Identifying the Problem:
Students can be negatively impacted by events happening in the University or greater communities even if they are not personally directly impacted. One obvious example of such an event would be a terrorist act, but other more common examples are:
the death of someone in a residence hall
death of a faculty or staff member with whom the student had interacted
a fire in a residence hall or student apartment
witnessing an act of violence
the disappearance of a student, staff or faculty member
Experiencing such events can compound the stress typically associated with the college years and bring back memories of previous losses or trauma.
Role of the Office of the Dean of Students
The Office of the Dean of Student coordinates many of the university responses to critical incidents. In the event of such an incident it would be wise to contact the Office of the Dean of Students (764-7420).
Typical Responses to Tragedy:
Shock and disbelief: feeling numb, or like such an event can't be real.
Speculating about what happened and seeking more information (listening to or watching the news, checking the web for updates, talking to others about what one knows or has heard)
Feeling sadness or anger about the tragedy and discussing this with family, friends, and colleagues.
Wanting to check in with loved ones, even if they are not close to the disaster, or in any immediate danger. It is normal to want to touch base with someone you care about.
In the hours and days following such tragedies, the shock begins to wear off, and more feelings may emerge, such as sadness and anger. It is important to share these feelings with a trusted person. For some people, the level of feelings or the kinds of questions that emerge may indicate that additional counseling support would be helpful.
How to Respond:
As a faculty or staff member you may come into contact with students who indicate that they need help with their event response. This contact with students provides the faculty or staff member with a unique opportunity to refer students to appropriate resources, often a critical factor in influencing students' academic performance. With community tragedies it is particularly helpful to remind students that fear, grief, uncertainty and anger are all normal experiences many people have following tragedies. Students can be encouraged to:
Talk with others about their feelings and experiences.
Practice good self-care such as eating a well-balanced diet, getting enough sleep and participating in some form of physical activity.
Resume a normal routine as much as possible.
University Resources:
Dean of Students 764-7420
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): 764-8312
The University of Michigan Psychological Clinic: 764-3471
The Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT): Guidance for UM Instructors Leading Class Discussion on the Tragedy of September 11, 2001
http://www.crlt.umich.edu/publinks/tragedydiscussion.html
- These guidelines can be adapted to address other types of tragedies.
Association of Religious Counselors (ARC):
http://www.umich.edu/~religion/arc/
Emergency Care when University Facilities Are Closed:
Life-threatening emergency, call 911.
Phone counseling:
Psychiatric Emergency Services (University of Michigan Hospital): 996-4747
National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-SUICIDE
Face-to-Face Evaluation:
Psychiatric Emergency Services (University of Michigan Hospital): 996-4747
