Blue & Gold Folder

Recognize (Potential Behaviors)

• Decline in academic performance
• Written or verbal statements with the theme of death that conveys intent to harm self or others.
• Fresh cuts, scratches, wounds.
• Withdrawal from classes, activities, friends.
• Statements of hopelessness such as, “I hate this life” or “everyone is better off without me.”

Respond (What You Can Say)

• Call 911 or 240-895-4911 if there is a potential threat to the student’s safety or the safety of others.
• Express concern and care.
• Always take suicidal statements, thoughts, behaviors very seriously.
• If you suspect a student may be suicidal, seek consultation.

Refer (Who to Contact)

• Urgent: 911
• Public Safety: 240-895-4911

Advice & Consultation

• Dean of Students: 240-895-4209
• Counseling and Psychological Services: 240-895-2159

Report (Submit a Report To)

• Dean of Students office: Submit a Concerning Behavior Referral Form 

Recognize (Potential Behaviors)

• Excessive worry, guilt, nervousness.
• Decline in academics/loss of focus.
• Physical symptoms (trouble breathing, pounding, or racing heart, numbness, tingling, sweating or chills, weakness/ dizziness, jaw pain/teeth grinding, chest/stomach pain.

Respond (What You Can Say)

• Express concern and care.
• Avoid criticizing, blaming, or sounding judgmental.
• Recommend (or if necessary, insist upon) intervention.

Refer (Who to Contact)

• Urgent: 911
• Public Safety: 240-895-4911

Advice & Consultation

• Dean of Students: 240-895-4209
• Counseling and Psychological Services: 240-895-2159

Report (Submit a Report To)

• Dean of Students office: Submit a Concerning Behavior Referral Form 

Recognize (Potential Behaviors)

• Acts that demonstrate bias on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law

Respond (What You Can Say)

• Express concern and care.
• Listen to the student's responses.
• Avoid criticizing, blaming, or sounding judgmental.
• Encourage the student to save photos, communications, or other evidence of bias.
• Don’t remove any evidence prior to reporting

Refer (Who to Contact)

• IDEAA; Michelle Carter: 240-895-4105

Advice & Consultation

• Office of Inclusive Diversity, Equity, Access & Accountability (IDEAA): 240-895-2225; OIDE@smcm.edu
• Dean of Students: 240-895-4209

Report (Submit a Report To)

• Submit a “Bias Prevention and Support Team Report” form

Recognize (Potential Behaviors)

• Internet flaming, trolling, name- calling, or harassment.
• Threats to release private information/photos.
• Identity theft, account hacking.

Respond (What You Can Say)

• Express concern and care.
• Encourage the student to update passwords and privacy settings.
• Encourage the student to keep a log of the bullying/harassing behavior.

Refer (Who to Contact)

• Public Safety: 240-895-4911
• Office of Information Technology (OIT): 240-895-4357

Report (Submit a Report To)

• Dean of Students office: Submit a Concerning Behavior Referral Form
• Submit a work request ticket on the OIT website.

Recognize (Potential Behaviors)

• Student mentions struggling due to a disability.
• Student expresses concerns such as difficulty reading, concentrating, or memorizing.
• Challenges with organizing tasks, homework, or deadlines; or other issues potentially related to a potential undiagnosed accessibility issue.

Respond (What You Can Say)

• Express concern and care.
• Listen to the student's responses.
• Avoid stigmatizing behaviors such as criticizing, blaming, sounding judgmental, overly emphasizing, or minimizing the situation.
• Provide the student with a referral to the Office of Accessibility Services.
• Be supportive and encouraging.

Refer (Who to Contact)

• Office of Accessibility Services: 240-895-2234

Advice & Consultation

• Dean of Students Office: 240-895-4209

Report (Submit a Report To)

• Dean of Students office: Submit a Concerning Behavior Referral Form

Recognize (Potential Behaviors)

• Unwarranted interruptions.
• Slurs/other forms of intimidation.
• Rude or abusive behavior.
• Failure to follow directions.

When to call Public Safety for assistance:

• Throwing items, refusing to leave, threat of harm to self or others, preventing others from leaving, physically abusive behavior, showing or stating the presence of a weapon.

Respond (What You Can Say)

• Call 911 if there is a potential threat to the student’s safety or the safety of others.
• Express concern and care..
• Explain the impact of the student’s behavior on the group/class
• Outline your expectations verbally and in your syllabus.
• Help students explore options and alternatives such as the Dean of Students Office.

Refer (Who to Contact)

• Urgent: 911
• Public Safety: 240-895-4911
• CAPS: 240-895-2159

Advice & Consultation

• Dean of Students: 240-895-4209

Report (Submit a Report To)

• Urgent: 911
• Public Safety: 240-895-4911
• Dean of Students office: Submit a Concerning Behavior Referral Form

Recognize (Potential Behaviors)

• Frequent or extended absences.
• Decline in academics.
• Mentions family, financial, or other challenges.
• Difficulty concentrating or making decisions for themselves.
• Exhaustion/fatigue.
• Excessive worry, eating problems.
• Inability to complete work due to not having required textbooks.

Respond (What You Can Say)

• Express concern and care.
• Listen to the student's responses.
• Avoid criticizing, blaming, or sounding judgmental.
• Provide the student with resources to the Dean of Students or Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA).
• Be supportive and encouraging

Refer (Who to Contact)

• Office of Student Financial Assistance: 240-895-3000
• Dean of Students Office: 240-895-4209

Report (Submit a Report To)

• Dean of Students office: Submit a Concerning Behavior Referral Form

Recognize (Potential Behaviors)

• Communications that continue after being told to stop.
• Threats to release private information/photos.
• Display of sexually suggestive pictures or cartoons in workspace, res halls, or online.
• Verbal/sexual abuse flirtations.
• Demand for sexual favors accompanied by implied threat to academic status.

Respond (What You Can Say)

• Express concern and care.
• Call 911 if there is a potential threat to the student’s safety or the safety of others.
• Identify resources such as Title IX, Public Safety (for safety planning), Dean of Students.
• Encourage the student to save copies of all communications including texts, voicemails, and pictures.
• Avoid promising confidentiality.

Refer (Who to Contact)

• Urgent: 911
• Public Safety: 240-895-4911
• CAPS: 240-895-2159
• Title IX: 240-895-4105

Advice & Consultation

• Title IX Office: 240-895-2021
• Dean of Students: 240-895-3112

Report (Submit a Report To)

• Title IX: titleix@smcm.edu
• Public Safety: 240-895-4911

Recognize (Potential Behaviors)

• Withdrawal from activities, friends
• Exhaustion, fatigue.
• Significant change in appearance or hygiene (wearing embarrassing or humiliating attire).
• Verbal/sexual abuse flirtations.
• Visible injuries, cuts, or branding (symbols, initials, Greek letters).

Respond (What You Can Say)

• Express concern and care.
• Call 911 if there is a potential threat to the student’s safety or the safety of others.
• Remain calm. Showing outrage may cause the student to shut down.
• Avoid criticizing, blaming, or sounding judgmental.
• Listen to the student’s responses.

Refer (Who to Contact)

• Dean of Students: 240-895-4209
• Public Safety: 240-895-4911

Report (Submit a Report To)

• Dean of Students office: Submit a Concerning Behavior Referral Form

Recognize (Potential Behaviors)

• Mentions crisis or concern.
• Decline in academics.
• Difficulty concentrating.
• Excessive worry.
• Sleeping, eating problems.
• Disengaged.
• Mentions concern about visa or immigration status.

Respond (What You Can Say)

• Express concern and care.
• Avoid criticizing, blaming, or sounding judgmental.
• Be supportive and encouraging.
• Listen to the student’s responses.

Refer (Who to Contact)

• Office of International Education: 240-895-4202
• Office of Student Success Services: 240-895-4388
• Dean of Students: 240-895-4209

Report (Submit a Report To)

• Dean of Students office: Submit a Concerning Behavior Referral Form

Recognize (Potential Behaviors)

• Decline in academics.
• Lack of peer engagement.
• Excessive worry.
• Sleeping, eating problems.
• Exhaustion, fatigue.
• Mentions lack of a social circle.
• Statements such as “I don’t have any friends here,” “no one understands me,” or “I don’t go to the dining hall or events because I don’t want to go alone.”

Respond (What You Can Say)

• Express concern and care.
• Provide the student with resources.
• Avoid minimizing the situation.
• Invite the student to lunch.
• Suggest a campus event or student organization.
• Be supportive and encourage the student to connect to resources.

Refer (Who to Contact)

• CAPS: 240-895-2159

Advice & Consultation

• Office of Student Success Services: 240-895-4388
• Dean of Students: 240-895-4209

Report (Submit a Report To)

• Dean of Students office: Submit a Concerning Behavior Referral Form

Recognize (Potential Behaviors)

• Frequent absences.
• Decline/struggle in academics.
• Noticeable weight loss or gain.
• Hair loss; pale or gray skin tone.
• Difficulty with time management, following directions, or organization.
• Unusual or secretive eating habits; obsession with fat/caloric content.

Respond (What You Can Say)

• Call 911 if there is a potential threat to the student’s safety or the safety of others.
• Express concern and care.
• Listen to the student.
• Avoid being judgmental.
• Recommend medical intervention.

Refer (Who to Contact)

• Health Services: 240-895-4289

Advice & Consultation

• Office of Student Success Services (OS3): 240-895-4388
• Dean of Students Office: 240-895-4209

Report (Submit a Report To)

• Dean of Students office: Submit a Concerning Behavior Referral Form

Recognize (Potential Behaviors)

• Frequent or extended absences.
• Decline in academics.
• Mentions relationship, financial, or other challenges.
• Difficulty concentrating or making decisions for themselves.
• Exhaustion, fatigue, sleeping problems.
• Excessive worry, eating problems.

Respond (What You Can Say)

• Express concern and care.
• Listen to the student’s responses.
• Avoid criticizing, blaming, or sounding judgmental.
• Provide the student with resources.
• Be supportive and encouraging.

Refer (Who to Contact)

• CAPS: 240-895-2159
• Office of Student Success Services: 240-895-4388
• Dean of Students: 240-895-4209

Report (Submit a Report To)

• Dean of Students office: Submit a Concerning Behavior Referral Form

Recognize (Potential Behaviors)

• References to sexual assault or relationship violence in conversations, papers, projects.
• Visible injuries, bruises.
• Mishaps or injuries with illogical/no explanation.
• Crying or leaving when sexual violence, domestic violence, stalking, or child abuse is the topic.
• Fearful or anxious about pleasing partner/others
• Mentions partner/other’s possessiveness, jealousy, or violent behavior, but may apologize/excuse/
  laugh it off.

Respond (What You Can Say)

• Express concern and care.
• Call 911 if there is a potential threat to the student’s safety or the safety of others.
• Listen to the student’s responses.
• Remain calm. Showing outrage may shut the student down.
• Avoid criticizing, blaming, sounding judgmental.
• Don’t minimize the situation
• Provide resources for safety planning.
• Suggest medical intervention.
• Avoid promising confidentiality.

Refer (Who to Contact)

• Urgent: 911
• Public Safety: 240-895-4911

Advice & Consultation

• Title IX Coordinator: 240-895-2021
• Dean of Students: 240-895-4209

Report (Submit a Report To)

• Submit a Discrimination, Harassment, Title IX, and Retaliation Report Form
• Title IX: titleix@smcm.edu
• Public Safety: 240-895-4911