This section describes the process and protections for students in extraordinary situations where a student is not acting in their own best interest and the College may need to take steps to protect the student and the institution.
The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵÍø is committed to the well-being and safety of all its community members. Therefore, a student may be involuntarily withdrawn from the College if it is determined that the student presents a danger to self or others. Decisions for involuntary withdrawal will be made by the Dean of Students. A decision for involuntary withdrawal will only be made after less drastic measures have been considered and rejected as inappropriate or insufficient under the circumstances. Prior to any involuntary withdrawal, a student will be encouraged to withdraw voluntarily.
This policy does not take the place of disciplinary action for a student’s violations of College policy. This policy is to be invoked only in extraordinary circumstances where it is determined that other policies are inadequate or inappropriate.
The standard for involuntary withdrawal is clear and convincing evidence that the student represents a danger to self or others. Examples of such circumstances include, but are not limited to, students threatening other individuals with severe bodily harm, students who are not able to care for their own basic needs to the extent that their lack of self-care represents a threat to the health of the campus community, and/or students exhibiting extremely bizarre or destructive behavior. This policy may not be used to involuntarily withdraw a student simply because they exhibit eccentric or unusual behavior.
Prior to involuntarily withdrawing a student, the College may require that the student undergo a mandatory assessment. The evaluation will not be required if such an assessment will not be helpful in arriving at a decision.
A student who is being considered for involuntary withdrawal shall be notified in writing by the Dean of Students or designee. If the student would like to request a meeting with the Dean of Students, they must request a meeting in writing within 48 hours of the initial notification. If a student requests a meeting, it will be conducted as soon as possible, but no later than five business days after the request is made, unless both the student and the Dean of Students agree that a further postponement is necessary. While the meeting is pending, the College may, for safety reasons, prohibit the student from being on campus or limit other student privileges or access to College facilities or resources.
The meeting generally shall be conducted in accordance with the administration hearing process set forth in Section 3.11 above. Thus, the meeting will be informal and formal rules of process and procedure and rules of evidence will not be used. The student may bring a parent, an advisor, or a mental health professional to the meeting. The student will be allowed to present any evidence that they believes demonstrates that involuntary withdrawal is not necessary; however, the Dean of Students may decline to hear evidence that is irrelevant or redundant. If a student fails to appear at a scheduled meeting, the Dean may reschedule at his or her discretion.
If the College decides that involuntary withdrawal of a student is necessary, the student may appeal in writing to the Assistant Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services. Such an appeal must be filed within three business days of the notification that the student is being involuntarily withdrawn. Within three business days of the receipt by the Assistant Vice President of a notice of appeal from a student, both the Dean of Students and the student will submit written reports to the Assistant Vice President for their review. The Assistant Vice President will make a decision as soon as possible, but no later than one week after the receipt of the written reports from the Dean of Students and the student. The decision of the Assistant Vice President will be final.
If a decision is made by the College to involuntarily withdraw a student, the Dean of Students shall immediately prepare a list of offices to be notified of the decision. The list shall include the offices of the Executive Vice President of Instruction and Student Services, the Registrar, the Dean of the School or College in which the student is enrolled, and Campus Security. Other offices may need to be notified as well, such as Financial Aid. Furthermore, the College may notify any person or office, both on campus or off campus, of its decision if the College determines such notification is necessary to protect the health and/or safety of either the student or third parties.
Students who are involuntarily withdrawn from the College will be allowed to petition to the Dean of Students for readmission during a subsequent term. Students who have been involuntarily withdrawn will be required to present clear and convincing evidence that they no longer pose a danger to self or others. The College may impose reasonable conditions upon students readmitted after being involuntarily withdrawn. Failure to comply with conditions may result in the student being withdrawn from the College immediately.
Students denied readmission may follow the appeal process outlined above.
The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵÍø is concerned for every student on our campus and for our entire campus community. In an effort to more effectively serve our students and our community, a number of procedures have been put in place to help reach students who may be in need of support but who are unwilling or unable to take advantage of these services.
A mandated assessment is an opportunity for the College to determine if a student is in need of help or support. The assessment involves an individual meeting with a designated staff member. Following this initial meeting, additional services may be deemed necessary by the designated staff member. These services could include, but are not limited to, referral to Crisis Management for additional evaluation, or referral to an outside agent for additional assessment.
Any College employee or student may recommend a student for possible mandated evaluation. Reports also may come from parents/family or others concerned about a student. Once the College determines that a mandated assessment is necessary, the process is set into motion.
The decision is made by a team of college officials after careful consideration of the information given and determining the best course of action.
Behaviors that may lead to a mandated assessment include, but are not limited to:
Yes, the session with the counselor is confidential. However, the student will be required to sign a release of information so that the counselor can communicate with College personnel to help make recommendations for further action. No one else will have access to any information without written permission from the student being assessed. While the initial referral to assessment is part of the student’s file kept with the Dean of Students, any counseling notes are confidential and not part of the student’s file.
Once the team has determined that a mandated assessment is needed, the student will be contacted by a representative regarding an appointment with the staff member. This will take place as soon as possible.
Yes, a student may choose to have a similar assessment completed by a licensed mental health professional with credentials comparable to those of the Counseling Services staff. The student will be responsible for the cost of this assessment and must sign a release allowing the College to communicate with the professional conducting the assessment.
The results of the assessment are provided to the Dean of Students, who will make the decision as to what actions are necessary for the student’s well-being and the College community. Possible outcomes following the assessment could include, but are not limited to, no further action required (student continues enrollment at the College), referral to the Counseling Services staff for additional evaluation, referral to outside agency for additional assessment, possible judicial intervention, or the invocation of the Involuntary Withdrawal Policy.
Yes, a student may appeal the final decision to the Dean of Students. The appeal will follow the same guidelines outlined in the Involuntary Withdrawal Policy.
If a student refuses to participate in the mandated assessment, the College may begin the process of invoking the Involuntary Withdrawal Policy.
A mandated assessment will only be one part of the overall picture of the student and will not be the sole determining factor for action taken regarding the student.