Who can make a BIT referral?

Anyone with a concern about another student may submit a Behavioral Incident Report form. Referring individuals may identify themselves in the report or may submit the report anonymously.

Who has access to referral information?

Only members of the BIT Team will have access to the BIT Report. All records of the Behavioral Intervention/Violence Prevention Team pertaining to students will be stored in the office of the Chair of the Behavioral Intervention Team. Records will be maintained throughout the student’s enrollment at the college.

What if I am not sure if I should report a concern?

Contact one of the members of the Behavioral Intervention Team for consultation and support. The BIT member may recommend specific strategies for the staff member to address with the student and/or may recommend submission of a Behavioral Incident Report for further assessment and follow-up by the BIT.

What do I do if I know a student who may need to be referred?

Contact one of the members of the Behavioral Intervention Team for consultation and support. The BIT member may recommend specific strategies for the staff member to address with the student and/or may recommend submission of a Behavioral Incident Report for further assessment and follow-up by the BIT.

Should I approach the student before making a referral?

Provide an oral warning to student at the time that inappropriate behavior occurs. If the oral warning does not remedy the situation and the inappropriate behavior continues:

• Talk to the student individually after class or ask them to schedule a meeting for a later time. If it is not possible to talk with the student individually prior to the next class period, contact the student by phone, email or letter.
• During the discussion with the student, clarify the expectations for classroom conduct and seek the student’s cooperation in meeting those expectations. Provide a written warning because of the student’s failure to correct the behavior following the oral warning. Provide a copy of the written warning to the student. Indicate in the written warning that further incidents may result in the student being asked to leave class for the day and that if such response is necessary, a report will also be submitted to the Vice President for Student Services (VPSS) for further disciplinary action.
• In addition to the written warning, document all other information relevant to the student’s misconduct.
• Provide a copy of the written warning and other documentation to the Division Chair (DC). Also send a copy to the VPSS to be placed on file in the event of continued misconduct in this class or another.

Instructors should not meet alone with a student who may be a threat to their personal safety. Instead of asking to meet after class, instructors should schedule a specific appointment so that they have time to prepare for the meeting. Instructors should call a member of the Behavioral Intervention Team for consultation prior to the meeting. They should also alert and confer with their DC and/or colleagues of when the student will be meeting with them and ask one of them to either be on standby or to join in the meeting.

What happens after I make the referral?

Upon receipt of the referral, the BIT implements the below steps:

• A BIT team member will contact the referring individual to offer support and gather any additional information to assist in developing a response.
• Additional information regarding the student’s situation may be gathered in any of the following ways
  • Consultation with other faculty in whose classes the student is enrolled.
  • Consultation with staff who work with the student due to an affiliation with TRiO, Student Accommodations, Veteran’s Services, LEAP or other campus offices or services.
  • Criminal Background Check.
• The BIT meets to review gathered information and recommend a response. Typical responses include:
  • Contacting the student to arrange a time to meet with a BIT member or with a staff member who is already familiar with the student to provide support. The goal of these meetings is to assist the student in resolving challenges, identifying resources, making better choices, etc.
  • Referral to the disciplinary process as outlined in the student code of conduct.

A BIT team member will follow-up with the referring individual periodically to update them on the team’s progress in addressing the reported concern.

What happens to the student in the BIT process?

Based on the behavior displayed by the student and the assessment by the BIT, the BIT may make any of the following recommendations for intervention.

• Referral to college and/or community resources
• Referral to disciplinary process as described in the Student Code of Conduct and Lake Land College Board Policy 07.28.01

How will I know the situation has been addressed?

In accordance with FERPA, following assessment and intervention with the student of concern, the BIT will provide feedback to the referring individual to inform them of resolution of the case and any ongoing follow-up in which they may need to be involved.