Community Care

Community Care Advocates are trained to assess and peacefully diffuse a situation that may be of concern, minimizing the need to involve public safety. Staff, faculty, students and other members of the campus community can request to have a an Advocate respond to non-life-threatening situations. This can include:

• potentially controversial events where there may be differing perspectives about the value or validity of the presentation.
• immediate assistance to de-escalate a campus conflict, such as a student who is upset or experiencing challenges in a class or public presentation, or other similar situations.
• a student experiencing a mental health crisis.

Community Care Advocates do not address issues of legal concern. Unlawful behavior, i.e. harassment, or crimes in progress, robbery, individuals yielding weapons, and sexual assault will be facilitated by the Department of Public Safety. 

Conflict Resolution: CCAs host programs and workshops on finding creative resolutions to disagreements, conflicts, or other tensions.

Anti-Bias Programming: Working closely with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team, the CCAs host, and support workshops and other programming highlighting ways that common, every-day practices may serve to alienate or otherwise disparately impact first-generation college students, people of color, and community members based on gender, sexuality, ability and the intersectionality of all.

CCAs work with the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to develop public safety outreach programs, more effective communication with students, and to create community-building practices that help reduce or avoid conflicts with members of our campus. Community Care assists students who experience challenges with DPS practices by providing them with guidance and facilitating communication with DPS. A driving goal is to support a strong relationship of mutual trust between the Department of Public Safety and the campus community.