You should consider reporting any observations and/or incidents that cause you to be concerned about a student’s well-being. Some behaviors that may warrant a referral to the I-CARE team include (but are not limited to):
The I-CARE team will accept anonymous reports, however, please be aware that this can create an obstacle as far as following up with the student of concern because our ability to investigate becomes limited without access to the reporting party.
The university will, to the extent permitted by law, maintain the privacy of the conversation except as needed to make referrals or follow-up on the student discussed. In some instances, however, the university may be required to release information in response to a court order, subpoena, or open records request.
Starfish is an Academic Alert Service designed to connect students with academic support programs on campus. Starfish does not support the notification of non-academic concerns to campus personnel responsible for assisting students with Student Safety or Student Conduct. Faculty should use Starfish to notify the University of any students who are not making satisfactory academic progress, are chronically absent or late, or show other signs of being at-risk academically. For more information about Starfish please go to tlc.tamucc.edu/retentionhelp.php or contact, John Fortiscue at 361-825-2977.
If a person has reason to believe that a student who resides on campus is missing, the University Police Department (UPD) should be immediately notified at 361-825-4444. If a student who resides off campus is reported missing to university personnel, UPD will notify the proper law enforcement agency, as soon as possible, and assist with the investigation. The reporting party should provide the following information: the relationship of the concerned party to the missing student, how long the student has been out of contact if there is a reason to believe the student might be in distress or there is a threat of imminent harm and any applicable background and descriptive information available.
After a referral is received the I-CARE Case Manager may reach out to the student for support and connect them with resources both on and off campus. Together the student and I-CARE Case Manager will meet to brainstorm ideas in order to develop a Student Success Plan (SSP). The SSP is designed to help get the student back on track and ensure their success at the Island University.
In the cases where a withdrawal is necessary, the student and Case Manager will develop a Success Plan for re-enrollment, which will include steps to submit the withdrawal paperwork and describe what to do when the student is ready to re-enroll in the University.
The I-CARE Case Manager may follow-up with the student periodically throughout the semester to check-in, review the Success Plan and assess progress to make sure that the appropriate amount of support and resources are being offered.
To refer students taking online classes who live off-campus, we recommend that you submit an I-CARE referral. For more information about our Distance Education policy, click here.
If you are concerned about your son or daughter, their roommate, or one of their friends, you are welcome to share your concerns with the I-CARE Team. If you are unsure if you should make a report, contact us for consultation at 361-825-6219. If you are concerned about your student's safety and they live on campus, contact UPD at 361-825-4444 to request a welfare check. If your student lives off-campus contact CCPD at 361-886-2600 to request a welfare check (consider requesting a Mental Health Officer).
Stay updated and keep in touch! Sign up for our new Parents e-newsletter by sending an email to seas@tamucc.edu and include "Parent's newsletter" in the subject line.
I-CARE and TAMU-CC welcome reports from the surrounding Corpus Christi community. If you are a community member and have concerns about a TAMU-CC student please submit an online referral or give us a call for a consultation at 361-825-6219.
FERPA should be seen as a tool for communication, not an impediment. While FERPA does constrain communication flow from internal to University outsiders, internal communication is not as encumbered. Officials may share with other officials information from a student's education record when there is a legitimate educational need to do so. Legitimacy is up to the official to determine, but there is wide latitude under the FERPA regulations. Don't protect what isn't private. That which a University employee hears, sees or experiences with his or her own eyes, ears, and senses is not part of a student's education record, and FERPA does not apply. It is not protected by privacy unless it is a record, in a written or recorded medium.
The Book on BIT, 2011 – A Publication of NaBITA.org
