Recent shootings on the UW Seattle and Virginia Tech campuses have raised questions for UW faculty and TAs. This web guide identifies considerations for discussing these events in class, and it also identifies resources and strategies for dealing with difficult and threatening situations that you might encounter through your teaching.
Sections of this web page address:
- Talking About Recent Events
- Threats to Immediate Safety
- Threatening Situations that Emerge Over Time
Should I talk about these events in my class?
In the small world of higher education, you may have students or colleagues in the UW community who know people directly affected by either of the recent shootings. Others may have renewed concern about threatening situations in their own lives. Even those who don’t have direct connections to these events may still be profoundly affected by them. Therefore, it is important to realize that students may have strong personal responses when the topic comes up.
Many social, cultural, and political issues are raised by these two events. If these events are related to issues you’re discussing in class, remember that students' immediate reactions to the crisis or personal ties to the situation could greatly affect their participation in a class in which it is discussed. Focusing first on an analysis of events or social issues could come across to students as minimizing the profoud human loss, or as using the event as a current events example to further your class goals. Students are more likely to engage in a constructive discussion of the issues if you also acknowledge the shock and sadness that are inseparable from such unexpected and tragic events.
Research following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, indicates that students appreciated facuty initiatives to acknowledge the tragedy (Huston & DiPietro, 2007). Responses varied widely, including pausing for a moment of silence, directing students to campus resources for crisis counseling, and offering extended deadlines and extra review sessions for students who requested them. In general, students appreciated these actions by faculty, and were much more likely to express dissatisfaction with instructors who did not do anything to acknowledge what had happened.
Additional resources:
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Discussing a Crisis - Developed by the UW Center for Instructional Development and Research
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After a Crisis: Tips for Faculty and Staff - Developed by Southern Methodist University Counseling and Testing Center
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Guidelines for Difficult Discussions - Developed by the University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching
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Tips for College and University Students: Managing Your Distress in the Aftermath of the Virginia Tech Shootings - developed by the American Psychological Association
Examples of actions taken by UW Faculty and TAs
UW faculty have taken a variety of actions in their classes including taking time for a respectful observation, integrating students' questions and concerns into the class discussion, and providing information or additional resources to their students. Here are some examples of actions that have been taken:
- Observing a moment of silence in class
- Signing and sending a card to Virginia Tech students
- Asking students to write briefly and discuss questions that they had about these events
- Alerting students to campus resources for students with concerns about domestic violence
- Informing students of candle-light vigils and other memorial events that were held
- Reviewing campus safety and emergency procedures (see Addressing Vulnerability, below)
Many people in the university community are experiencing a sense of vulnerability, knowing that factors leading up to these shootings could easily have taken place in their own classrooms or dormitories. Extreme events such as these are incredibly difficult to predict or prevent, but it may be helpful to let students know what measures are in place to provide security on campus.
If you think it would be appropriate in your class, you may want to discuss what you are prepared to do if a dangerous or threatening situation occurred in class. For example,
“We can’t prepare for every possible event, but I want you to know that if someone comes in and is disruptive or threatening, I can ask that person to leave. If the situation continues, I can dismiss the class and everyone can leave. At any time we need to, we can call the University Police."
“I am not trained as a therapist or a security officer, but if I see something in a students’ writing or coursework that makes me think that student might be troubled or in danger, I will recommend that the student seek out further assistance, and I will help them get connected with the best people on campus to help them.” (see UW Campus Resources, below)
One way to be supportive of your students is to remind them of university resources which may be outside your areas of expertise or responsibility, but which are available to them as members of the UW community:
- Counseling Center
- Faculty and Staff Employee Assistance Program
- Hall Health Center – Mental Health Clinic
- Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence Information Service
Other UW Resources
- Office of the Vice Provost for Student Life
- Office of the Ombudsman
- Conflict Mediation Clinic
- U-CALL - University Community After-Hours Listening Line
This section addresses recognizing and responding to immediate conflicts on campus or in your classroom:
The university is a public place, but people do not have an unlimited right to be anywhere they choose, or do anything they want, at any time. Students are expected to abide by the Standards of Conduct specified in the Student Conduct Code, which requires students to refrain from "any conduct that would interfere with University functions or endanger the health, welfare, or safety of other persons."
Some particularly relevant examples of conduct addressed in the Student Conduct Code include:
- Conduct that intentionally and substantially obstructs or disrupts teaching or freedom of movement or other lawful activities on the University campus and is not constitutionally and/or legally protected
- Physical abuse of any person, or conduct intended to threaten imminent bodily harm or to endanger the health or safety of any person on the University campus
- Refusal to comply with any lawful order to leave the University campus or any portion thereof
- Possession or use of firearms, explosives, dangerous chemicals or other dangerous weapons or instrumentalities on the University campus
Additional Standards of Conduct are specified in the Student Conduct Code. The Code also specifies that
- An instructor has the authority to exclude a student from any class session in which the student is disorderly or disruptive. If the student persists in the disorderly or disruptive conduct, the instructor should report the matter to the dean of the school or college in which the student is enrolled.
Thus, If someone enters your classroom and displays these or other threatening behaviors, as the instructor for the course you have the authority to
- Ask the person to stop what he or she is doing in your class.
- Ask the person to leave the classroom.
- End class early and allow your students to leave.
- Call the University Police, or ask one of your students to do so.
- Once the situation has been defused, contact the Violence Prevention and Response Team at 206-685-SAFE.
For UW guidelines and policies related to workplace violence, see:
- UW Policy and Procedure on Workplace Violence
- Workplace Violence: What Faculty and Supervisors Must Do Checklist (pdf)
See also:
- Workplace Violence: It's Everyone's Business (pdf)
- Questions and Answers on Workplace Violence. UWeek, May 3, 2007.
Threatening situations that emerge over time are not necessarily less serious, but if there is not a direct or immediate confrontation, these situations allow you more time to consider a response and address issues before a more direct confrontation occurs.
- Proactive & Preemptive Strategies
- De-escalating a Conflict
- Recognizing and Responding to Distress in Students
- Concerns about assignments, email, and reports from other students
Proactive & Preemptive Strategies
Some types of potentially threatening classroom situations can be prevented or proactively addressed before they become serious. You are welcome to consult with CIDR as you consider strategies that would be applicable in your class. Some proactive and preemptive strategies include:
- Discussing ground rules for behavior and discussion. For examples and guidelines, see these resources from the Arizona State University Intergroup Relations Center:
- Setting clear boundaries for assignments and activities – for example, what students write about or present in class, what students produce for other students to read (for example, in online discussion or in peer reviewed writing assignments). For example,
“Students may have strong disagreements about the issues raised in this class, and I see the online discussion as a place to present arguments and respectfully challenge one another’s thinking. However, differences of opinion must be based on reason and evidence, and unsubstantiated generalizations or personal attacks will be removed from the discussion board and will not receive credit.”
Guidelines such as these keep the focus on learning in your course, and also let all students know what you consider appropriate.
- Seeking regular feedback from students so that you can learn, for example, how group members are participating in projects, or how the classroom climate is being affected by student behaviors. For examples, see
When a conflict or potentially threatening situations arises in your class (regarding, for example, inappropriate responses to you or to other students, or confrontations over a grade dispute), there are also strategies for de-escalating the immediate confrontation:
- State your own authority in the situation.
“I am responsible for this class, and I’m not going to allow you to continue making comments like that to other students.”
- State the effect of the student’s behavior on others.
“I want to make sure all the students have a chance to raise their questions during class meetings. Your comments are taking us off track and preventing other students from participating.”
- Acknowledge the student’s frustration or disagreement while deferring action.
“I realize that you want to receive a good grade in this class and that you don’t agree with my comments on your paper. However, we’ll need to wait until after class to address this …”
- Direct the student to others with authority to act.
“I understand that you are frustrated about your grade on the test and you want me to reconsider it. I can look at your answer again, but the grading key was set by the professor, so we’ll have to talk with her about it …”
Many of these strategies require a later follow-up, which could vary widely depending on the situation. In some cases students might need to be referred to the standards of student conduct (as specified in the Student Conduct Code) or to previously established groundrules for class discussion. If students refuse to comply, you may need to take other immediate action.
In other cases, once students know their concerns have been heard or your expectations have been made clear, there may not be any further conflict (though there may still be disagreement to address).
Consult with others in your department, with CIDR, or with other colleagues at UW as you consider appropriate next steps to take -- for example, who else should be informed that the conflict has occurred, what types of follow-up actions should be considered (for the benefit of both the student in the conflict and other students who witnessed it), and whether a third party should be present for any follow-up discussions with the student.
For additional perspective on disruptive behavior in the classroom, see
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Conflict De-escalation Strategies (pdf), Arizona State University Intergroup Relations Center
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Dealing with Disruptive Behavior in the Classroom, by Kathleen McKinney, Illinois State University
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Practical Strategies to Reduce or Eliminate Student Incivility, from the article, Reducing Incivility in the University / College Classroom, by Patrick J. Morrissette
Recognizing and Responding to Distress in Students
There are a number of guidelines for recognizing and responding to different types of distress in students. Examples include
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How to Refer a Student for Counseling. Developed by the UW Counseling Center. See also the Additional Resources section of this web site for more information on responding to students who are depressed, violent or verbally agressive, or in poor contact with reality.
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Workplace Violence: Warning Signs - from the UW Human Resources "What Faculty and Supervisors Must Do" Checklist
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Identifying and Referring the Distressed Student - Developed by Southern Methodist University Counseling and Testing Center
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Working With the Emotionally Distressed Students - A Faculty/Staff Guide. Developed by UC Santa Cruz, this guide also includes a set of “Do’s and Don’t’s” in response to a variety of situations that may come up in your interactions with students.
Often, directing students to additional resources is not a matter of reporting the student and requiring him or her to do something, but rather, informing the student of what is available and encouraging the student to take action on his or her own. The Counseling Center suggests proactive steps you can take to help a student follow through and make contact while still letting the student be the one who makes the decision to seek additional help.
Some faculty and TAs have wondered if all of their communications with students must be kept strictly confidential. While the federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) does require the University to have a general policy of keeping student education records (and information from those records) confidential, there are number of important exceptions to this requirement.
For example, information from a student’s records can be disclosed without the student’s consent to the extent disclosure is reasonably necessary to protect the health and safety of any person. Thus, if you are facing an emergency situation, FERPA’s confidentiality rules do not prevent you from making disclosures of student record information in order to deal with that emergency. Also, student record information can be disclosed to others within the University who have a “legitimate educational interest” in the information, which can include disclosures that are made in the context of initiating disciplinary review, or preventing the disruption of the educational mission of the University.
If you become aware of information regarding criminal activity, you can and should report that information to the University Police. Likewise, if you become aware of information regarding sexual harassment, hazing, workplace violence, or any other information indicating a student may be a danger to himself or herself or others, you can and should report that information to the Vice Provost for Student Life. If you have concerns about whether information about a student can be disclosed in a particular circumstance, or if you have questions about what to do in a specific case, you should contact your department chair or dean, or the Office of Human Resources.
Assignments, Email, and Reports from Other Students
Threatening situations that emerge in assignments or communication with students might include:
- Disturbing comments or patterns of responses in student assignments or other written work
- Inappropriate email, interactions in office hours, or other communication outside of the classroom
- Pattern of minor conflicts or inappropriate behavior in class, though isolated incidents may not seem serious
- One of your students reports to you that a threat has been made to them
If something is alarming to you as the instructor, it is important for you to inform others of your concern. Rather than deciding on your own how to respond in each situation, consult with others who are responsible for the course or the department: If you are a TA, you should alert the faculty member you are working with; if you are the instructor for the course, you should alert your department Chair or Dean. You can always contact the University Police if an immediate threat comes to your attention.
Documenting your concerns to others in the department can help you determine how to respond (for example, by referring a student for counseling, informing the Office of the Vice Provost for Student Life, or consulting with University Police), and also provide additional context for the situation. Something which may be difficult to interpret in isolation may take on a different level of importance when it is seen in light of other documented incidents (whether documented by you at other points in time or documented by others who work with the student in different contexts).
The Student Conduct Code specifies that "Persons who believe that a violation of the Student Conduct Code has been committed should contact the Vice President for Student Affairs (now known as the Office of the Vice Provost for Student Life). Only the dean of the school or college in which a student is enrolled or the Vice President for Student Affairs may initiate disciplinary proceedings against a student under this code of conduct."
Directory of UW Resources
Counseling Resources
- Counseling Center
- Faculty and Staff Employee Assistance Program
- Hall Health Center – Mental Health Clinic
- Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence Information Service
- Office of the Vice Provost for Student Life
- Office of the Ombudsman
- Conflict Mediation Clinic
- U-CALL - University Community After-Hours Listening Line
