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Enrollment + Student Success CARE Team Purpose + Duties

Purpose and Duties

The CARE Team was established in 2007 as a result of the tragedies which occurred at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois universities. Often, no single piece of information is enough to prevent a tragedy; however, the accumulation of information helps identify a person at risk, allowing for intervention and prevention. The CARE Team serves as the conduit for information flow.

The existence of the team is a proactive approach to manage the complexities often involved with threats and violence. Key objectives of the team are to identify, assess, manage and reduce potential threats to the university community; and educate faculty, staff, and students about the dangers of interpersonal violence. Inherent to the work of this team are concerns about the privacy of all involved. The team members are extremely sensitive to these concerns and adhere to the highest standards of confidentiality.

The Team provides assistance to students in distress through consultation with concerned faculty, staff, and students; consistent communication between departments; and referral to resources both on and off-campus. In particular, the Team works together regarding students whose behaviors are of concern because they may pose a threat to themselves or others. The primary focus is prevention with the goals of assisting students to succeed and educating concerned others about appropriate ways to help distressed students.