I. Purpose:
WCU utilizes a case-management based approach to actively seek out students having difficulties and/or demonstrating concerning behaviors. The Student Crisis Response Team (SCRT) meets regularly to confidentially share information and discuss students that may be having behavioral difficulties.
The Division of Student Affairs publication Helping Students is a resource to assist faculty and staff in effort to intervene and mitigate a potential student situation before it becomes a crisis.
The Student Crisis Response Team (SCRT) is charged with ensuring, to the extent possible, coordinated efforts to provide services of University Departments are made available to the involved student(s).
These services can include but are not limited to:
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Counseling and Psychological Services
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University Health Services
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Department of Student Community Ethics
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WCU Police
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Division of Student Affairs
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Women’s Center
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Local Community Resources
II. Definition of a Student Crisis to activate SCRT:
Please note: If you are concerned about a student, please call the Student Affairs office at 227-7234 and you will be directed to appropriate personnel.
Student Crisis is a designation used to coordinate clear communication, effective teamwork, and formulate an appropriate response to the situation. Examples include, but are not limited to:
A. Death, injury, or illness: in residence hall, community, at WCU-sponsored event or activity; of student or staff away from campus; of a student’s or staff’s family members; of a local, state, national, or global VIP.
B. Health or welfare-threatening situations, such as: natural disasters (e.g. earthquake, storm, loss of water or power, fire, hazardous material release, etc.); assaults (e.g. bomb threats, explosions, hostage taking, sniper/shooting, physical or sexual assaults, rape, fights, kidnapping, etc.); epidemics (e.g. measles, meningitis, hepatitis, food poisoning, flu, etc.); military actions or acts of war; missing persons; suicide attempts; civil disobedience (e.g., political or religious protests, athletic event demonstration, riots, crowd control, etc.); major criminal arrest of a WCU community member; events which could adversely alter public perception of the University or create an atmosphere of fear or unrest.
C. Or any other situation that has widespread implications for or potential impact on students, and the university community.
III. Composition of the Student Crisis Response Team:
The Student Crisis Response Team will consist of six (6) core members:
1) (Chair of Team) Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs or designee,
2) Counseling and Psychological Services
3) Director Student Community Ethics
4) Associate Director of Resident Living
5) Director of University Health Services
6) Director of University Police
This core Team will meet twice each month during Fall and Spring semesters, in addition to meetings convened immediately in response to crisis incidents. In response to specific incidents, the Chair will identify and include additional representatives of WCU departments/agencies as needed and convene the Team as appropriate.
Depending on the situation, additional members may include, but not be limited to, representatives from: Public Information, Athletics, Multicultural Affairs, Women’s Center, Facilities Management, and other departments and agencies as determined by the Chair of the Team.
IV. Reporting a Student Crisis:
A. Any member of the university community may identify, and report, a potential student crisis that would rise to the level of SCRT review.
If this is an emergency, on campus call 227-8911. Jackson County Services are NOT directly linked to WCU campus. If you call 911 from your cell phone, you will reach Jackson County Services.
B. As a result of a student crisis notification, the Chair will decide if and when (1) the Team will convene and (2) the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs will be notified.
C. The Chair of the Student Crisis Response Team, or designee, will be responsible for convening the committee and facilitating discussion on the response strategy. Members of the team will be designated to contact others who will need to be involved in the response strategy or informed about the incident. The Chair of the Team will maintain records from SCRT meetings, which will be kept on file in the office of the Chair for three years.
D. The Vice Chancellor (or designee) will be responsible for communicating the situation to the appropriate members of the Chancellors’ Executive Council, when necessary.
V. Response of Student Crisis Response Team:
A. Upon receipt of a Student Crisis under this protocol, the Chair of the Committee will place the situation on the Agenda of the next regularly scheduled meeting or, in the case of an extreme emergency, a special team meeting will be called.
B. Team members will be notified of the agenda item and bring as much inforamtion and material as possible that may have been obtained or generated during an initial response from their respective departments.
C. The Team will discuss each new case and make recommendations to provide additional services or referrals as necesary to meet the needs of the student in Crisis. The Team will designate individual team members or departments who will initiate these additional services or referrals.
D. Pending or previously discussed cases will be reviewed during regularly scheduled team meetings. These reviews will include confirmation that the services or referrals have been made and an assessment of their effectiveness.
E. While the primary mission of the Student Crisis Response Team is to insure that students are afforded the opportunity to take advantage of University and outside seervices, students are under no obligation to cooperate. However, in cases where a student in Crisis situation impacts the University Community, in terms of safety, security, or the creation of an atmosphere of fear, this refusal can be considered in recommendations of the Team to appropriate University authorities to limit the exposure of the remainder of the Community to disruptive behavior.