MCAPD CONFERENCEOCTOBER 4, 2014

FOCUSING ON DISRUPTIVE STUDENT BEHAVIOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Presented by:Dr. Saundra Lynch Ervin, Counseling Services

DEFINITION OF DISRUPTIVE STUDENT BEHAVIOR

• The term applies to behavior that persistently or grossly interferes with academic and administrative activities at the college.

• These behaviors interfere with the students’ ability to learn and the professors’ ability to teach.

• Extreme forms of the behavior may even threaten the physical safety of students and staff.

THE DISTRESSED STUDENT

CHARACTERISTICS OF DISTRESS

• Inability to concentrate

• Confusion

• Increased Irritability

• Bizarre Behavior

• Missed Class/Assignments

• Disheveled Appearance

• Restlessness

• Anxiety

• Depression

THE VERBALLY AGGRESSIVE STUDENT

Students usually become verbally abusive in frustrating situations that they see as being beyond their control. Anger and frustration become displaced from those situations to you. These students often feel they will be rejected and, therefore, reject you first. They often realize drama and intimidation behind their anger and are aware of their impact.

THE STUDENT IN POOR CONTACT

WITH REALITY

These students have challenges with distinguishing fantasy from reality. Their thinking is typically illogical, confused, disturbed; they coin new words, see or hear things which no one else can, have irrational beliefs, and exhibit bizarre or inappropriate behavior. Generally these students are not dangerous and are very confused, frightened and overwhelmed.

THE SUICIDAL STUDENT

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among college students. Any one of us can become suicidal if life hits us hard enough! The suicidal person is intensely ambivalent about killing himself/herself and typically responds to help; suicidal states are definitely time limited and most who commit suicide are not psychotic.

High risk indicators include: feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, a detailed suicide plan, a history of previous attempts, and feelings of alienation and isolation. Suicidal students usually want to communicate their feelings and the inability to do so results in a rage or anger directed toward themselves.

THE STUDENT WITH AUTISM

THE STUDENT WITH AUTISM

•Autism- Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are developmental spectrum- disorders that affect individuals ability to communicate and interact socially.

CHARACTERISTICS OF AUTISM

• Trouble with organizational skills; regardless of age or intelligence level• Extremely organized to the point of excessiveness• Lack of memory for task that society would possible view as simple• Impairment in the use of multiple non-verbal behaviors such as eye-to-

eye gaze, facial expression, body postures and gestures to regulate social interaction.

• Each child with an ASD will have his or her own pattern of autism.

THE VETERAN STUDENT WITH PTSD

THE STUDENT WITH POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)

• PTSD- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), once called shell shock or battle fatigue syndrome, is a serious condition that can develop after a person has experienced or witnessed a traumatic or terrifying event in which serious physical harm occurred or was threatened. PTSD is a lasting consequence of traumatic ordeals that cause intense fear, helplessness, or horror, such as a sexual or physical assault, the unexpected death of a loved one, an accident, war, or natural disaster.

CHARACTERISTICS OF PTSD

• Feel detached from people; find it hard to trust people• Irritable, aggressive behavior and problems with anger• Have a hard time focusing or concentrating• Jumpy and get startled or surprised easily• Always on guard• Exaggerated startled response• Concentration difficulties• Diminished interest

OVERVIEW

• Program Mission and Values

• Pieces to the Program

• Program Processes (Conduct vs. BIT)

• Suggested Strategies for Dealing with Disruptive Student Behavior

• How to Report Disruptive Behavior and other Conduct Code Violations

• Questions and Answers

PROGRAM MISSION AND VALUES

• Mission: • To assist in maintaining a civil campus environment through the use of

proactive, creative and timely student development strategies and disciplinary action for the purpose of valuing the lifelong learning of our students.

• Values: • Civility, Respect, Fairness, Safety and Partnerships

PIECES TO THE PROGRAM

• Prevention• Meetings with key administrators across campus• Faculty/ Staff workshops• Student programming/ education

• Response• Disciplinary• Student meetings/ conferences (Informal)• Information Sessions (Formal)• Student Hearings (Formal)• Sanctioning (Formal)

• Campus Wide Safety• Behavioral Intervention Team (Formal)

PROGRAM PROCESS: CONDUCT VS. BIT

Conduct Process (Social Development First)

• Incident occurs

• Incident is documented and reported

• Investigation takes place• Looking for possibility of violation• Safety concerns

• Student is notified• PGCC email• Sometimes by phone

• Case adjudication• If possible violation exists

• Hearing disposition• Responsible or Not Responsible

BIT Process (Safety First)

• Incident occurs

• Incident is documented and reported

• Investigation takes place• Noted signs of safety risk or

other mitigating factors

• BIT QRT convened for threat assessment and response

• Student notified of BIT response• By all modes of communication

• Campus administrators are notified of BIT response

DEALING WITH DISRUPTIVE STUDENTS: RESPONSE STRATEGIES

Mild Disruptions

Annoyances

Eating in class

Texting in class

Whispering

Coming late/ leaving early

Repeatedly telling a student to wear the safety goggles for lab

Recommended Faculty Response:

Educational conversation with the students. *Never make idle threats

Moderate Disruptions

Failing to complyCursing/ inappropriate commentsRepeated “mild disruptions”***Cheating***

Recommended Faculty Response:• Incident Report to Student Conduct Office,

Note who the student(s) is/are and speak to him/her after class in private.

• Ask the student to step out of the room to address the behavior.

• Ask the student(s) to leave the room for that class period.

• Communicate concern to Chairperson

REPORTING PROCESS (OVERVIEW OF MAXIENT SYSTEM)

•After an incident occurs on campus and incident report is submitted into the Maxient System Database.

•Incident reports are reviewed and may be turned into a case; discarded.

•If a case is opened the hearing officers will be notified of the new case through email alert or the welcome screen of database will list upcoming cases.

•After case is opened Initial Appointment letter is sent to the student by permanent, local, or email address.

REPORTING PROCESS (CONT.)

• If the student misses their meeting the case will come up as overdue and missed appointment letter will sent including details of the new appointment time and if failure to comply charges will be brought up her against the student.

• When the hearing takes place a Case resolution form (CRF) is filled out detailing the charges, findings, and sanctions for the case.

• Print two summaries of a signed Case resolution form; one for the students file and the other for the student.

REPORTING PROCESS (CONT.)

• Sanction letter is sent to the student; it formalizes the findings and sanctions and any other findings agreed upon in the hearing and other forms the student may need.

• Cases are tracked over time; completed sanctions are checked off through the update screen. When all sanctions are completed the case is closed.

• If students fail to complete the sanctions by the deadlines, incomplete sanction letters may be generated and sent.

Prince Georges Community College Behavioral Intervention Team

• Mission: Team strives to provide a systematic response to college situations involving students showing signs of serious distress or engaging in harmful or disruptive behaviors.

• Vision: Team strives to promote and maintain the safety and well being of the campus community through positive, proactive, and practical risk and threat assessment.

• Team Composition: Academic dean, dean of college life services, dean of student services, disabilities support services director, Chief of Campus police, Health education Nurse, Coordinator of Counselor services, Licensed Professional Counselor, Senior Faculty Administrator.

• Maryland BIT Affinity Team

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY DISRUPTIONS

• Faculty members are responsible for ensuring awareness of academic dishonesty codes at the beginning of every semester

• Faculty members must gather any and all data that support the allegation of plagiarism/ cheating within a reasonable amount of time

• Faculty members shall then confer with the student to discuss the alleged infraction

• The student(s) must be given the opportunity to admit to or deny allegations

• The Faculty member must then submit the charge form with all evidence and supporting documentation to the Office of the Vice President for Student Services if the incident occurred more than once

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: FACULTY RESPONSES

• Assign a “zero” on the assignment if first offense and • Confer with the student about the problem• Inform the student of this in writing as a warning if the evidence supports the charge or if the student

admits to it• Determine if you want to give the student another assignment

• Written warning to the student if there is not sufficient evidence and/or the student does not admit to the charge• Do not assign an F grade • submit a copy of the warning to the VPSS

• Two or more offenses in the same class constitutes an F for the class with a referral to the Student Conduct and Community Standards office

• Students do have the right to appeal the outcome and the original decision could change

• All of this should be explained on the first day to ensure understanding

INTERESTING STATISTICS

Referrals/Closed Cases:

2012-2013: 356 cases

2011-2012: 395 cases

2010-2011: 252 cases

2009-2010: 122 cases

There has been a slight decrease in conduct referrals from the last academic year. Our goal is to reduce our case load by 50%.

SUMMARY

•Characteristics of student disruptions

•Strategies for addressing student disruptions

•Benefits of partnerships and collaborations between Academic Affairs and Student Services

•Identify appropriate college resources for managing student disruptions

PRESENTER CONTACT INFORMATION

Dr. Saundra Lynch Ervin Professor/Licensed Professional Counselor, NCC, ACS

Prince George’s Community College Counseling Services

Bladen Hall, Room 122 D

Phone: 301-322-0093

Email: ervinsl@pgcc.edu

CITATION

Partial contents of the distressed student are the product of combined efforts of Counseling Centers who comprise the Organization of Counseling Center Directors in Higher Education (OCCDHE)

MCAPD CONFERENCEOCTOBER 4, 2014

FOCUSING ON DISRUPTIVE STUDENT BEHAVIOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Presented by:

Dr. Saundra Lynch Ervin, Licensed Professional Counselor

Prince George’s Community College

Counseling Services