Behavioral Intervention Team

BIT Team Members

Dr. Cassie Gerhardt, Chair 
Associate Vice President for Student Affairs & Diversity
Associate Dean of Students

Dr. Alexander Pokornowsk
Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs & Diversity
Assistant Dean of Students

Dr. Lora Sloan
Staff Psychologist
University Counseling Center

Telissa Stumpf
Associate Director of Student Health Services

Troy Noeldner
Director of Housing Operations

Peggy Varberg
Associate Vice President, Human Resources & Payroll Services

Bill Chaves
Athletic Director

Nancy Yon
Assistant Attorney General
General Counsel for the North Dakota University System

David Dodds
Director of Communications

Dr. Eric Plummer
Associate Vice President for Public Safety & Chief of Police

Donna Smith
Director, Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Title IX Coordinator

Heather Wages
Academic Affairs Officer

Matt Lukach
Student Account Relations Manager, One Stop Student Services

Associate Vice President for Student Affairs & Diversity and Associate Dean of Students (Chair)

• The Chair will be a senior Student Affairs administrator who has high level authority to manage student behavior and who has a solid understanding of UND student policies, procedures, and student disciplinary matters.
• The Chair will ensure that all roles and responsibilities of BIT members are clearly articulated and that all BIT practices and procedures conform to UND policies and applicable ethical, legal, and best practices.
• The Chair ensures that the team tracks BIT data through annual reports and other methods.
• The Chair, in conjunction with other BIT members, will monitor and periodically update practices and procedures as the law and best practices change.
• The Chair (or designee) will be the first designated point of contact for staff, faculty, students, and others who may have concerns about a particular student.
• The Chair (or designee) will make parental notifications.
• The Chair (or designee) will convene the BIT.

Vice President for Student Affairs and Diversity

• The Vice President will assume the position of Chair when the Associate Dean and Assistant Dean of Students are not available.

Associate Vice President for Public Safety and Chief of Police (law enforcement member)

• The law enforcement member will provide safety planning as well as gather background information regarding individuals who may be of concern.
• The law enforcement member will also be responsible for following up with any person that has referred an individual to the BIT as a threat to public safety.

Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs & Diversity and Assistant Dean of Students

• The Assistant Dean of Students is a senior Student Affairs administrator who has high level authority to manage student behavior and who has a solid understanding of UND student policies, procedures, and student disciplinary processes.
• The Assistant Dean of Students will assume the position of Chair when the AVP and Dean of Students is not available.
• The Assistant Dean of Students will be the second designated point of contact for staff, faculty, students, and others who may have concerns about a particular individual.
• The Assistant Dean of Students will make parental notifications.

University Counseling Center (mental health professional)

• The mental health professional cannot disclose identifiable patient information however; she or he can offer assistance by talking in hypothetical terms about similar situations or offering guidance regarding the best plan of action given the details of the specific case.

Executive Director of Housing and Dining Services

• The Executive Director of Housing and Dining Services is in the unique position of having a broader perspective regarding student issues as a result of receiving information relating to a member's living environment/community.

Associate Director of Student Health Services

• The Associate Director of Student Health Services will lead all planning for medical cases as well as assist with mental health and behavioral issues.

In the event of an emergency situation, core members will be phoned or emailed to determine a response plan. The Chair of the BIT and two other BIT members must be present before a response plan can be implemented.

The BIT will review credible reports involving students, faculty or staff members. Information that may be reviewed by the BIT includes but is not limited to the following:

• University Police (UPD) reports
• Grand Forks Police (GFPD) and other law enforcement agency reports
• Residence Service Reports (RSRs) completed by Housing staff members
• Care Team reports
• Reports provided to the University by faculty, staff, students or other individuals, either directly or anonymously
• Data regarding a student's disciplinary history

Following a review of the information, the BIT will develop an appropriate plan of action. The following questions will be considered (Dunkle, Silverstein, & Warner, 2008).

• What is the behavior?
• Where is the behavior occurring?
• How does the behavior affect the community?
• Is the identified student in imminent danger or an imminent danger to the community?
• Are there any past documented incidents/behaviors?
• What do we know of the student's academic performance or mental health history?
• Is there a documented disability?
• What are the ethical/legal issues?
• What systems need to be involved in finding more information or responding?

Possible campus responses include but are not limited to the following:

• Monitor the situation
• Engage directly with the individual to de-escalate the situation/concern
• Work with a trusted peer or ally to monitor the individual/situation more closely
• Work with other departments to coordinate a plan of action (e.g., assessment, counseling, case management, disciplinary action)
• Voluntary referral for mental health assessment or treatment
• Mandated psychological assessment
• Involuntary hospitalization for evaluation and/or treatment
• Disciplinary review/action
• Notification of family member(s)
• Separate the student from the institution (Emergency suspension, voluntary leave)

• Deisinger, G., Randazzo, M., O'Neill, D., & Savage, J. (2008). The Handbook for Campus Threat Assessment & Management Teams. TSG Solutions.
• Dunkle, J. H., Silverstein, Z. B., & Warner, S. L. (2008).Managing violent and other troubling students: The role of threat assessment teams on campus. Journal of College and University Law 34(3).
• Higher Education Mental Health Alliance (2012). Balancing Safety and Support on Campus: A Guide for Campus Teams.