Students of Concern Training and Resources

The Dean of Student Advocacy Office provides support and can help with training departments on how to identify and best support students of concern. To learn more, please email vcudean@vcu.edu.

Collaboration with Student Organizations and Community Partners

The Dean of Student Advocacy Office has a formal partnership with several groups on campus to allow two way communication about student issues. Examples include Student Government Association, Emerging Leaders, and the Interfaith Campus Ministries Association.

Student Issues and Concerns

The university operates two interdisciplinary teams of university officials that assess, respond, and manage issues of concern involving students, faculty or staff. The Student Assistance & Support Team (SAS) primarily addresses students exhibiting behavioral or mental health concerns who do not pose a risk of harm to others; whereas the Threat Assessment Team identifies, monitors, and coordinates the management of threats to the university community. It is not your responsibility to determine which team should address a concern or to provide assistance to the student that is beyond your scope of knowledge and ability. If you share a concern, it will be referred to the appropriate team.

Student Assistance & Support Team (SAS)

The Student Assistance & Support (SAS) Team serves the university and individual students by coordinating prevention, intervention, and support efforts to assist students involved in psychological distress, inappropriate behaviors and harm to self. The SAS Team provides a centralized mechanism to review concerns and address the needs of students through a variety of interventions, referrals and follow ups. The team is composed of key personnel from the Division of Student Affairs, University Counseling Services, University Student Health Services, the Office of Student Conduct & Academic Integrity, Residential Life & Housing, VCU Police and other units as deemed appropriate. The team meets weekly and is available to faculty, staff, or students for case consultation to address significant student situations. Information shared is limited in its dissemination on a need-to-know basis. Concerns should be submitted via the share a concern form.

Threat Assessment Team (TAT)

Pursuant to the Code of Virginia Section § 23.1-805, the university has designated its Threat Assessment and Management Team and Violence Prevention Committee (TAT) to establish procedures for the prevention of violence on campus, including assessment of and intervention with individuals whose behavior poses a threat to the safety of the university community. The university has charged TAT with identifying, monitoring and coordinating the management of threats to the university community.

The Senior Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Chief of VCU Police co-chair TAT, and its membership includes representatives from student affairs, university police, human resources, counseling services, residence life, and others as determined necessary by co-chairs. University legal counsel attends TAT meetings, in an advisory capacity, as available.

Report to TAT information about a threat to the safety of any student, employee or campus visitor that does not require an immediate response. Share a concern or call the Dean of Student Advocacy Office at (804) 828-8940 during regular business hours.

Violence Prevention Committee

The focus of the Violence Prevention Committee is to provide education on, and prevention of, violence on campus to include guidance on threatening or aberrant behavior representing a physical threat to the community, information about reporting threatening behavior, review of policies and procedures related to obligations of employees (including faculty) to report behavior that may represent a physical threat, and annual review of threat assessment team policies and procedures.

The committee is composed of representatives from student affairs, law enforcement, human resources, counseling services, residence life, and other constituencies as needed. For additional information, contact tat@vcu.edu.