Establishing a positive campus climate utilizing care and empathy requires collective responsibility.
Community Care is committed to supporting the overall wellbeing and academic success of students through CARE Services provided by staff that work to foster the development of problem-solving skills and practices to navigate challenges and encourage the promotion of wellness, care, and community building.
If this is an emergency that requires immediate attention – including imminent threat of harm to oneself or to others, call 911* or contact University Police at (323) 343-3700 or by dialing 911 from a campus phone.
*After calling 911, we encourage you to submit a CARE report.
Community Care: A Collective Responsibility
Community Care encourages a positive campus climate that promotes a sense of community and belonging among students, faculty, and staff, leading to improved academic performance and higher retention rates. Creating spaces that promote inclusivity and diversity, and that encourage interaction between different people with different experiences, can also contribute to a positive campus climate.
What does the CARE look like?
CARE Services offers, thorough non-clinical interventions, referrals, advocacy, and follow-up. CARE services staff facilitates support in collaboration with other University departments, faculty, staff, community agencies, supporters, and stakeholders in the students’ success.
Why CARE?
A central focus of Cal State LA’s mission is to support students’ overall success, wellbeing and the greater good. The purpose of CARE Services is to support the university’s mission by:
-
Providing a safe space to refer students in need of support during times of distress.
-
Acknowledging that difficult life experiences can happen and affect a student’s academic performance and overall wellbeing.
-
Being a resource to new and continuing students that need help learning where to go, who to contact, how to access certain services based on their inquiries.
-
Utilizing interventions to promote a collective responsibility for our campus community.
HOW?
By responding to non-emergency concerns using a proactive and collaborative approach to support students in distress, discuss potential concerns, intervene early, and develop appropriate courses of action for referred students. For more information and tips on how and when to refer a student, please review this guide.
CARE Services staff responds to non-emergency concerns. If this is an emergency that requires immediate attention – including imminent threat of harm to oneself or to others, call 911 (from any phone) or contact University Police at (323) 343-3700. After calling 911, we encourage you to submit a CARE Services referral.
CARE Services referrals can be submitted students, staff and faculty.
CARE Report FAQs
If you observe and/or are made aware of student circumstances or behavior that leaves you feeling concerned, worried, and/or alarmed, TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS and SAY SOMETHING.
Examples of circumstances when it would be good to submit a report.
The student:
- Writes about or verbally expresses threats of harm to oneself or others
- Has experienced a sudden, severe drop in academic performance due to personal crisis
- Experiences feelings of isolation, loneliness, or disconnection from peers
- Appears to be going through family problems, relationship problems and/or a break-up
- Experiences the loss of a loved one
- Reports feeling overwhelmed and/or uncomfortable transitioning to campus
- Has directly shared with you that they are feeling anxious, stressed and/or depressed
- Constantly asks for help with personal problems that are beyond the scope of your role and/or expertise level
- May benefit from personalized outreach regarding resources available on campus
Please note that this is not an all-inclusive list. The goal is to support students who may be in distress and/or whose behavior is of concern to others before they rise to crisis levels.
- Students who have grievances about grades—students should be referred to the grade appeal process through their college and undergraduate studies
- For excessive absences, you should refer to Chapter V of the Faculty Handbook regarding missed class time
- Incidents involving direct violations of the Student Code of Conduct—i.e. plagiarism, cheating, or other violations within the Student Code of Conduct. Please submit a Student Conduct Report. The Office of Student Conduct, after review of the report, will determine if CARE Team services may also be necessary to help support a student with concerning behaviors.
- Challenges, issues that fundamentally belong to the realm of classroom management. The instructor should speak directly with the student about concerns, and should consult with department chairs, associate deans, or appropriate departmental staff for guidance.
- Incoming reports are reviewed during regular business hours within one business day of submission. Reports will be triaged and responded to according to the level and severity of the concerns shared by the reporter.
- Student outreach will occur within 24-72 hours to provide support and guidance and connect the student with helpful resources or resource persons.
- You will receive an automatic copy of the Care Report received.
FERPA Exemptions (what and when information can be shared):
- What a College Official sees, hears, experiences, or personally observes
- When there is a credible threat to the health and/or safety of a student, the campus, or any member of the campus community
- For additional information regarding FERPA, please review the Cal State LA (FERPA) Policy website Office of the Registrar or contact the University Counsel at 323-343-3054
FERPA Restrictions (what and when information cannot be shared):
- A written or recorded source or it is subsequently memorialized in a written or recorded form
- When there is written objection from the student specifying the information not be released
- Students' education records is strictly limited to the specific information and data that is relevant and necessary for those authorized individuals to perform their job-related duties