2008 Woodie Awards
Panel reflects on WU's ability to identify troubled students
By: Angela Ludwinski
Issue date: 4/26/07 Section: News
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Webster faculty and staff had the opportunity to refresh themselves April 23 on Webster policies concerning troubled students at the panel brought about by the tragedy at Virginia Tech University.
About 50 people, mostly staff and faculty, were present at the panel titled "Reflections on the Virginia Tech Tragedy: What Happens at Webster When We Encounter a Troubled Student" April 23.
Ted Hoef, moderator and associate vice president and dean of students, walked them through scenarios similar to the ones that occurred with Cho Seung-Hui before the shooting at Virginia Tech. Hoef used the hypothetical situation of a Webster male student who wrote a disturbing paper, stalked women and exhibited disruptive behavior.
Cho similarly had a history of writing disturbing papers, stalking women and confessed to a faculty member that he had contemplated suicide. The panel did not discuss what Webster would do in case of a shooting, but focused on how to handle a disruptive student who might exhibit behavior that could lead to violence.
The panelists discussed what would happen to the hypothetical student in each incident. After the student wrote a disturbing paper, the professor should talk with the student, to see if they are only expressing himself or herself creatively or if there is a deeper concern. If the professor felt there was an issue, the student would be referred to counseling and reported to Student Affairs.
If a student confessed thoughts of suicide, whomever was aware of those thoughts - faculty, staff or a student - should immediately contact the Counseling and Life Development office to put them in touch with a counselor.
After all of the scenarios of the hypothetical acts of the Webster student, the panel discussed what it would take to get a student removed from Webster. The consensus was that frequent drug and alcohol violations or an incident involving the selling of drugs would warrant expulsion. If a student has to be admitted psychologically because they are threatening to commit suicide, they cannot return to Webster until after they received proper treatment.
About 50 people, mostly staff and faculty, were present at the panel titled "Reflections on the Virginia Tech Tragedy: What Happens at Webster When We Encounter a Troubled Student" April 23.
Ted Hoef, moderator and associate vice president and dean of students, walked them through scenarios similar to the ones that occurred with Cho Seung-Hui before the shooting at Virginia Tech. Hoef used the hypothetical situation of a Webster male student who wrote a disturbing paper, stalked women and exhibited disruptive behavior.
Cho similarly had a history of writing disturbing papers, stalking women and confessed to a faculty member that he had contemplated suicide. The panel did not discuss what Webster would do in case of a shooting, but focused on how to handle a disruptive student who might exhibit behavior that could lead to violence.
The panelists discussed what would happen to the hypothetical student in each incident. After the student wrote a disturbing paper, the professor should talk with the student, to see if they are only expressing himself or herself creatively or if there is a deeper concern. If the professor felt there was an issue, the student would be referred to counseling and reported to Student Affairs.
If a student confessed thoughts of suicide, whomever was aware of those thoughts - faculty, staff or a student - should immediately contact the Counseling and Life Development office to put them in touch with a counselor.
After all of the scenarios of the hypothetical acts of the Webster student, the panel discussed what it would take to get a student removed from Webster. The consensus was that frequent drug and alcohol violations or an incident involving the selling of drugs would warrant expulsion. If a student has to be admitted psychologically because they are threatening to commit suicide, they cannot return to Webster until after they received proper treatment.
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