What to Do If...

Sometimes, difficult situations may occur in the classroom. The list below outlines what to do in various situations, including disruptive student behavior, violence or threats, academic dishonesty or other issues, and mental health emergencies.

What to do if:

A student has physically or verbally threatened you:

  • In an emergency, dial 911.
  • Call the Department of Public Safety.
  • File an incident report.

A student becomes violent or physically abusive:

A student is continually disruptive in class:

  • Attempt to talk to the student.
  • Write a behavior contract.
  • Talk to your Academic Dean.
  • File an Incident Report with the Department of Public Safety.
  • Consult with the Judicial Affairs and Community Standards Office (315-792-5386).

You suspect a student of academic dishonesty in your class:

  •  Consult with your Academic Dean.

A student is continually disruptive with any college employee:

  • Attempt to talk with the student.
  • Engage your supervisor in the discussion with the student.
  • File an Incident Report with the Department of Public Safety.
  • Consult with the Judicial Affairs and Community Standards Office (315-792-5386).

For all mental health emergencies:  

  • During regular business hours, the Counseling Department should be notified, and they, in collaboration with Public Safety, will manage the situation.
  • During non-regular business hours, the Department of Public Safety  should be notified and they will manage the situation. 

A student refuses to comply with reasonable instructions:

  • Talk to your School Academic Dean.
  • File an Incident Report with the Department of Public Safety.
  • Consult with the Judicial Affairs and Community Standards Office (315-792-5386).

You see or hear something that could impact our community's safety:

  • Say something: Safety and security is everyone's shared responsibility. If you see a public safety issue, tell someone. You can report concerns to the Department of Public Safety (315-731-5777) or to any College employee. If you want to report your concerns anonymously, use the Hawkeye Tip web page.

BERT: Behavior Evaluation Response Team

BERT will act as a clearinghouse for repetitive behavior that causes concern, either for the well-being of the student and/or the safety of the campus at-large. BERT will follow up with appropriate strategies as required. BERT may be able to help if you:

  1. Know a student showing signs of stress or distress
  2. Have an encounter with a student that does not rise to filing an incident report
  3. Know a student who exhibits potential behavior risks to himself/herself or others
  4. Are concerned about a particular student

Whom to Call: Don't overthink it — go with your first instinct! 

Utica or Rome Campuses — call for matters of IMMEDIATE concern (health, safety of self, others, or property); medical emergencies.

Sample Words/Behaviors

  1. Current references to suicide or homicide verbally or in writing
  2. Current verbal or written expressions of harm to self or to others
  3. "I will kill you..."
  4. "I want to die..."
  5. "I will blow up this place..."

Call for emotional crises that do not pose an immediate concern to self, others or property.

Sample Words/Behaviors:

  1. Hyperactivity or very rapid speech
  2. Tearfulness
  3. Irritability or angry outbursts
  4. Expressed thoughts of helplessness or hopelessness
  5. Isolation from friends or family
  6. References to homicide in verbal or written statements
  7. Intense emotion or inappropriate responses
  8. Statements that seem out of character or over and above what a typical response might be

BERT Help - Hawkeye Tip

Sample Words/Behaviors:

  1. Asks instructor for help with personal problems
  2. Complaints from other students
  3. Problems with roommate or family
  4. Change in personal hygiene or dress
  5. Dramatic weight loss or gain
  6. Disjointed thoughts
  7. Uncharacteristic poor performance and preparation
  8. Repeated requests for special consideration
  9. Avoids or dominates discussions
  10. Excessively anxious when called on in class
  11. Disruptive (though tolerable) behavior
  12. Suspicion that student may have a medical or other problem that interferes with the ability to learn or participate in class
  13. Persistent disruption with front-line staff

Remember that it is always more important to inform than to be overly concerned about possible outcomes.

When in doubt, call Public Safety

Anonymous Tip Line:

The campus has an anonymous tip line. Log onto www.mvcc.edu/hawkeyetip. This is a way for students, parents, faculty, and staff to report suspicious activity while remaining anonymous.

Additional News to Know:

MVCC's Utica Campus is visited regularly by a uniformed officer of the Utica Police Department (UPD). The regular UPD presence on campus, which consists of one officer and one patrol car at a time, enhances the ability of MVCC's Department of Public Safety to patrol the campus and prevent crime.

Contacts:

  • UTICA EMERGENCIES: DIAL 911
  • ROME EMERGENCIES: DIAL 911
  • Lewis Kahler, Vice President for Learning & Academic Affairs: PH395, Utica; Ext. 5301
  • Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean for Student Affairs: PH347, Utica; Ext. 5456

Contact your Academic School for more information.