Skip Navigation
Search
Red Book

DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIORS

Student behavior  that interferes with academic (eg. impedes classroom management) or administrative activities and may threaten or endanger the physical/ psychological health, safety, or welfare of the student or others. 

Some non-threatening disruptive behaviors like excessive use of electronic devices or tardiness, can be managed by setting effective ground rules through a well-designed syllabus.

Signs: 

  • Violence or threats of violence (hostile gestures, written/verbal threats, physical assaults)
  • Verbal disruptions (screaming, shouting, berating others, loud crying)
  • Disturbing correspondence (emails or assignments indicating threats to self or others)
  • Academic assignments dominated with themes of rage, violence, and threats to self or others
  • Delusions, hallucinations, confused, disorganized or bizarre behavior (yelling, pacing, talking to self, head banging etc.)
  • Public Intoxication (displaying signs of hangover, strong smell of alcohol)

What to do:

  1. If this is an emergency (behaviors that involves threat to personal or public safety) immediately contact UPD
  2. Refer the student to the Student Support Team
  3. Consider consulting with the CARE Team or SCCS
  4. Consult with department head or supervisor

Important to remember:   

  • Take the disruptive behavior seriously but not personally 
  • Most of the time, ignoring the disruptions causes the behavior to escalate 
  • Stay calm and don’t engage in behaviors that may escalate the situation (e.g. screaming back or physically restraining the student) 
  • It is better to report a behavior even when there is a time lapse between its occurrence and your awareness of it