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BASIC PROGRAM INFORMATION

Development of the Student of Concern Program

The Student of Concern program was developed in the spring of 2005 to assist students who may be having difficulty adjusting to the UT community or who may need additional support to be successful in the University environment.

Goal of the Student of Concern Program

The goal of the Student of Concern Program is to identify students in our community who appear to be troubled or troubling and intervene before the student reaches a crisis level.

To this end, we require the support and participation of students, staff, faculty and parents to provide information to the program. The Student of Concern committee includes, as needed, members of the Baccalaureate Experience, International Programs, Health and Counseling Center, Campus Safety, Residence Life and the Dean of Students Office. The committee can then evaluate the information and determine the most appropriate way to work with the individual student.

How the Student of Concern Program Operates

An initial report comes to a staff member in Operations and Planning, Dean of Students, Campus Safety, Health and Counseling Center or Residence Life. A specific Student of Concern report is available on this Web page as well as the Dean of Students, Office of Student Conduct, and Health and Counseling Center Web pages. This report is then forwarded to the committee for evaluation.

The Students of Concern committee is made up of the following members:

The Student of Concern Committee members may include, but are not limited to; Office of Disabilities staff, a student’s academic advisor, Advising Office staff, a student’s professor(s), Campus Safety officers, campus counselors, Dickey Health and Wellness Center staff and the dean of students. Monnie Wertz, assistant to the vice president of operations and planning, serves as the chair.

In the majority cases, an initial letter is sent either asking the student to meet with a specific member of the Student of Concern Committee. Additional information may be requested prior to these meetings from a student’s advisor, residence life staff, professors and/or athletic coaches to provide context and verify concerning behaviors.   

At this initial meeting, the student is presented with the reason for the concern and the situation is discussed. The majority of students are relieved to discuss their situation and grateful for intervention efforts. Occasionally, students are resistant to intervention so the situation is then further evaluated. In rare instances, it is necessary to invoke the Involuntary Withdraw Policy.

Parent involvement is not standard in these cases but, in more serious cases, parents may be notified. We attempt to partner with parents to make the best decisions for their student’s health and welfare. Families have also participated by referring their students to this program.

Students of Concern data is considered confidential and FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) protections would apply to all records kept by the University.

For additional information, please contact Monnie Wertz, assistant to the vice president for operations and planning, at mhwertz@ut.edu or (813) 257-3757.