STUDENT AFFAIRS 11 ANNUAL REPORT Advancements in Campus Safety continued… Students Behavior Presentation is the final development of the Responding to Distressed Students Training Series, which was first launched in 2021 with the changes to the institution’s behavioral intervention team (then known as BIG). The series supports students who are in distress and provides faculty and staff resources to support student success. The series includes Northern CARES, QPR, and ALICE Active Shooter Training; all four training courses are now offered at least once each semester. NABITA Behavioral Intervention Team Standards and Best Practices Certification During the spring of 2024, Dean Blackburn was recertified, and Krista Bau became certified by NABITA in Team Standards and Best Practices for Behavior Intervention. Both serve on the Northern CARES team responsible for behavior interventions with distressed students. NABITA (National Association for Behavior Intervention and Threat Assessment) is an independent, not-for-profit organization with more than 6,000 active members from colleges, universities, schools, and other organizations committed to providing education, development, and support to professionals who endeavor every day to make their environment safer through caring prevention and intervention (see www.nabita.org for more details.) NABITA was created in the wake of active shooters at Virginia Tech and other colleges and universities. NABITA provides the best practices training for intervention teams with the goal of supporting students, maintaining campus safety, and mitigating the loss and harm done by distressed members of educational communities. Northern CARES wins the Teamwork Award The Northern CARES team was recognized with the Teamwork Award during Northern’s annual Employee Recognition Lunch in April 2024. The team has displayed great teamwork in the past year as they have helped students, faculty, and staff from across campus to respond and support students of concern. The team has done an exceptional job working together across division and department lines to support students in impactful and efficient ways. The team has helped promote academic excellence, wholistic wellness, and personal accountability throughout campus. Their work has made Northern safer and healthier. In the past academic year, the team has seen an increase in the number of students referred for its support, has continued to educate the campus community on how to refer students, and even completed a professional assessment to improve its operations based up the National Association for Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment (NABITA). That assessment has identified several ways the team can improve its functions in ways that will help students and limit institutional liability. Through the support from the Dean of Students Office, two members of the team completed the NABITA Behavioral Intervention Team Standards and Best Practices Certification Course. The team has shown dedication to both students and excellence in processes. The team includes Krista Bau, director of student rights and responsibilities/Title IX coordinator (who serves as chair), Sean Blackburn, dean of students, Marty Sabolo, director of residence life and dining services, Becky Kuch, director of health and counseling services, Eric Paul, campus police officer, Britt Lorenz, executive director of student success, and Terri Holmes, associate athletic director and senior women’s administrator. Northern CARES is a collaborative multidisciplinary team focused on identifying, assessing, and supporting students of concern. The team develops and implements early intervention plans to promote student success and wellness. The team is dedicated to creating a culture of care, proactively identifying concerns, and addressing those concerns in a timely manner by providing a behavioral intervention process that is restorative in nature. The team’s effort improves the student experience and supports the university’s retention and enrollment goals. Campus Incidents and Crime Log Published on Website According to the Clery Center, The Jeanne Clery Act aims to provide transparency around campus crime policy and statistics by requiring colleges and universities to record campus crimes in a daily log. At Northern, this was achieved with the publishing of campus incidences through a crime log on the Campus Safety website. Thanks to Officer Eric Paul and Krista Bau, this new report was created with institutional support and posted for the public to review. This effort demonstrates Northern’s commitment to both campus safety and transparency.
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