The Daily Bulletin Archive

Two parking lot assaults last month heightened awareness of safety and crime prevention across campus. But well before the incidents occurred, one group—the Student Behavior and Risk Assessment Committee—began focusing more intently on community well-being.

The Virginia Tech tragedy last April provided the impetus for the college to take a more systemic approach to documenting and preventing crime. “At the start of the fall semester, we assembled a group of people from many areas of the college and then met weekly to discuss incidents,” said Charles Kenyon, dean of students and head of the committee. “We’re tracking incidents and connecting the dots to see if patterns emerge.”

The committee seeks to ensure that students receive appropriate counseling, support, and when warranted, discipline. Meetings are confidential, and meeting minutes do not include names. There are slightly more than a dozen appointed members on the committee, including associate deans, directors, and representatives of areas such as the Counseling Center, Residence Life, and University Police. Deans and directors made the appointments.

As the committee reviews both old and new incidents, the cases are grouped under categories. At present, six main categories of incidents have been identified: alcohol-related, disruptions, high-risk background, psychological, violence, or high-risk admission. Each incident includes a description, a risk level (low, medium, high), and planned action.

Kenyon guides the committee members with the maxim “collect, connect, and prevent.”

“We first need to collect the information about students who demonstrate that they may pose a safety risk to themselves or the campus community,” he said. “From there, we connect the information to an assessment of risk, and then aim to prevent possible harm by providing counseling, support, or disciplinary action.”

Kenyon said a similar group convened weekly for many years to address concerns about student conduct and behavior. But after the Virginia Tech shootings, representatives from each of the academic deans’ areas were added to the group, and procedures for reporting and tracking were tightened. “We made the changes with the goals of better communication to faculty and to provide the campus community with greater awareness of how to respond to potentially troublesome situations,” he said.

Currently, the deans’ “watch list” contains about 60 incidents, with the majority classified as “low risk.” The refined procedures and increased faculty representation, according to Kenyon, are resulting in faster responses to incidents and better direction for students who seek help.

Kenyon looks to faculty and staff as the first line in reporting and prevention. For example, after the initial parking lot assault on December 7, he said, the student victim first reported the incident to a professor, who consulted the department chair, who in turn contacted University Police. Through an upcoming awareness campaign, Kenyon hopes to increase response time and knowledge about resources among faculty and staff.

“We all need to act quickly whenever there is even a shadow of concern,” he said. “When someone has even a momentary hesitation of concern about what a student might do, they should contact University Police at [extension] 6333 or contact our committee. We’ll investigate to find out what’s happening. It’s best not to leave anything to doubt.”

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Resources for consultation and referral for use with students of concern:

• Emergency Response: University Police, (716) 878-6333
• Mental Health Consultation: Counseling Center, (716) 878-4436
• Conduct/Disruptive Behavior: Dean of Students, (716) 878-4618
• Students with Disabilities: Disability Services Office, (716) 878-4500