Learners and Learning: Dealing with Students in Crisis

Emotional distress can seriously interfere with a student's ability to perform well in class. Professors are in a unique position to recognize distressed students and intervene. This section offers links to handbooks and materials to guide professors in recognizing students in crisis and acting appropriately to help the student. Although the interventions may be specific to the colleges that created the documents below, the guidelines and procedures are universally useful.

"Dealing with Students in Crisis" (New York City College of Technology). PDF/Adobe Acrobat.
This handbook is designed to help faculty recognize students at risk of academic failure due to emotional crises and provide appropriate interventions. Crises discussed range from troubling personal issues to suicidal, violent, or threatening students.
Link: http://www.citytech.cuny.edu/files/students/counseling/crisis.pdf

Tips on Recognizing and Dealing with Students in Emotional Distress (Buffalo State College).
Tips for recognizing troubled students and suggestions for helping them.
Link: http://www.buffalostate.edu/depts/counsel/index_6.html

Identifying and Dealing with Troubled or Disruptive Students (University of Florida Center for Excellence in Teaching).
Offers ways to deal with mildly, moderately, or severely troubled students. Includes guidelines for talking with a student in distress.
Link: http://www.counsel.ufl.edu/brochure.asp?include=brochures/faculty_working_with_students_in_crisis.brochure

Tips for Faculty and Staff in Dealing with Students in Emotional Distress (California State University at Chico).
Methods for dealing with a range of student behaviors from the anxious or dependent student to the suicidal or verbally aggressive student.
Link: http://www.csuchico.edu/cnts/tips.html

Assisting the Emotionally Distressed Student (California State University, Long Beach, Counseling and Psychological Services).
Additional methods for dealing appropriately with a broad range of troubling student behaviors.
Link: http://www.csulb.edu/divisions/students2/caps/facultyguide.htm

Helping Different Types of Distressed Students (University of California at Santa Barbara, Counseling and Career Services and the Office of Instructional Consultation).
Addresses how to manage the verbally aggressive student, the violent student, the student in poor contact with reality, and the anxious student.
Link: http://www.oic.id.ucsb.edu//ta/hdbk/ta6-3.html

MSU Resources

Counseling Center: http://www.couns.msu.edu/

Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities: http://www.rcpd.msu.edu/Home/