Services we provide include:

• Assessing the needs of students experiencing a crisis or emergency

• Helping students connect with campus and/or community resources

• Consulting with faculty/staff to provide appropriate assistance to students in need

• Providing emotional support to students with mental health concerns

• Supporting students during times of sickness or injury

• Assisting students during times of financial difficulty

• Supporting students experiencing food insecurity

• Making referrals for alcohol and/or drug treatment

• Coaching students to solve problems and develop self-advocacy skills

• Assisting students and families in navigating the medical and/or family medical withdrawal process

• Supporting survivors of sexual and relationship violence

• Honoring Auburn-enrolled students who pass away

We do not provide:

• Mental health counseling or therapy

• Advising on academic issues or accommodations

• Class excuses

• Conduct welfare checks

A college student’s life can be stressful. As a student, faculty, staff or family member you may recognize a student in distress but be uncertain about whether or not you should contact Auburn Cares about the student’s challenges. We believe early detection and intervention are essential to prevent small issues from becoming major obstacles in a student’s life.

A combination of any of the following may indicate a student is in distress and should be reported to Auburn Cares so they can reach out to support the student.

• Academic changes
• Classroom disruptions
• General mental health concerns
• Suicidal behaviors
• Threatening behaviors

Make A Referral is made

The referral process begins by contacting the Auburn Cares office about a student. Referrals can be made by phone, email, online reporting form or by walking into the Auburn Cares office to speak with a staff member face to face. Students can self-refer.

Outreach

Once a student is referred, Auburn Cares staff will review and assess the information in order to determine the best course of action for follow-up. Follow-up is individually tailored and, when possible, relationship-driven. A staff member may contact the reporting party for additional information, collaboration and to review a plan for outreach. Auburn Cares outreach typically includes a staff member reaching out to the student directly and working with the student to connect with appropriate referrals or develop a success plan. A reporting party can share information with the Auburn Cares office about a student and request that no action be taken at that time. A reporting party may not receive specific follow-up information due to privacy laws and regulations.

Anonymity

Please know anonymity cannot be guaranteed despite our staff's best efforts to protect the identity of the reporting party. Information discussed will only be shared on a need-to-know basis and in the context of helping the student. A report may be completed anonymously, however, Auburn Cares staff strongly encourage the reporting party to provide their name and contact information to allow staff to follow up to gather additional information.

• 1. Identify
• 2. Approach
• 3. Take care of yourself

Student Conduct:

• Provides informal and formal pathways for members of the Auburn community to hold each other accountable through the Code of Student Conduct.

• Offers education and resources to students who have been negatively affected by the behavior of members of the Auburn community.

• Oversees the medical assistance policy and process.

• Manages the student conduct records verification process.

• Investigates student organization misconduct.

• Manages the record expungement process.

• Oversees the written student complaint process.

• Consults with faculty, staff and students about behavioral concerns and how to best manage or address those concerns.

• Helps university community members connect with appropriate campus and community resources.

Referrals

Anyone can report behavior or policy concerns to Student Conduct. Most referrals come from university community members such as Campus Safety, Auburn Police, University Housing, faculty, staff or students.

When Student Conduct receives a report saying a student may have been involved in a violation of Auburn University policy, a letter is sent to the student’s Auburn University email address. This email outlines the allegations along with the time and location of the student's upcoming meeting with a conduct officer. Students should attend and participate in the scheduled meeting and read the Code of Student Conduct before attending.

Meeting with Student Conduct

At the start of every meeting the Student Conduct staff takes time to get to know the student’s interests, academic background, life experiences as well as educational and personal goals. The conduct officer and student will then review the Code of Student Conduct, the conduct process, the student’s rights and responsibilities, and the report provided to Student Conduct. The student can share information about the reported concerns and provide additional information to help determine what happens next to address the reported behavior. When university policies are violated, the student may be allowed to resolve the case through an informal agreement. If the report cannot be resolved through an informal agreement, the case will be referred to the Student Conduct Committee.

More information about hearing procedures is available on the Hearing Procedures page.

Encouraging a student, whether a reporter or a student alleged to have broken a policy, to participate in the conduct process is a great first step in supporting them. Students who take the lead in addressing their behaviors or the behaviors of others have better experiences than those who do not. The conduct process allows students to have someone present to help advise and support them during meetings with Student Conduct. Attending meetings, with the student’s permission, is one of the most common ways to support students through the process. Student Conduct encourages all students to share their experiences with someone they trust and who is willing to attend meetings with them, should they need that level of support. Helping a student recognize what they did wrong, come up with a plan to repair the harm they have caused, learn from the experience and take action to change their behavior are other ways to support a student during the conduct process.