Baker College Cares About Students

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In case of emergency, please call 911.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger and you are thinking about hurting yourself or another person, please call the National Suicide and Crisis Hotline at 988, available 24/7.

Our student-first philosophy informs everything we do. Care and concern for our students, as well as our colleagues is part of our foundation. But sometimes situations arise and we are unsure of how to handle them. Learn more below about our iCare resources.

Possible Reasons for a Referral

If you’re worried about a student in your class or unsure about a student’s changed or concerning behavior, let us help.

Student Well-Being

Mental Health Concerns

  • Is a student talking about thoughts of harming themselves or others or engaging in harmful, illegal, or harmful behavior?
  • Has a student’s mood changed noticeably?

Death of Family Member/Close Friend

Has a student mentioned the death of a loved one and expressed an inability to process their grief?

Self-Disclosed Personal Distress

Might include family problems, financial difficulties, suicidal thoughts, grief.

Bizarre Content in Writings/Presentations

Has a student turned in work that depicts harmful actions, fantasies, or off-color ideas?

Marked Changes in Physical Behavior

Can include deterioration in grooming or hygiene, significant weight loss/gain.

Social/Adjustment Concerns

  • Does a student seem to struggle to make friends?
  • Do they ask to work alone, or intentionally separate themselves during group work?
  • Do they talk often about going home for weekends, or being alone when they are not in class?

Increased Need for Personal (Rather Than Academic) Counseling

When discussing potential issues with academic progress, does a student refer to personal concerns, fears, or frustrations regularly?

Unusual/Disproportionate Emotional Response to Events, Including Excessive Tearfulness

Has a student seemingly overreacted to a sensitive topic mentioned in class or on campus? Has a student exhibited off-putting anger, frustration, threats, etc?

Excessive Fatigue

Does a student repeatedly struggle to stay awake in class or other meetings or events on campus? Do they seem lethargic and unable to gain energy that might match the expectation of the situation?

Signs of Substance Abuse

Is a student showing signs of marked change in physical appearance or grooming, excessive fatigue, or a change in mood or behavior? Is a student’s speech slurred or stilted or thought-process slow or erratic?

Unprovoked Anger of Hostility

Has a student exhibited a sudden outburst toward another person in the class or group, or the instructor, seemingly without reason?

Academic Assignments/or Communication Dominated by Themes of Hopelessness, Rage, Worthlessness, Isolation, Despair, Acting out, Suicidal Ideation, Violence to Others

Can include any of the topics previously mentioned or others not specifically highlighted above.

Resource Concern

If a student expresses fear or concern about any of the following, please make a CARE team referral, or refer them to the Dean of Students’ office. 

  • Food Insecurity
  • Financial Hardship
  • Housing Concerns 
  • Living out of car
  • Couch surfing 
  • About to be evicted
  • Unstable housing
  • Homeless
  • Lack of academic resources or supplies
  • In need of technology support (can’t afford laptop repair, or in need of temporary laptop replacement)
  • In need of menstrual health products

Academic Referrals

All Academic referrals should be placed in Jenzebar’s Early Alert System and not through the CARE referral form.

Academic referrals include:

  • Non-Attendance or Repeated Absences
  • Student decline in quality of work/grades
  • Disorganized Performance
  • Student not responding to Faculty outreach
  • Missing crucial academic success markers (low marks on the first testor midterm exam). 
  • Poor time management/organizational skills
  • Procrastination/Lack of Motivation

Make a Referral

Follow the link below to submit a referral to the CARE Team.

Frequently Asked Questions