Faculty & Staff Support

Recognize Signs of Distress

Are you concerned for a student? Recognize the signs of distress.

Psychological

• Tearfulness
• Anxiety/Panic
• Disproportionate responses
• Disorientation

Academic

• Sudden decline in performance
• High-absenteeism
• Non-responsive
• Inappropriate disruptions

Behavioral

• Concerning communication via email
• Inappropriate outbursts
• Erratic mannerisms
• Dissociation with reality

Physical

• Poor hygiene
• Dramatic weigh change
• Ongoing appearance of illness
• Visible signs of bruising/cuts

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Respond

Learn or refresh your skills on how to engage with a student in distress.

Know Your Role

• Consult never counsel. Your role is to acknowledge concerns and provide empathy, not to provide therapy.
• Refer. The objective of acknowledging concerns is to identify appropriate referrals.
• Safety first. Credible or urgent concerns for your safety or the safety of a TU community member should always be directed to TUPD or BCPD at 410-704-4444 or 911.

Tips

• Be proactive. It is better to engage early when solutions and support are most effective.
• Use a calm tone and communicate concerns. Be direct about your concerns, focus on facts, avoid judgment.
• Provide empathy and convey hope. Offer a supportive presence to ensure a student feels understood.
• Set boundaries and refer as early as possible. “Know your role.”

Sample Language

• “I've noticed ___, I’m concerned and wanted to check in. Help me understand what's going on.”
• “You've mentioned that you are struggling with ___, I have a friend in Student Outreach & Support who can help. Is it ok if I connect you two?”
• “I appreciate that ___ is challenging, but it’s never too late to seek help. There are many people at Towson who can support you.”

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Refer

Help connect a student to the right person to get them back on track.

Referral	Concern	Contact Information
Counseling Center	Non-life threatening mental health concern	410-704-2512 counseling AT_TOWSON
Student Outreach & Support	Long-term illness/injury Basic needs General concern	410-704-4462 sos AT_TOWSON
Office of Student Accountability & Restorative Practices	Disruptive behavior Academic integrity Code of Student Accountability violation	410-704-2057 sarp AT_TOWSON
Office of Inclusion & Institutional Equity	Sexual/gender based harassment Discrimination Pregnancy	410-704-0203 OIIE AT_TOWSON

 

Frequently Asked Questions

A student missed one of my classes, should I refer them to SOS?

We encourage faculty to work directly with their students for absences lasting less than a week.

A student provided me with documentation for an absence, should I refer them to SOS?

No. If a student presents you with documentation please consider their absence in accordance with your syllabus.

I referred a student to SOS but nothing has changed. What happened?

SOS is a voluntary resource. While we guarantee that we will always reach out to students, we cannot guarantee that they will connect with our office or take advantage of our support.

I already connected a student to the right resource, should I still file a report?

It is often helpful to file a report as an FYI and request that no outreach is needed at this time. Reports like this can help our office establish a pattern of behavior that might be presenting in different areas across campus.

A student expressed that they are experiencing food insecurity. How do I help?

Direct them to the Foodshare Program, Towson University’s on campus food pantry.

How do I learn more about supporting students in distress?

Take the online Kognito training provided to Towson University in partnership with the Counseling Center.