Student Problem-Solving & Crisis Management – Graduate Program Director Handbook

Program directors are called upon to deal with a range of special issues involving students. These may include:

Unprofessional behavior on the part of faculty or students
Misunderstandings between students and faculty on academic or personal matters
Various sorts of student adversity, often involving health and mental health

Occasionally, it is necessary to deal with the death of a student or faculty member and the repercussions of the loss in the community. Sources of advice and support are available to assist in dealing with these issues, and this section is intended to serve as a guide to resources on campus that can assist the program director in dealing with problems that arise and to help the director prevent such problems in the first place

Faculty and staff members are often on the front line in dealing with student health and mental health concerns. These concerns may include problems with scholarly work, difficulties with advisors or other faculty and staff, disruptive behavior or personal concerns (including depression, anxiety, and substance abuse), financial concerns, relationship problems, or other emotional issues. The desired outcome in managing graduate student mental and emotional health concerns is to fashion an individualized approach that supports the student’s continued and successful enrollment and that does not compromise the health and safety of the campus community.

Graduate study is a stressful activity. You may become aware of students facing any of a range of mental health concerns. Students should be made aware of the many resources available to them.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) provide services that are free, confidential, and available to currently enrolled students:

CAPS also has a carefully curated self-help library with a very extensive list of topics

Students with disabilities often need special provisions in order to succeed in graduate education. Graduate students who require academic accommodations because of a documented disability may get assistance from the Office of Disability Support Services. Graduate students who require accommodations to fulfill their obligations as graduate instructors or as graduate assistants may get assistance from Eastern Washington University. Please contact Disability Support Services at dss@ewu.edu or 509.359.6871 with any questions.

Please review the relevant University Policy: AP 303-24, Grading, Grade Changes, and Grade Appeals.

All EWU graduate students must maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA while enrolled. Students who fall below this standard will be placed on academic probation. Students are allowed one quarter to raise their GPA back to a 3.0. (If special circumstances apply, faculty may petition the Graduate Studies Office to extend the probationary period by one quarter.) Students unable to restore their cumulative GPA to 3.0 or above in the additional quarter of probation shall be terminated from the program.

The Graduate Studies Office immediately notifies students in writing when their performance falls below an acceptable level. For more information, please review the full policy AP-303-22 Graduate Students. Please contact the Office of Graduate Studies if you have any questions.

On occasion, academic disputes between faculty and graduate students come to the attention of the program director. EWU provides a process for the resolution of disputes related to equity and fairness of decisions or procedures that affect a student’s academic standing and progress toward the degree. EWU’s academic dispute resolution and appeal policy is designed to serve both students and faculty and adhere to the academic integrity policies of the University. For assistance, contact the Director of Graduate Studies.

Academic policies define forms of academic and professional misconduct by EWU graduate students and lay out procedures for investigating and adjudicating these cases. Faculty advisors or instructors often contact the program director for advice and guidance about how to determine if something constitutes misconduct and what to do in such cases. As director, you should consult EWU Policy 901-01: Ethical Standards for more information. For assistance, contact the Director of Graduate Studies.

The University has issued EWU Policy 402-01 Discrimination, Sexual Harassment & Sexual & Interpersonal Violence to address how responsible employees at EWU should handle any reported sexual and gender-based misconduct issues involving students. Under this policy, as a program director, you are defined as a responsible employee. As such, you must immediately report any information about suspected prohibited conduct involving a student to the University’s Title IX coordinator at (509) 359-6724. Prohibited conduct includes any instance of sexual harassment, gender-based harassment, sexual assault, stalking, or intimate partner violence.

Assistance with reporting may be obtained from the Dean of Students Office, Eastern Washington University’s Student Support and Advocacy Manager, Michelle Helmerick: mhelmerick@ewu.edu or 509.359.7924. You may also consider contacting the EWU Police Department: jmiller6@ewu.edu or 509.359.4021.

Allegations of sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, domestic violence, relationship violence, or stalking that involve EWU employees are also very serious matters. The University provides training for all faculty and staff to understand how to handle issues and how to file formal complaints. Please contact the Human Resources Office for appropriate help. There are specific reporting requirements you will need to know about.

All complaints may be filed with the Human Resources Office:

MAIL: Human Resources Office, Attn: Complaints, Investigations and Resolutions Eastern Washington University, 314 Showalter Hall, Cheney, WA 99004

FAX: (509) 359‐2874

EMAIL: cir@ewu.edu

EWU Policy 402-04: Investigations of Employees for Sexual Harassment & Sexual & Interpersonal Violence states:

If assistance is required for filing a complaint, complainants are encouraged to contact the Title IX Coordinator; the Director of Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, ADA compliance; the Human Resources Investigator/Mediator; or Human Resources. The university should document any verbal allegations. University employees who receive a complaint, or are aware of an incident involving sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, domestic violence, relationship violence, or stalking shall report the incident by filing a complaint with the Human Resources Office as previously described.

Please consult the full policy for additional information.

Students or faculty may contact you about how to manage a potential conflict of interest or conflict of commitment involving a student. A conflict of interest can occur when a student has an involvement in an activity or interest outside the University (such as employment or participation in a start-up or other venture) which could provide the basis for unethical actions or decisions on behalf of the external interest. These can include, for example, using University resources to benefit the external interest. A conflict of commitment occurs when an external activity or relationship competes with the student’s primary academic responsibilities, including coursework, research, and teaching. You should contact the point person designated by your school or college to handle these issues who can advise the student about how to eliminate or manage the conflict. The Office of the President provides useful information about University policies and procedures for these issues. For more information, please consult AP-901-02 Appropriate Use of University Resources.

You may encounter other disruptive non-academic behaviors that require your response as a program director. In general, program directors should become familiar with the Chapter 172-121 WAC Student Conduct Code for guidance about addressing these.