Behavior Assessment TeamUPPS No. 07.10.05
Issue No. 3
Effective Date: 06/08/2015
Next Review Date: 04/01/2019 (E4Y)
Sr. Reviewer: Associate Vice President and Dean of Students
01.POLICY STATEMENTS
01.01The purpose of the Behavior Assessment Team (BAT) is to provide consultation to Texas State University administration, faculty, and staff who have expressed concern about the behavior of a student who appears potentially dangerous to the university communityor could be disruptive to the academic mission of the university.
01.02This policy outlines procedures for BAT to assess and consult with university faculty and staff.
02.TEAM COMPOSITION
02.01BATreports to the vice president for Student Affairs through the associate vice president for Student Affairs and dean of Students.
02.02BATwill be chaired by the dean of Students or a designated representative. The core members of BATwill include:
a.dean of Students;
b.assistant dean of Students and coordinator of Student Justice;
c.assistant dean of Students and coordinator of Student Emergency Services;
d.director of the Counseling Center or designated representative;
e.director of the University Police Department (UPD) or designated representative;
f.director of the Office of Disability Services or designated representative;
g.director of the Student Health Center or designated representative;
h.director of the Department of Housing and Residential Life or designated representative; and
i.a representative from the Round Rock Campus.
02.03An Academic Affairs representative, appointed each year by the provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, will serve on BAT in situations that involve or affect faculty, academic administration, classroom behavior, or other academic activity.
02.04BAT will consult with The Texas State University System (TSUS) Office of the General Counsel as needed. A representative from The TSUS Office of the General Counsel will serve on BAT in situations where there are legal issues and concerns.
02.05Other university officials may be asked to serve on BAT, in specific situations as needed, including, but not limited to:
a.assistant vice president for Human Resources or designated representative; and
b.director of University News Services or designated representative.
03.PROCEDURES FOR ADDRESSING REFERRALS
03.01Any student, faculty or staff member can make a referral to the Office of the Dean of Studentsat (512) 245-2124 or to any member of BAT.
03.02Once a case has been reviewed, BAT can take any of the following actions:
a.refer the case to the Office of the Dean of Students, if the behavior is considered a violation of the Code of Student Conduct;
b.refer the case to the dean of the college where the concern originated if it is assessed to be a classroom management case;
c.refer the case to UPD if it is determined that immediate intervention is necessary;
d.develop a strategy to address the behavior, including communicating with the reporting units or personnel;
e.make recommendations with appropriate administrators, faculty, staff, or students affected by the behaviors, but will adhere to the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), state and federal laws, and relevant university policies and procedures or
f.may assist with coordinating a university response to disruptive students.
04.OPERATIONS AND PROCEDURE GUIDELINES FOR CASE MANAGEMENT
04.01Each year, at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters, the dean of Students will send a notice to faculty and staff, through appropriate communication channels to notify them that BATis available to them for consultation when they are concerned about potentially harmful, threatening, or disruptive behavior of a student or students. The notice will bepresented as a “proactive measure” and willinclude the procedure for requesting a BATconsultation.
04.02The preferred method of referral is to the Office of the Dean of Students at (512)245-2124. Issues or concerns may be referred to the dean of Students or to any BATmember by any member of the university community. Anyone with concerns of imminent and immediate danger must contact UPD or call 911.If a criminal act has occurred or has been discovered during the course of the BAT’s inquiry, UPD shall be notified immediately and advised of the incident.
04.03In time-sensitive, high-risk situations, a special BATmeeting may be called by any member.
04.04BATwill meet with affected members of the university community who desire to discuss the situation with BAT.
04.05The desired outcome of a consultation meeting is a recommended course of action based upon the Code of Student Conduct and appropriate University Policies and Procedures Statement (UPPS) documents to the affected members of the university community and to the university administration. Specific issues for consideration include:
a.assessment of potential violence;
b.consideration of possible causes of the behavior;
c.containment of disruption;
d.appropriate referral resources;
e.appropriate behavioral boundaries within existing university policies; and
f.specific departmental procedure or course of action.
04.06Recommended departmental courses of action will be carried outonly through appropriate administrative channels.
04.07Courses of action recommended to departments are for consultation only. They are not binding and do not carry the force of university policy.
04.08Following a case management situation and subsequent recommendation, BATwill meet to debrief and evaluate the outcome of the situation.
05.CASE INFORMATION AND CONFIDENTIALITY PROCEDURES
05.01Members of BATmay provide each other or campus community members involved in a particular case, or outside parties in connection with the situation, with information as is necessary to protect the health, safety, and privacy of the student or other persons and to generate a recommendation for a course of action in accordance with applicable legal and professional standards of confidentiality and with UPPS No. 01.04.30, Release of Information Pursuant to the Texas Public Information Act and UPPS No. 01.04.31, Access to Student Records Pursuant to the Family Educational Rights Act and Privacy Act of 1974.
05.02If the student involved in harmful, threatening, or disruptive activities is already a client of the Counseling Center or a patient of the Student Health Center, information about that student’s relationship may onlybe obtained by BATfrom those agencies with written authorization of the student in question orin accordance with federal and state law. Federal and state laws that govern the privacy and confidentiality of students’ health and mental health information and records include:
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (federal);
- Psychologists Licensing Act (Texas);
- Texas Health and Safety Code, Title 7, Ch. 611, Mental Health Records;
- Texas Health and Safety Code, Title 2, Ch. 181, Medical Records Privacy; and
- Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
05.03The purpose of BATmeetings is to provide consultation only. To the extent any documents are created, generated or maintained by BAT for its consultation purposes, such documents are confidential as permitted by law. Such documents will be maintained per Texas State’s records retention policy.
06.REVIEWERS OF THIS UPPS
06.01Reviewers of this UPPS include the following:
PositionDate
Associate Vice President April 1 E4Y
and Dean of Students
Director, Counseling CenterApril 1 E4Y
Director, University Police DepartmentApril 1 E4Y
Director, Department of Housing and April 1 E4Y
Residential Life
Provost and Vice President forApril 1 E4Y
Academic Affairs
07.CERTIFICATION STATEMENT
This UPPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official capacities and represents Texas State policy and procedures from the date of this document until superseded.
AssociateVice President and Dean of Students; senior reviewer of this UPPS
Vice President for Student Affairs
President