For Students

You do not have to be in crisis to seek help from the Coordinator of Student Emergency Services or the Emergency Dean on call. We are here to guide you to the appropriate resources for any of the problems that students face.

Advice

If you are struggling with personal or academic issues (such as difficulty with course work or family problems) and need to talk, we are available to listen and help you explore your options.

Coordination of Needs for Students

• Attempted Suicide: although our office does not provide counseling, we can offer a list of campus and community resources. As well, we can notify your instructors, supervisors, roommates, and necessary university officials of your absence and assist you with transitioning back into your Environment.
• Concerns about Academic Performance: we can facilitate communication with academic advisors and professors to determine the best option for you given your particular situation. Our office can also work with other UT offices to provide resources for tutoring and assistance. In some cases, this may include assisting you in finding an appropriate resource (e.g., tutor in a specific field, Services for Students with Disabilities, etc.) or arranging for free tutoring through the UT Learning Center.
• Death of a Student: if you have recently experienced the loss of a friend or peer, we can provide resources for grief counseling. In conjunction with the University of Texas Counseling and Mental Health Center, we also coordinate group counseling for residence halls, student organizations, and other student communities.
  • Flag-lowering: Emergency Services also coordinates, at the family's request, a flag lowering ceremony for students who have passed away. As part of the ceremony, the United States and Texas flags are lowered by the University of Texas Color Guard and are flown at half-mast for the remainder of the business day. Although the flags can be lowered without the presence of others, many families and friends prefer to attend and speak at the ceremony.
• Emergency Response System: during business hours (8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.), the Coordinator of Student Emergency Services and back-up emergency deans can provide assistance with any of the issues discussed here. After hours, UTPD (512-471-4441) and Telephone Counseling (512-471-CALL) are available for assistance and can contact representatives of the Office of the Dean of Students if necessary.
• Emergency Funds: limited emergency financial assistance is available in cases of an unexpected financial crisis. Determination of funds will be made by Emergency Services. In recent years, funding most often has been awarded for financial crises resulting from injury or medical emergency, property theft, property loss due to natural disaster (e.g., Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, apartment fire), unemployment, and family emergency.
• Housing: we can assist you with procuring a place to live by connecting you with appropriate campus and community resources.
• Illness/Injury: we can notify your instructors, supervisors, roommates, and necessary university officials of your absence and assist you with transitioning back into your environment.

Crisis Intervention/Management

• The Office of the Dean of Students is responsible for coordinating the University's response to the majority of critical incidents involving students. Critical incidents can include interpersonal violence/sexual assault, student death, residential displacement, situations involving students studying abroad, and violent crimes. The Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) strives to provide an immediate and effective response for students, coordination among all organizations and agencies involved with the critical incident, and a better quality of life for students.
• CIRT members include representatives from the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, Office of the Dean of Students, Division of Housing and Food Service, Office of the President, Counseling and Mental Health Center, University Health Services, International Office, Office of Public Affairs, and University Police Department. This campus-wide team can be activated at any time in response to local, national, and/or international critical incidents affecting UT students.

Sexual and Interpersonal Violence Team

• The Sexual and Interpersonal Violence Team (SIVT) is made up of trained Dean of Students staff who have an interest in assisting students who have experienced situations of sexual or interpersonal violence. The team functions as a bridge among many of the programs and services concerned with interpersonal violence, especially sexual assault. This can also include threats of violence through such behaviors as stalking, harassment, vandalism, or unwanted contact.
• SIVT does not provide counseling. If you are interested in seeking counseling services, please click here. In conjunction with the Voices Against Violence project, SIVT was created to help students explore options and connect with the variety of resources and services available at UT. SIVT also provides outreach and serves as an advocate in collaborating with other University personnel (e.g., professors, police, etc.).
• Seeking assistance through SIVT does not require you to report the occurrence, and no record of your report is kept in your permanent academic records. Information given to us remains private within the limits of the law (e.g., subpoena, court order) and University policy.

Information about Sexual Assault and Interpersonal Violence