Handbook for Lecturers
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ENGLISH DEPARTMENT GUIDELINES FOR LECTURERS1
University of Massachusetts Boston Wheatley 6th floor, 617-287-6700 August, 2008
Judith Goleman, Chair Cheryl Nixon, Associate Chair Elsa Auerbach, Director of Freshman English Janet Mickevich, Department Manager
Emergency information: Please call the campus police at 911 or X7-7799. See Appendix A to sign up for the UMass emergency notification system (for campus-wide emergencies).
These guidelines address the logistics of working in the English Department—paperwork, office space, keys, photocopying, e-mail, Faculty Staff Union contract issues, benefits—as well as issues related to teaching. We hope to assign a mentor to each new Lecturer in the department who will also be able to support you with teaching related concerns. Other relevant sources of information are:
Faculty Handbook on the website of the Office of the Provost (some information on this site is applicable only to tenure track faculty): http://www.umb.edu/academics/provost/faculty_resources/facultyhandbook.html#Employment The Human Resources website: http://www.umb.edu/hr/ The Faculty Staff Union website (the union contract): http://www.fsu.umb.edu/ The schedule book for the current term (for information about the academic calendar, requirements, pass-fail deadline, course withdrawal deadline, etc.). Copies are available in the Campus Center.
Lecturers teaching in the Division of Corporate and Continuing Education (weekend, summer and off campus courses) should contact Ann Holt in the DCCE office (W-2-203; 617-287-7900) regarding logistical matters.
Getting Hired/Paid: Contract, Pay, Union Status
Paperwork, contract, and pay schedule Janet Mickevich can assist you in getting your contract set up and ready to sign. You will be asked to submit two letters of recommendation if you have not already done so. Under the immigration and naturalization law, new faculty are also required to present proof of identity and employment eligibility (social security card and drivers license) at the time contracts are signed. Once your contract is prepared, it will be sent to the Human Resources office. This process takes an average of two to three weeks after the term has started, at the end of which you will be notified by Human Resources that your contract is ready for your signature. Please provide the office staff with a 1 Adapted (with enormous thanks!) from Handbook For Lecturers, Department of Sociology, Estelle Disch current e-mail address (the one you check most frequently), home phone, work phone, cell phone, and home address.
You should know that your first paycheck may not arrive until late September. This is due to the time it takes to get new instructors into the payroll system. Paychecks are issue on a biweekly basis (every other Friday). You may opt to have your pay deposited directly into a bank account.
Salary, Status and Benefits The Faculty Staff Union (FSU) contract establishes salaries for all faculty members (including CCDE). The contract determines the probationary period for new faculty members as well. Most new hires receive benefits after having taught a specified number of courses over a specified period of time as determined by the contract. (For a copy of the current union contract, go to http://www.fsu.umb.edu/; look for the section on Non-Tenure Track Faculty [Contract Faculty]). Questions may be addressed to [email protected].
Several factors will affect your salary and benefits including: your status in the regular (“day”) unit or the DCCE unit; years of service; teaching load; and hire date (people hired after fall of 2007 have different qualifying periods for health benefits than those hired earlier). Barbara Jean Conneely is the Benefits Manager in the UMass Boston Department of Human Resources (Quinn Admin Building, 3rd Floor, Room 00076; (617) 287-5150; [email protected]). Once you qualify for benefits, please contact Barbara Jean for an orientation to the benefits options to which you are entitled. The Human Resources web page may also be useful: http://www.umb.edu/administration_finance/hr/benefits/index.shtml.
Service obligations and opportunities All post-probationary lecturers must complete some service to the Department or the University. There are a range of options for fulfilling service obligations. All lecturers (including those on probation) are encouraged to participate in grading the Writing Proficiency Requirement (an assessment of writing for all undergraduates with sixty or more credits). Other service opportunities include reading placement exams (contact Laurie Marks); serving on departmental committees (contact Judith Goleman); mentoring graduate students or more recent hires (you will be contacted about this); running for FSU office. Contact Elsa Auerbach or Judith Goleman for additional service options.
Getting Settled In: Parking, IDs, Offices, WISER
Parking If you plan to park at UMass Boston, be sure to allow yourself time to find a space and walk to your destination on the campus. Remember that traffic may be very heavy, and space may be limited, especially at the beginning of the semester. Information about costs of parking (reduced rate passes) can be found at: http://www.umb.edu/parking_transport/parking_costs.html
ID Card and Library Bar Code You will need a faculty ID card and a library bar code sticker in order to gain access to library resources and other facilities (such as computer labs). ID cards are available at the ID Office, Campus Center, third floor, Room 3401 (Student Activities and Leadership office). You’ll need to
2 bring a photo ID. The hours of the office are usually 8am to 7pm, Monday through Thursday and 8am to 5pm Friday. To confirm the hours or to ask other questions call 617-287-7957. Once you have your ID card, you’ll need to go to the circulation desk in Healey Library (inside the main entrance of the library) to get a library bar code sticker which will be placed on the back of your ID card. That number enables you to access online data bases and check out materials.
Office Assignment, Office Key, Office Hours, Security Janet Mickevich will assign you an office and order a key for you. It usually takes at least a week to get a key (in the meantime, office staff will let you in with a master key). The key opens not only your office, but the main office, computer lounge and conference rooms. You will receive a postcard notifying you where to pick it up when it is ready. You’ll be sharing an office with other Lecturers and might need to negotiate with them about office hours. Please post your name, contact information and office hours outside your office. You are advised to lock your office when you are not in it, even if you leave for just a few minutes. If you are not teaching in a particular semester you will need to remove your possessions from the office.
E-Mail Your UMB email address ([email protected]) will be activated once you obtain your UMS # and fill out the Application for a UMB e-mail account form (Appendix B of this document).
To access the web-based email: From the UMB home page (www.umb.edu) type email in the search box, or go directly to http://email.umb.edu/. Click Logon and in the domain/username box type your email name (usually firstname.lastname). Type in the password you got when you registered for e-mail and click logon.
Office Supplies Basic office supplies such as chalk, blue books, file folders, pens, paper clips, and UMB stationery can be found in the back room of the English Department office.
WISER The on-line system for handling course registration, course rosters, enrollments, grades, student degree progress, etc. is called WISER. You will be assigned a UMS number once you are in the system. To determine if you are in the system go to: https://www.umassadmin.net/isis/id_lookup/ The first time you log into the WISER system, follow the step by step directions at: http://www.umb.edu/it/info/wiser/documents/InitialWISERSign-inv3.pdf. For information on the functions of WISER Faculty Self Service, navigate to http://wiser.umb.edu and click on Wiser for faculty on the left side of the page, then on Wiser Reference Guide on the left side of the page. If you need help logging into WISER Faculty Self Service or have any other problems using it, please call IT User Services at 617-287-5220.
Class rosters are accessed through WISER; until you have a UMS number, you can ask Elsa Auerbach or Janet Mickevich to print out your roster/s for you. You should check them daily during the Add/Drop period (usually the first week of classes).
Adding students to your class can only be done through WISER. Please do not tell students that they can add your class. During the add-drop period (which is roughly the first week of the
3 semester), students may add a course online if it is not full. Send them to the English Department if there are questions about whether they can be admitted. You should know that the wait list ceases to function after the semester starts. You will receive detailed instructions about add/drop prior to the first day of class. Students can drop classes through their WISER accounts.
Getting Course in Order: Syllabus, Technology, Textbooks
Freshman English Website Instructors teaching in the Freshman English Program should peruse the Freshman English website, http://www.freshman.umb.edu/program.htm. Of particular importance are the objectives and expectations for each course. Please also note the “For Teachers” link, which explains many policies and procedures, includes course descriptions, sample syllabi, and course materials
Syllabus Suggestions Contact information: Include your contact information on the syllabus so that students can reach you (ideally a work phone number and your email address). Please respond to students in a timely manner in order to address problems and questions as they come up. Office hours: You are expected to hold regular office hours; generally this means at least one hour per week for each course that you teach. Your office hours should be on the syllabus. You may, of course, have additional hours for conferencing about papers with students. Required text/s: Specify texts that students must buy and how to access additional readings. Course description: For Freshman English courses, it is a good idea to include language from the Freshman English website on your syllabus so that students know that requirements and expectations are departmental (not your personal requirements). Attendance policy: The English Department policy is that students who exceed six absences in MWF classes and four absences in TT classes should not expect to pass the course. Specific comments about how a grade is lowered based on number of absences, and a clear statement about how lateness accumulates towards absences can help avoid problems. Clear grading criteria: Specify how much each component of the course is worth, the basis on which it will be evaluated, and the due dates. You may certainly be flexible about the dates once you set them, but for students who need to plan ahead, due dates can be a big help. Weekly reading/assignment schedule. Try to be clear about when you expect the reading to be done and the assignments turned in. Dates may be modified, but try to give a chronology. Class participation: Emphasize the importance of participation in class, and be sure to allow for various types of participation (so that students who are uncomfortable talking in class have alternatives). Writing Proficiency Requirement information: Remind students that some of their papers may qualify for submission as part of their Portfolio for the Writing Proficiency Requirement (http://www.umb.edu/academics/undergraduate/office/wpr/portfolio.html). This means that students should be reminded to save all graded papers with instructor comments. New instructors should become familiar with the writing proficiency requirement in order to answer students’ questions.
Boilerplate Language Related to Disabilities and Plagiarism University policy requires the following language to be included in each syllabus. You may edit it lightly for style, but the basic information needs to be there.
4 ACCOMMODATIONS: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 offers guidelines and support for curriculum modifications and adaptations for students with documented disabilities. If applicable, students may obtain adaptation recommendations from the Ross Center for Disability Services, CC-2-2100, 617-287-7430. The student must present these recommendations and discuss them with each professor within a reasonable period, preferably by the end of Drop/Add period.
STUDENT CONDUCT, PLAGIARISM, etc. Students are required to adhere to the University Policy on Academic Standards and Cheating, to the University Statement on Plagiarism and the Documentation of Written Work, and to the Code of Student Conduct as delineated in the Catalog of Undergraduate Programs. The Code is available online at: http://www.umb.edu/student_services/student_rights/code_conduct.html
Suggested Language Related to Academic Support Support for students who are struggling academically or who simply want to improve is available at the Office of Academic Support. For more information about available services go to CC-1-1300, call 617-287-6550, or check out this web site: http://www.academicsupport.umb.edu/
Final Exams Final exams can be given only during the scheduled final exam period. In no case may you administer a final exam during a regularly scheduled class. The Registrar’s office publishes the final exam schedule about a month in advance and it must be followed.
Reproducing course materials You are responsible for preparing and copying syllabi and other course handouts such as assignments, quizzes, and exams. Copying machines are in the back office of the English Department. The English Department has a limited budget for copying so please use departmental copy machines judiciously and only for teaching related purposes. Janet Mickevich will give you the pass code. Copies of reading packets for your class may not be funded or copied with department resources; you may use E-Reserves (see below under Healey Library) or ask students to buy a course pack through the UMB Bookstore, Kinko’s, etc. Be sure to adhere to copyright regulations in all copying. There is a copy center on the first floor of Wheatley Hall (W-1-0078, near Wheatley Auditorium; 617-287-5056) where you can copy for a fee.
Ordering textbooks Instructors in the all English Department courses may select their own textbooks; Freshman English instructors are encouraged to require students to buy a handbook as well. You can order textbooks on line (http://www.efollett.com/) or by calling Susan Lacey the Bookstore (x7-5090).
Web Support If you would like to set up a website for your class, contact Laurie Marks ([email protected]). Course websites are used for posting the syllabus and assignments, sharing student work, creating links to readings, and much more.
5 Library Resources E-Reserves are a good option for distributing course readings. Within relatively generous guidelines, you may set course readings at a rate of up to one chapter per book and up to 20 items per semester. Please submit clean hard copies without wide black margins to Mark Kolkebeck, 4th Floor, Healey Library. (The black areas burn out students’ cartridges too fast.) For more info: http://www.lib.umb.edu/reserves/faculty_index.html.
Reserve materials of books and articles are handled at the Circulation Desk. You may obtain request forms to put books on Library Reserve there. You can put personal books and/or library books on reserve. In some cases, the library will purchase books for reserve if needed with advance notice.
Library guides, tours, and instructional technology classes can be arranged by [email protected]. In addition, the library has a number of computer labs, resources to support faculty web page development, and other support services.
Films are available through the Healey media collection. To search the holdings or to reserve a film go to: http://www.lib.umb.edu/media/.
Smart Classrooms Most classrooms on the main campus have VHS/DVD consoles and computer hookups. You’ll need to visit the media services office in the building where you are teaching in order to learn the code for opening the console (usually all classrooms in a particular building have the same code). If you need to borrow a laptop for use in the classroom, you’ll need to reserve it, well in advance. Locations: Wheatley, First floor, room 039; McCormack, 2nd floor, room 00112. If you have to borrow a TV and DVD/VHS player, allow time to pick it up and return it to the media lab.
Procedures and Policies: First Day Procedures, Grading
Finding Your Classroom The numbers on rooms in Wheatley Hall (where you are most likely to be teaching if you are on the main campus) are confusing. Please leave extra time to locate your classroom the first time you look for it. A typical classroom code would be: W-1-028. The first letter represents the building (e.g., W = Wheatley where most English classes are held); M = McCormack); the first number is the floor and the last number is the room number.
Change of Classroom If you are having a problem with your room and/or equipment, please contact Janet Mickevich. You may not change your classroom without permission. In cases of emergency, the University needs to know how to find you and your students.
First day procedures for Freshman English: Instructors of Freshman English courses are expected to use a common writing prompt to assess the accuracy of students’ placements on the first day of class. You will receive a packet of information several days before the start of classes with instructions, the prompt, bluebooks and other instructions for the Add/Drop period.
6 Grading UMB grades range from A (4.0) to F with interim steps between grades: A, A-, B+, B, B-, etc. D- is the lowest passing grade. See below for more information on grading, including the grade of “Incomplete.” Entering grades is done through WISER. You will receive an email message from IT explaining how to enter grades toward the end of the term.
NA Grades: After Add/Drop is over, you will receive a request to notify the Registrar of any students who are on your roster but have never attended any classes. Those students will receive a grade of NA (Not Attending). A grade of NA has no effect on the student’s grade point average; it simply indicates that they did not attend the course in which they had been formally enrolled.
Pass-Fail Deadline and Course Withdrawal Deadline: Students who are not performing at an acceptable level in your class usually have two options—to take the class pass/fail (P/F) or to withdraw from the course. The deadline for doing so happens in early November or early April. Check the Academic Calendar for the exact date. You should be sure to assign and return at least one or two major graded assignments before the Course Withdrawal deadline so that students know where they stand.
Pass-Fail means that the student can earn as low as a D- and still pass the course. The “P” grade does not affect the student’s GPA. If a student fails, however, the F does affect the GPA. However, there are exceptions to the P/F option since some courses may not be taken P/F. Freshman English courses technically can be taken P/F but students should be strongly discouraged from doing so. Students are allowed to take up to one P/F course per semester until they reach a maximum of 8.
Course Withdrawal means that the student started a course but did not finish it and receives a grade of W. Faculty members may encourage students who are missing too many classes, not completing assignments, and/or doing inadequate work to withdraw. Please see below for strategies for working with struggling students. Withdrawing from a course can sometimes cause difficulties for the student. In some cases, it might interfere with the student’s financial aid; any student considering withdrawing should check with the Financial Aid office before doing so. In others, it might make the student ineligible for inclusion on his or her parents’ health insurance policy if full-time status is a requirement.
Grade of Incomplete may only be given when students in good standing who have completed all work satisfactorily are unable to meet a last assignment or small portion of work for a credible reason. In all cases where you grant an INC, you and the student must fill out a contract regarding what works needs to be completed and by when. Janet Mickevich has INC forms. All grades of INC automatically turn into an F if the work is not completed within one year from the end of the term in which the student received the INC. Here is the wording of the official University policy. Feel free to show it to students if necessary and/or to include it on your syllabus:
The incomplete (INC) grade is reported only where a portion of the assigned or required class work, or the final examination, has not been completed because of serious illness, extreme personal circumstances, or scholarly reasons at the request of the instructor. A
7 student who would fail the course regardless of the missing work will not receive an incomplete, but will fail the course.
A student wishing to receive the INC grade must obtain the instructor’s permission and must fill out the “Grade Incomplete” form, available from the appropriate departmental office. A student receiving the grade of Incomplete is allowed one full year in which to complete the course. The new grade must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office by the grading deadline for that semester, i.e., by the end of the next fall semester for fall incompletes; by the end of the next spring semester for spring incompletes. The grade for any course not completed by this deadline will be converted to the grade of “F”, and the student will not be allowed to complete the course. http://www.umb.edu/admissions/ugrad_catalog/standardsregs.html
If you choose to average missing work into a student’s final grade as a zero rather than giving an INC and the student later completes the missing work, you may change the grade by submitting a Change of Grade Form (available in the Department Office) if you are willing to read late work.
Absence from Class If you are faced with illness or other emergency and unable to attend class due to illness or emergency, please notify both your class and the English office (617-287-6700) for cancellations on campus during the week; someone in the office will post a sign on your classroom door. Notify the DCCE office if you cannot attend a DCCE class. If you must miss more than one class, please contact Elsa Auerbach (for Freshman English courses) and Cheryl Nixon for others; they will assist in finding replacement teachers.
Evaluation of Faculty, Continued Employment and Promotion
Annual Faculty Reports All instructors, whatever their status, are required to fill out an Annual Faculty Report (AFR) at the beginning of September if they have taught during the previous year. This means that you must keep copies of syllabi and all assignments during the current year if you are a new hire for review by the following year’s Departmental Personnel Committee. Notices about AFR due dates and a link to the AFR form via e-mail are sent in August of each year. There is a special AFR form for non-tenure track faculty. Submitting your AFR is mandatory: AFR evaluations are used to determine rehiring and merit pay. AFR forms must be submitted by the deadline. If you have any other materials or information related to your teaching, mentoring, scholarship or service, please feel free to include them as well. Student evaluations of your teaching are essential to our assessment of your teaching (see below). Lecturers who receive benefits are also evaluated on the basis of service to the Department or University.
Continued Employment The Dean of the College of Liberal Arts allocates a fixed number of sections to the department each term. Sections are assigned in accordance with FSU guidelines, based on seniority, and course- specific expertise. Each term the Director of Freshman English and the Associate Chair distribute schedule requests for the following term. Please fill out the form if you are interested in continued employment. We will attempt to meet your schedule and course preferences if possible. Whether or not a given course actually runs depends on enrollments. If a course is under-enrolled, it may be
8 canceled close to the beginning of the term. If sections are canceled, instructors are let go based on seniority and course-specific expertise. While we make every effort not to cancel all sections of any given instructor, at times this may be necessary.
Merit Raises Each year the department reviews lecturers’ AFRs, course evaluations, and teaching materials to make recommendations for merit-related increases in pay. These are in addition to the across-the- board increases negotiated by the Faculty Staff Union.
Promotion to Senior Lecturer The most recent contracts negotiated between the Faculty Staff Union and the University have designated a limited number of long-term Lecturers as eligible for promotion to Senior Lecturer. The primary criteria for promotion are seniority and good teaching.
Student Issues
Resources for students who are struggling academically Before referring a student for outside help, try to talk with the student to find out what is going on. The following resources are available:
Tutoring. Every section of Freshman English will have a tutor assigned to it. Tutors will contact you after the second week of class to introduce themselves, get a copy of the syllabus, and make an appointment to visit your class The Office of Academic Support (Campus Center, first floor, area 1300; 617-287-6550) offers support for reading, writing, and critical thinking plus workshops on study skills, exam taking, and time management. Sometimes they can provide tutors for students in non-composition courses as well. They offer walk-in writing workshops usually several times a week starting a few weeks into the semester. The University Advising Center (CC-1-1100) has an assigned advisor for every incoming student. Students should make appointments to meet with their advisors. The Student Referral Program will send forms about a month into the term to solicit names of students who are performing badly or are otherwise having difficulties. The program will try to contact the student and help him/her address the issues that are interfering with school performance. This does not always work, but the University likes to at least try. Contact: Linda Hamilton (CC-1-1100; 617.287.5500); [email protected].
Plagiarism Please be sure to discuss the concept of plagiarism in every class you teach. Be aware that plagiarism is a culture-specific concept which students who come from non-.U.S. educational systems may be unfamiliar with. Be careful to explain what constitutes plagiarism (along with citation practices). You may want to develop an assignment for first year students related to the university policy about plagiarism: http://www.umb.edu/student_services/student_rights/code_conduct.html
If you suspect that a student has plagiarized, make a copy of the student’s entire paper (not only the section that concerns you) before returning it to the student. Then meet with the student to discuss
9 the matter. See Elsa Auerbach for a copy of the boilerplate language for documenting and reporting the plagiarism.
Conflicts, Distressed Students, Distressing Students Never meet alone with a student if you feel unsafe. If you are having a conflict with a student and cannot easily resolve it yourself, please see the Chair or the Director of Freshman English who will help you figure out what to do. The Code of Student Conduct (http://www.umb.edu/student_services/student_rights/code_conduct.html) describes inappropriate behavior on the part of students and includes grievance procedures. The University has recently developed a protocol for dealing with Distressed and Distressing Students. It is included as Appendix C in this document and is available in pamphlet form.
As always, feel free to discuss any concerns about students with the Director of Freshman English, the Chair or Co-chair of the department.
10 Appendix A2 Emergency Notification System February 2008 Campus phone call 911 c: 617-287-1212
Q) What is the Emergency Notification System? A) The Emergency Notification System is a communications service that UMass Boston provides for all students, faculty and staff. All students, faculty and staff can voluntarily register to receive alerts about threats of imminent danger at or near any UMB location via email, text messaging, and voicemail. This service is used in conjunction with other communication channels including public address announcements and campus-wide e-mail. The university provides this valuable service through an independent vendor Dialogic Communications Corporation http://www.dccusa.com/
Q) How do I sign up? A) As a student, faculty or staff member you automatically have the ability to logon to a secure web-based portal: https://umb.ecoporte.com/emergency/jsp/home/home.jsp Using your current email logon credentials to enter the portal- Example: first.lastname (username) do not use your full @umb.edu address your current email password (password)
Q) How will I be notified in the event of an emergency? A) The Emergency Notification System will send email and text messages from the following address: [email protected]. Voicemail messages will note the UMass Boston Emergency Notification System as the caller.
Q) Is there a cost if I sign up? A) The university is not charging students, faculty or staff for this service; however, depending on your agreement with your mobile phone provider, you may incur charges if you opt to receive text messages. Please check with your provider to understand your charges.
Q) What kind of situations will this notification process be used for? A) The university only will send you messages when circumstances arise posing a threat of imminent danger. Emergencies such as, but not limited to, fire, hazardous materials spill, or an act of violence. The system may be tested several times throughout the year to ensure effectiveness.
For more information: http://umb.edu/safety/ens/
2 (information excerpted from UMB website)
11 Appendix B Application for a UMB e-mail account
MS EXCHANGE EMAIL ACCOUNT REQUEST 1. Please type or print clearly 2. Get authorizing signature(s) 3. Return completed form to: Information Technology Quinn 01, 012A, Attn: E-mail account Name of Applicant: ______Date: ______Employee ID Number: ______Campus Telephone: ______Department: ______Campus Address (bldg/fl/rm): ______University policy requires that e-mail addresses be a true representation of the user. The standard formats are: [email protected] Example: [email protected] [email protected] Example: [email protected] Note: The username
Questions? Please email the Helpdesk or call 617-287-5220
Note: In the event that the faculty member does not have an Employee ID yet, the form must also be signed by the department head or supervisor and submitted. A short explanation should be included with the form with a brief explanation to justify the email account. (Examples: new faculty hire, Employee ID pending). If the faculty is hired under special circumstances and they will not be assigned an Employee ID, the form must be signed by the department head or supervisor and submitted along with a letter containing a brief explanation of such.
12 Appendix C Distressed and Distressing Students
University of Massachusetts Boston University-wide Safety Planning Committee If you know a student who seems to be distressed or distressing to others, take these three steps.
1 Gather information. If a student tells you he or she is personally troubled or is troubled about another student, or if you are troubled about a student, and one or more of the following warning signs are present... Psychological or physical signs, such as • extreme emotionality, high levels of irritability or hostility, indirect or overt expressions of intent to harm or kill oneself or other(s) • withdrawal, social isolation, or absence of emotion • written assignments with themes of despair, hopelessness, isolation, or intense anger • confusion or inability to make decisions • odd or bizarre speech or behavior • change in (or lack of) concentration or motivation • excessive fatigue, lack of energy, or frequent falling asleep in class • deterioration in personal hygiene or physical appearance, or noticeable change in weight • evidence of injury, such as cuts, bruises, black eyes, missing patches of hair, etc. • evidence of alcohol or drug intoxication (e.g., slurred or incoherent speech; slow verbal responses; gross and fine motor coordination difficulties; bloodshot eyes or abnormal pupil size; use of sunglasses or long-sleeves when not appropriate), or Academic signs, such as • inappropriate classroom or online behavior • deterioration in the quality of work submitted • missed or late assignments, including repeated requests for extensions • missed appointments • repeated absences from class • decrease in or lack of engagement in group- or participation-oriented classes Go to step 2.
2 Assess the level of distress. If the situation is urgent, call Public Safety immediately at 911 (campus phone) or 617.287.1212 (cell phone). The situation is urgent if the student is at immediate risk of harming self or others, is incoherent or unresponsive, or is in extreme distress or causing extreme distress to others. Stay with the student to provide support for the student and information for the officers, unless you fear that your safety might be in jeopardy. If the situation is important but not urgent—that is, if the student does not appear to be in acute and current distress, but has been showing signs of difficulty such as those listed above— Go to step 3.
13 3 Assess your relationship to the student. If you don’t know the student or you don’t feel able to deal with the student directly, on the same day (or the next business day, if the concern arose after hours), contact the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. Call 617.287.5800, or email Assistant Dean Joyce Morgan ([email protected]) and Vice Chancellor Patrick Day ([email protected]). If you know the student and feel you have the experience, ability, and time to deal with the student directly and determine what assistance may be needed, Before the conversation, • Ask the student to meet privately. • Let someone else know about the meeting (best scheduled during the regular business day) so he or she can be available to help you if necessary. During the conversation, • Let the student know what you have noticed about his or her behavior that has caused you to be worried, and express your concern. (“I have noticed that you seem very tired the past two weeks.” “I’ve noticed you’ve missed class three times in the past two weeks.”) • Do not promise to keep information confidential. • Ask open-ended questions. (“How are things going for you this semester? What’s been difficult for you this semester?”) • Listen to the student’s response. You need not be scared off by an emotional response. Talking about a problem, or labeling a crisis, does not make it worse—it is the first step toward resolving it. Be patient. Don’t give up if the student doesn’t talk easily. • Suggest a visit to the University Advising Center if you have noticed academic signs (617.287.5500), the UHS Counseling Center if you have noticed psychological signs (617.287.5690), or UHS General Medicine if you have noticed physical signs (617.287.5660). • If the student agrees to go, accompany him or her to the appropriate office or call the campus resource to let them know to expect the student and indicate whether the student should make an appointment or be seen right away. After the conversation: • Inform the person in charge of your area or department of the situation and your actions. • That day (or the next business day if the concern arose after hours), contact the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. Call 617.287.5800, or email Assistant Dean Joyce Morgan ([email protected]) and Vice Chancellor Patrick Day ([email protected]) to express your concern and inform them of your actions.
These guidelines, which were developed by a multidisciplinary task force of the University-wide Safety Planning Committee, are intended to help all members of the UMass Boston community respond wisely and consistently in situations where there is cause for concern about the well-being of students. If you have questions about the guidelines, please contact the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs (617.287.5800).
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