Dean of Students Office

1. What is the Care Team and what is the purpose of reporting incidents?

    The Care Team is charged with taking steps:

• To collect information about students who demonstrate, through current or past behavior, conduct or expression that they may pose a safety risk to either themselves or the campus community;

• To connect information that is collected into an assessment of risk that may exist.

• To prevent possible harm by recommending appropriate action to either assist an individual in fulfilling their obligations as a student or to remove an individual student from the campus community. The committee is led by the Dean of Students, and its proceedings are confidential.

2. How do I contact the Care Team?

• Reach out to the team by completing an online report at this website: https://pavesuite.com/BuffaloState/PublicPortal/ConcerningIncident

• Send an e-mail to us at mailto:deanofstudents@buffalostate.edu

• Make a phone call to the Dean of Students’ office at 716-878-4618. If you sense something is not right, please let us know.

• If the matter is an emergency and needs immediate action, please contact the University Police at 716-878-6333

• If you sense something is not right, please let us know. Online reports and email will respond within one (1) business day while classes are in session. The team is available to support you, but in order to assist, we need you to contact us.

3. Who is the Care Team and how will I be contacted?

• The Care Team includes faculty and staff from the following areas:  Academic Affairs, Dean of Students, Student Accessibility Services, Student Conduct and Community Standards, Residence Life, University Police, Weigel Wellness Center

• The Care Team also has several Case Managers who will identify themselves when they contact you.

• The Case Managers are acting on the behalf and supervision of the Dean of Students Office. They also work in other Student Affairs offices.

• The Care Team will contact you as soon as possible by phone or email.

• The Care Team meets weekly to review online reports and monitor student’s behavior.

4. What problems, issues and incidents should I report to the Care Team?

• Anger problems

• Fascination with weapons and weaponry

• Homicidal ideation

• Stalking

• Interest in previous shooting situations

• Victim/martyr self-concept

• Strangeness and aberrant behavior

• Paranoia

• Violence and cruelty

• Recent police contact

• Mental health concerns

• Unusual interest in police, military, terrorist activities and materials

• Something you sense is not right

• Violent fantasy content

5. Will my identity be protected? Why aren’t the reports anonymous?

• We will contact you (the reporter) first and any additional faculty/staff/students that the report mentions.

• We will ask you if you want to be identified and if you have any unique relationship with the student; i.e. advisor, mentor, instructor.

• We will protect your identity and not reveal the source of the report until we talk to you and others involved. In some cases it may become obvious to a student who has submitted the report. 

• The online report needs your login because anonymous reports are difficult to investigate and substantiate.

6. What occurs (happens) after I send in the report?

• The report is sent to the Dean of Students and the Case Managers

• They confer and research to see if there were previous incidents and also information about the student such as address, major, class schedule and residence.

• We may contact you to gather any additional information, concerns or insights.

7. Is this a report to Student Conduct and Community Standards?

• We are not part of the Student Conduct process.

• We are intervening to prevent an escalation of the situation and prevent further occurrences and keep the campus, classroom and community safe.

• Our major goal is to assist a student who may be overwhelmed with difficulties and needs assistance.

• If you would like to make a report regarding a violation of the Student Code of Conduct please find more information at: https://studentconduct.buffalostate.edu/file-report

8. What happens to the student after I send in the report?

After reviewing the report the Case Managers will contact the student. We will discuss the reported situation while respecting the reporters need for privacy, if requested. Our goal is to enable the student, instructors and fellow students to successfully complete their coursework.

9. Will I be informed of the outcome?

In some cases yes, however we may not be able to provide information that violates confidentiality.

10. Who will respond to the On Line Report?

One of the Case Managers or the Dean of Students who will identify themselves as members of the Care Team.

11. Can I contact someone by phone or email if I prefer?

Yes, although we prefer the Online Report we will also respond to calls to the Dean of Students office at 716-878-4618.

12. Who do I call in an emergency?

Always call University Police (UPD) in an emergency; 716-878-6333

13. What if the student has an emotional/psychological problem?

Call The Counseling Center at 716-878-4436 or, University Police at 716-878-6333.  When The Counseling Center is closed, and if you feel it is an emergency, you may call Crisis Services at 716-834-3131 for 24 hour mental health support.