If you encounter a student with academic needs (poor attendance, declining grades, or other academic concerns) or non-immediate behavioral concerns, please complete a Student of Concern form.
Use the following Levels of Distress guide to help recognize signs of distress and respond in effective ways. Please fill out a Student of Concern form for any student you notice at any level of distress.
Level of Distress: Concern
Looks like: Visible distress, sadness, crying, irritability, anger, anxiety, traumatic life event, absences from class, missing assignments, noticeable change or very poor quality in academic performance, lack of motivation, social withdrawal.
What to do: Talk with the student directly and walk them to meet with a member of the AAP Student Services team in B56 Sibley Hall, or ask them to make an appointment. Concern covers a wide range of behaviors, and your observations and conversations with a student may provide information that the situation is more urgent.
Level of Distress: Urgent Situation
Looks like: Expressions of hopelessness, talk of suicide or harm to others, being out of touch with reality.
What to do: Connect with the AAP Student Services team right away (B56 Sibley or aap-studentservices@cornell.edu). If AAP resources are not immediately available, call Cornell Health at 607-255-5208 and ask to speak to a counselor. After hours, call Cornell Health at 607-255-5155.
Level of Distress: Emergency
Looks like: Immediate threat of harm to self or others.
What to do: Call Cornell Police at 911 immediately. Tell them everything you know about the student and the situation, including who else is present. The police will coach you about what to do next.