amount of time following the resolution of the crisis as determined most appropriate for the specific situation. The amount of time would be determined by the crisis mangers based on their experience and any available data.

The Student Assembly commends the university for an extremely effective system that truly supports students after they have experienced a crisis. But S.A. members noted that the system could be even more effective in providing support for students and mitigating mental health issues if it incorporated a standardized follow up process. The follow up process, for instance, would be helpful in situations where student may not feel comfortable discussing a crisis immediately after it occurs. A follow up contact or check-in will ensure that the student is supported when he or she is ready to discuss the crisis and is aware of the various resources that are available on campus. S.A. members also identified other scenarios where the follow up system would help support students.

The resolution’s sponsor discussed the process in detail with Tanni Hall, Associate Dean of Students, who oversees the Office of Student and Community Support and the crisis manager system and discussed the Maxient reporting system with Dean Hubbell. Both expressed support of the formalization of such process and believe it would be beneficial to students. Furthermore, Dean Hubbell explained that the crisis managers could be alerted to either follow up with the student themselves or ensure that a relevant party follows up through a reminder in the Maxient reporting system.

Resolution 29 is attached for your reference. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Best,

Adam