With midterms underway, this is a reminder of the resources available to support students through a stressful stretch of the semester. This guide highlights Student Affairs services for responding to student concerns, from early signs of struggle to urgent response situations.
The Office of Student Assistance and Support (OSAS) is a central campus resource for connecting students with appropriate campus and community support. The office consults with faculty and staff to support students of concern. Drop-in staff are available to discuss resources, options, and provide guides on common issues that may arise in an academic setting. Call 608-263-5700 during office hours or send an email to osas@studentaffairs.wisc.edu.
If you have questions about supporting students with disabilities, contact the McBurney Disability Resource Center for instructor resources to support your role in providing accommodations for students. Resources for captioning, interpreting, and other accommodations are also available.
If your concern is mental health related, contact UHS Mental Health Services. UHS offers several drop-in services including Let’s Talk and virtual counseling with Uwill for students who may want to speak with a counselor quickly. The 24/7 crisis line, (608-265-5600, option 9), is available any day, any time for students and/or staff to call for consultation about how to better support student mental health needs.
If you believe a student is experiencing a mental health crisis and there is an immediate threat to health or life, please call the UW–Madison Police Department at 608-264-2677 or dial 911.
Whether you teach, supervise, mentor, or support students in your role on campus, faculty and staff play an important part in supporting mental health on campus, creating a culture of care, and acting as an important referrer to resources. Consider taking the Recognize, Respond, Refer online suicide prevention training to help you build skills to support students, no matter your role.
Academic and nonacademic misconduct can occur inside and outside of the classroom. Resources through the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (OSCCS) will help you navigate the conduct process. If classroom behavior disrupts other students’ ability to learn, please refer to the webpage “Navigating Classroom Dynamics & Disruptions.”
If you’re worried about a student or notice a change in behavior, act with thoughtfulness and concern. If a student has not been attending your course, or you have other concerns, the first step is to reach out to them directly to check in. If you do not hear back from a student after a week, and they have not re-engaged in the course, proceed to fill out the Student of Concern Referral form. This allows enough time for staff from the OSAS to reach out to the student, check in, discuss academic options (such as dropping a course), or connect them with other support resources. This also allows the student time to make decisions before critical academic deadlines elapse. Learn more about OSAS and the student of concern referral process.
For a comprehensive campus guide on supporting students, including how to talk to students you’re concerned about, addressing disruptive behavior, and verbal de-escalation techniques, visit the UW–Madison faculty and staff resources page through OSAS.