The Assessment & Care Team

The ACT is chaired by Jules Grable, the Director of Student Advocacy (jearthur@butler.edu), and includes the following professionals from across campus:

• Angela Mager, Assistant Dean, College of Education
  amager@butler.edu 
• Gayle Hartleroad, Assistant Dean, College of Pharmacy &Health Sciences
  ghartleroad@butler.edu 
• Hilary Buttrick, Associate Dean, Lacy School of Business
  hbuttric@butler.edu 
• Julie Greger, Retention Specialist
  jgreger@butler.edu 
• Kathleen Camire, Director, Student Disability Services
  kcamire@butler.edu 
• Keith Magnus, Director, Counseling & Consultation Services, kmagnus@butler.edu 
• Kelly Freiberger, Associate Dean of Students
  kfreiber@butler.edu 
• Martha Dziwlik, Dean of Students
  mdziwlik@butler.edu 
• Mary Krohn, Associate Dean, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
  mhkrohn@butler.edu 
• Maxie Gardner, Director, Health Services
  mlgardner1@butler.edu 
• Mikala Lain, Assistant Director, Efroymson Diversity Center
  mlain@butler.edu 
• Penny Dimmick, Associate Dean, Jordan College of the Arts
  pdimmick@butler.edu 
• Rob Williford, Associate Dean, Founder’s College
  rwilliford@butler.edu 
• Robbie Lopez-Shue, Executive Director, Student Success
  rlopezshue@butler.edu 
• Shannon Mulqueen, Director, Residence Life
  smulquee@butler.edu 
• Sonya Hopkins, Associate Director, Athletics
  sahopkin@butler.edu 
• Suzanne Reading, Associate Dean, College of Communication
  reading@butler.edu 

Together, we work behind the scenes to ensure that students experiencing distress receive coordinated care and support.

• The ACT meets bi-weekly through the academic year to identify students of concern, assess their level of risk through an objective evaluation, and provide appropriate interventions to support the holistic well-being of each student.
  
• The ACT specifically addresses the needs of currently enrolled students, regardless of full/part-time status, undergraduate/graduate, or racial, ethnic, religious, class background, sexual orientation, and gender and social identity.
  
• The ACT addresses student behaviors that occur both on and off campus to better understand and effectively support student behaviors, needs, and concerns.
  
• The ACT does not evaluate situations of elevated or emergent threats of violence to the campus community.  If you like to learn more about how Butler University would respond to cases such as these, please contact the Dean of Students, Martha Dziwlik (mdziwlik@butler.edu).

You should consider referring a student to ACT when you observe:

• Significant changes in behavior, mood, or academic performance
• Extended absence from class without explanation
• Disruptive behavior in class or campus spaces
• Signs of emotional distress (e.g., expressions of hopelessness, withdrawal)
• Concerns about a student’s health, safety, or well-being
• Self-disclosure of personal distress (e.g. family problems, financial difficulties, assault, discrimination, legal difficulties)
• Verbal, written, or implied references to suicide, homicide, assault, or self-injurious behaviors

You can also refer to our Red Folder Resource (below) for more in depth information about specific behaviors and signs that indicate a student is in distress and in need of additional support.

You can submit a Student of Concern Report (formerly called CARE Reports) through our online form at https://butler-advocate.symplicity.com/collections/student_of_concern_reports 

If you’re ever unsure whether to refer, please reach out to Jules Grable, Director of Student Advocacy, at jearthur@butler.edu and she would be happy to consult with you.

When in doubt, reach out. We’re here to help determine the best course of action.

It can be tricky to figure out the right thing to say to a student that you’re concerned about.  Here are some tips for getting the conversation started:

• Start with Empathy.
  • Remove the phrase “at least” from your vocabulary.
  • Rarely, if ever, can words make things better – what makes things better is connection.
  • Check out this video from Brene Brown about empathy vs. sympathy.
    
• Use with I-Statements.
  • “I’ve noticed that you haven’t been hanging out with us as much.  Is everything okay?”
  • “I feel like you’ve been a little on edge lately.  I’m here to talk, if that’s something that you’d like to do.
    
• Check On Basic Needs.
  • Do they feel safe in the residence/on campus?
  • Do they have any physical injuries that they are concerned about?
    
• Use Active Listening Techniques.
  • Pay attention – show through your verbal acknowledgements and body language that you are listening and care about what they have to say.
  • Ask questions about how they are feeling – keep the focus on their feelings about what happened, instead of asking about the specifics of what happened.  
  • Give them options – ask them what they would like to do every step of the way, for big things and small things
  • Reflect back- once they have made a choice, reflect back to them that you support them and will help them move forward with that choice.

• Share Your Reporting Obligations.  If you plan on submitting a Student of Concern Report or are obligated to make a report to Title IX, share that information with the student.  Reassure them that they will not be in any trouble and they are in charge of whether they engage with support services or not.  Be transparent about what you plan to share.
  
  • We recognize that this might not always be something that you feel comfortable sharing with the student that you are submitting a report.  Anonymous reporting is available, if needed, though this does limit our ability to follow up in some cases.  If you would prefer to remain anonymous, please indicate as such when you submit the Student of Concern Report.
    
  • If the student shares something related to sexual misconduct or Title IX, you are considered a mandated reporter and must submit a report to the Office of Institutional Equity.

We recognize that this might not always be something that you feel comfortable sharing with the student that you are submitting a report.  Anonymous reporting is available, if needed, though this does limit our ability to follow up in some cases.  
If you would prefer to remain anonymous, please indicate as such when you submit the Student of Concern Report.