Academic Indicators

Academic Indicators may include:

  • Unexplained or repeated absences from class or lab
  • Excessive procrastination, missed assignments, exams, or appointments
  • Uncharacteristically poor preparation or performance
  • Deterioration in quality of work or extreme disorganization
  • Disruptive classroom behavior or erratic performance
  • References to suicide, homicide, despair, or confusion in verbal statements or writing
  • Repeated requests for extensions, special consideration or accommodations.
  • Patterns of perfectionism (e.g. can’t accept themselves if they don’t get an A+)
  • Overblown or disproportionate response to grades or other evaluations

Behavioral and Emotional Indicators

Behavioral and Emotional Indicators may include:

  • Dependency or avoidance of advisors, mentors and/or instructors
  • Direct statements indicating distress, emotional troubles, family problems or loss
  • Angry or hostile outbursts, yelling or aggressive comments
  • More withdrawn or more animated than usual (e.g.: avoiding or dominating discussions)
  • Expressions of intense emotions
  • Inappropriate responses
  • Excessively demanding or dependent behavior
  • Lack of response to outreach
  • Shakiness, tremors, fidgeting, or pacing
  • Displays behaviors indicating a romantic or other obsessive interest

Physical Indicators

Physical Indicators may include:

  • Change in personal hygiene and/or a deterioration in physical appearance
  • Excessive fatigue, exhaustion; looking tired; falling asleep in class repeatedly
  • Visible changes in weight; statements about changes in appetite or sleep patterns
  • Noticeable cuts, bruises, burns or begins wearing long sleeves to hide them/something
  • Frequent or chronic illness
  • Disorganized speech, rapid or slurred speech, confusion
  • Unusual inability to make eye contact
  • Coming to class blurry-eyed, unfocused or smelling of alcohol
  • Physical signs or symptoms of frequent substance refer to the National Council On Alcoholism Drug and Dependency

Other Factors

Other factors may include:

  • Concern about a student by his/her peers, teaching assistant and/or a significant other
  • A hunch or gut-level reaction that something is wrong
  • A student has a significant life changing issue happen in their life (e.g., family death, injury, diagnosis of illness for self or others they love…)
  • The student has had many touch points or incidents in the community in a short period of time or over a long period of time