Faculty & Staff Resources

Objectively describe the behaviors that you’ve noticed that lead you to be concerned: “I’ve noticed that… [describe what you’ve noticed; examples: your not participating in some of the group discussions; you’ve missed a lot of class lately; you seem really tired; some of your classwork seems less organized than prior assignments; you’re getting angry with some of your classmates; you smelled of alcohol during class today]”.

Express openly that you are concerned and why: “I’m a bit concerned because… [keep it broad; examples: this seems like a shift from what I’m used to; I know that you’re a capable person and want to do well in this class; I don’t want to see you burn any bridges with your classmates].”

Ask the student to provide context for your observations. The assumption here is that you (as professor or staff) don’t have enough information to fully understand your observations and you’re looking to the student to provide the missing context. You want to help, but you need more: “What can you tell me about this?”, “Help me understand a bit about what’s going on.”, “Does this sound familiar to you?”

Ask the student what they are already doing for support. Encourage other connections: “What are you doing to take care of yourself right now?”, “Are you connecting with some support here on campus?”, “What can we be doing to help here?”, “Where do we go from here?” , “What steps have you taken so far and how can I help?”

1. Note: It’s helpful if you are aware of certain basic resources – Academic Advising Center, Learning Assistance, Counseling Center, Disability Resources, Residence life, Truitt Center.
2. Our office is also a resource: “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to connect you with one of my friends over in the Dean of Students Office. They are great at working with students who are dealing with some extra difficulties and have a lot of connections to work with. Can I connect you over email or share your information with them to get things started?”

In almost all cases, please plan to meet again with the student, simply to check in. This does two things: it emphasizes that you really do care, and it creates a subtle hint of accountability for some of the planning steps suggested: “I’d like to get back together with you in a few days to see where things are.”

Send them a note to meet during office hours or before class begins. Share your observations and ask for their feedback on their performance.

• Highlight important (and free!) options that can assist with organization, study skills, and content knowledge:
  • Learning Assistance Tutors can help students prepare for classes, organize their assignments, manage time, and find new study paths.
  • Numerous other academic support resources are available through Learning Assistance, including drop-in or appointment-based tutoring, peer success coaching, supplemental instruction, and accountability groups.
• Encourage use of other resources based on unique circumstances:
  • For students who disclose a disability (medical/mental health), strongly encourage them to connect with Disabilities Resources. Classroom accommodations can assist in creating an equitable classroom environment for the student.
  • For students experiencing anxiety or other mental health needs, encourage regular connection with a counselor. Elon offers as-needed TimelyCare virtual appointments and in-person counseling through Counseling Services.

• E-warnings are reviewed by advisors who can assist in connecting with the student. Students receive a copy that includes a summary of the resources above. Information on how to submit an e-warning can be found under the Academic Early Warning section of Academic Advising’s Student Well-being page.
• E-warnings are assessed for patterns – students with more e-warnings get noticed faster and outreach can occur. Without e-warnings, there is no basis to know if a student might need individualized outreach.
• While some faculty share concerns that an e-warning feels too formal, we strongly recommend faculty submit e-warnings as often as possible when concerns arise.

• Students who are at risk of failing the class should strongly consider a course withdraw. All course withdraws must occur before the course withdraw deadline.
• Students who are at risk of failing all or most of their classes for medical, mental health, or hardship reasons should consider a leave of absence (withdraw from all classes).

Faculty are encouraged to develop classroom policies that encourage pro-active communication. These can be policies that impact student grades based on late assignments, missed classes, or simply poor performance. Below, we included some sample syllabus policies that strongly encourage communication:

• Missed Classes: “Any student who needs to miss a class for unavoidable, extraordinary circumstances must notify me prior to the start of class. Any absence regardless of reason or excuse (but with an exception for incapacitation) that occurs without prior notification is considered unexcused and will result in a X-point deduction from the student’s final grade.“
• Missed Quizzes and Tests: “Any student who will miss a quiz or test for unavoidable, extraordinary circumstances must notify me prior to the start of class in order to schedule a make-up opportunity. All missed quizzes or tests must be made up within X class periods of the student’s absence in order to obtain full credit. Failure to schedule or make up a missed quiz or exam within X class periods will result in a zero for that quiz or test.
• Late Coursework: All assignments are due by the start of class on the date indicated in the syllabus. No late assignment will be accepted without an email from the student before the start of class sharing that the assignment will be turned in after the deadline. Grading for late assignments: assignments turned in after the start of class will immediately have X% of the total points available deducted from the grade for that assignment. Each subsequent 24 hour period following the start of class will result in an additional X% deduction in the total available points. Example: A 10 point assignment is posted to Moodle 5 minutes after the start of class. The student can achieve a maximum of N points (loss of X%). Example: A 10 point assignment is posted on Moodle 25 hours after the start of class; the student can achieve a maximum of M points (X% immediate loss + X% for each 24 hours = Y point loss). No credit will be given for final exams that are turned in late.

We encourage faculty to respond to student needs by expressing empathy while maintaining equity between the student’s needs and those of the other classmates. What seems reasonable may change based on the circumstances, but faculty should always be guided by their syllabus policies and university policies. Below are some sample empathy and balancing statements, along with a sample response in responding an incomplete request.

Sample Empathy Statements

• I’m sorry to learn that you have been dealing with some health issues this semester. Based on what you’ve described, I can see how it would be difficult concentrate…
• This sounds very serious. How are you doing right now?
• It’s important to me that you’re connected to the right resources to assist you. Who are you talking to about this? Have you considered a connection to…
• Based on what you’ve shared, I might suggest a quick connection with my friends in _____. I’ve worked with [staff member name] there several times with good success for students in the past. Should I connect the two of you over email?

Sample “Balancing” or “Accountability” statements

• “Based on everything that you’ve shared, I’m concerned about your ability to reach your potential with a grade that you would be satisfied with.”
• “Unfortunately, I’m not sure this is going to work out for this particular class.”
• “In situations like this, I have to rely on my syllabus and the academic policies.”
• “We also need to make sure we’re being fair to other students.”

Sample Combined Responses

• Medical Injury and request to miss 2 weeks of class: “I’m so sorry to hear that you had been injured; I know that concussions can be pretty serious and I hope you are getting all of the support you need right now. If you haven’t already, you might want to set up a follow-up appointment with Student Health. They will do follow-up concussion assessments and can help you communicate with your other faculty about any accommodations that might be useful. You do have a bit of cushion in our course – the syllabus policy allows you to take two absences throughout the semester for any reason (medical or otherwise). If the health center recommends a longer period of cognitive rest, I hope you will focus on your health and consider utilizing the option to withdraw from this course. That said, it may put a lot of pressure on you to be present during the remainder of the semester to avoid a deduction in your final grade.”
• Mental Health Concerns and Request for Incomplete: “Thanks for your note and for being willing to share more about some of the difficulties you faced this semester. Your health is extremely important and I’m glad to know that you are taking steps to focus on maintaining your wellness. If you haven’t already, I suggest that you consider registering with the Disability Resources office for next semester – to ensure you are getting appropriate accommodations to assist you going forward. Unfortunately, there are some limits on how I might be able to help you as we near the end of this course. Our syllabus does not allow students to make up assignments after the due date. If I were to let you do so, it would mean allowing the same opportunity for every other student, which is logistically impossible and would be unfair to those to turned their assignments in on time. In addition, Elon’s incomplete policy is designed primarily as a way for students to make up assignments due to sudden and unforeseen circumstances. As a result, I’m afraid I have to deny your request. That said, let me share a couple of important resources that could be useful”: [explains Elon’s repeat policy, medical leave policy, and retroactive medical withdrawal policy.]

Basic fairness demands that faculty make any exceptions to their classroom policies transparent and applicable to all students. Below are examples of situations that might warrant re-framing classroom policies in a way to ensure fairness:

• A student approaches you about their personal fear of public speaking (not based on a disability). You allow that student to present to the class by recording themselves in a video that will be played for the class instead. In this situation, the faculty member should announce to the class that anyone who has a fear of public speaking would be allowed to present using recorded video.
• A student has asked for and is granted an extension on an assignment because they were assisting their roommate with a personal issue. In this situation, the faculty member should announce to the class that those in need of an extension should reach out to the faculty member.

Once a referral is submitted, it is shared with staff in Student Care and Outreach and the Dean of Students Office. Depending on the circumstances, the concerns may also be shared with other professional staff who will assist in providing support. Once reviewed, an assigned staff member will typically contact the person reporting the concern to thank and update them on next steps. This typically happens within one to two business days of the referral being made. Based on the information provided, the assigned staff member may reach out to the involved student directly or work with other colleagues in Student Life to discuss the concerns that have been shared. These meetings are generally non-confrontational and are designed to help the student navigate any additional difficulties they may be experiencing. Not all referrals result in a face-to-face meeting with the student. In many situations, staff can and do provide consultation advice to the person sharing the concern and ask that they follow-up with additional resources to make sure the student is aware of appropriate campus resources.

Yes, but we’d prefer not to. Many faculty and staff express concern that a student will over-react when the student learns that a concern has been shared (perhaps by expressing anger toward the faculty/staff member individually). In most cases, this concern is unfounded and the student appreciates the concern has been expressed. Almost all students referred express their understanding that the referral was made based on a concern for them personally and because someone in the community cares enough to get them help. While referrals can be made anonymously, the fact is that sharing specific concerns with a student about their behavior is very difficult without also sharing information about the source of that information (at least generally). If you have specific concerns about how your name might be used as part of the referral conversation, please contact our office prior to submitting a referral.

In most cases, no, unless there are significant safety concerns. While some classroom disruptions can be signs of a student in distress, many are simply acts of ignorance or disrespect that do not indicate a higher level of concern. Common examples include arriving late to class, inappropriate comments or questions, and interrupting the lecture or discussion. By sharing your concerns with the student in a private setting, you’ll have an opportunity to assess whether the student would benefit from additional support. If you experience disruptive behavior that raises significant concerns for safety, contact the Dean of Students at (336) 278-7200 or our office at (336) 278-7104. Often, early intervention is the best strategy for deescalating situations that might result in violence.

Yes. Although our office maintains a very close relationship with Counseling Services and other campus resources, your referral will do two things: First, you are enhancing the odds that the student will maintain a connection with the resource provided (e.g. the student is less likely to show up once and then leave). Second, you ensure that your information is connected with other concerns shared about the student so those working with the student have a fuller picture of the issues involved. The best way to think about sharing a concern is as a way to document that you connected the student with a certain resource, in your own words. As a side note, don’t rely on a student’s assurance that they will visit with Counseling Services. Our advice is always to set up a follow-up meeting with a student to talk through how things are going and to discuss other helpful referrals.

Generally, FERPA (a federal privacy regulation) prohibits Elon from disclosing student education records (or information from student records) to anyone other than the student to whom the records pertain, unless Elon has the student’s consent or a special exception applies. This includes grades, transcripts, and records about the student’s attendance. If a parent has called and shared a concern for their student, encourage them to contact our office for guidance on how we can best support the student.

NOTE: There is one special exception worth mentioning here. Faculty and Staff are allowed to disclose student educational records to University Officials with a “legitimate educational interest” – meaning, a person at the University who needs this information to adequately perform their job functions or duties. Elon has determined that staff within Student Care and Outreach have a “legitimate educational interest” in any educational records related to students brought to their attention or when they are managing their situations. As a result, any records relating to that student (including performance, attendance, behavior in class, etc.) can and should be disclosed with our office.