Working with Students

You may likely work with students in your courses, as advisees, or in other capacities who need assistance with a range of issues. Peru State College has resources to assist you in working with these students. This page describes some of those resources and potential responses you can provide to students in these situations.

Peru State Contacts

In cases of emergency, call 911 or contact Security at 402-872-2411 . From campus, just dial 2411.

In non-emergent situations, consider talking with the following individuals who can assist:

  • Your Dean or Supervisor

Academic Struggles

Your advisees or students in your courses may be experiencing academic struggles. Despite attending class and doing the work, they may not be achieving the standards needed for success in the course. The following are some strategies for helping students with academic struggles.

For advisees, you could reach to instructors of courses in which your students are struggling. Meet with them and see if they have some suggestions for your students. Most importantly, encourage your advisees to meet with their instructors.

Free tutoring is available to Peru State students and is arranged through the Center for Academic and Transition Services (CATS). You can request tutoring for students in your courses or for your advisees by visiting the Tutoring website .

PrepStep provides a variety of online tutorials that your students may find useful. PrepStep is available by following this link or from the Library's webpage . Tutorials include the following:

  • Classroom Success
  • Organizational Strategies
  • Core Math and Science Skills Review
  • Core English Skills Review
    • Personal Success

The following can help you and your students learn more about PrepStep:

Belonging

At Peru State, students who indicate less social integration on Mapworks surveys leave the College at a higher rate than those who say they are more socially integrated.



Sense of Belonging in the College Classroom (The Ohio State University)
College students’ sense of belonging matters because it is related to their academic success and emotional well being. Although there is more research and emphasis on sense of belonging in K-12 educational environments, increasingly, higher education leaders have begun to emphasize sense of belonging in college student populations. The success of college students is related in part to whether or not they feel welcomed in specific college environments, such as classrooms. Sense of belonging is related to a number of things, including college students’ engagement and persistence, course grades, and academic motivation. The bottom line is this: college students who feel that they belong in your classroom are more likely to succeed.

Disability Services

Academic accommodations are arranged through the Center for Achievement and Transition Services (CATS) for students who have qualifying disabilities. Students must self-identify, provide documentation, and request assistance. To get the process underway, students should visit the Disability Services website.

After accommodations have been approved, letters are sent to the student’s instructors and advisor. The student then notifies the instructors whenever he or she wishes to make use of an approved accommodation. The ADA services coordinator works with the instructors as needed to facilitate accommodations. (Testing accommodations are generally provided by appointment in the CATS building.)

It is the student’s responsibility to meet with the ADA services coordinator (recommended at least once a month) to review progress and monitor the effectiveness of accommodations and other CATS services in meeting the student’s needs.


The following slide deck provides information about working with students on the Autism spectrum.

Student Mental Health

Counseling Services, located in the CATS 202 office suite on the top floor of the Center for Achievement and Transition Services, provides counseling at no charge to Peru State students.

Personal Counseling
Peru State provides free personal counseling services to all students. Counseling can help with making decisions, improving personal skills, developing increased confidence, overcoming blocks to personal effectiveness, and acquiring a keener awareness and appreciation of one’s own needs and the needs of others. The counseling process may involve exploring and expressing feelings, examining beliefs and ways of thinking, reflecting on patterns of behavior, and working toward making healthy changes.

Distance Learners
Distance learners can access counseling services via phone or Skype. Phone counseling is recommended since the confidentiality of Skype connections cannot be guaranteed. However, those choosing to use Skype can do so by sending the counselor a request to be added as a contact.

Scheduling an Appointment
Appointments are made directly with the counselor, and drop-ins are welcome when the counselor is not already in session. Counselors are generally available during regular business hours: Monday — Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.

For further information or if you have questions, contact 402-872-2369 or email  counseling@peru.edu

Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Peru State College Drug and Alcohol Counseling/Resources is a harm reduction program that utilizes counseling techniques, educational information, and non-judgmental stance to help the individual make positive changes in their lives, and educates individuals on how drugs and alcohol can affect our short and long term goals.

Social Perception Myths
Students tend to have an over-inflated perception of how many students on campus drink or use marijuana. AlcoholWise is an online course utilized by Peru State College to correct this misconception. After taking the AlcoholWise course, a higher percentage of students accurately perceived the norm for the number of students who drink. Based on the Report from AlcoholWise completed by incoming freshmen, 80.6% report not drinking. Those students who choose to drink or use drugs are less than what social perceptions would lead to believe.

BASICS (Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students)
BASICS provides counseling services for students who have a variety of alcohol or drug related issues. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has recognized BASICS as an evidence-based model program.

Referral to BASICS
The staff, coaches, and faculty can refer a student of concern or who have a misconduct. A student can also be self-referred or by another student. The referral form is available here .

Misconduct
Peru State students who have an alcohol violation on- or off-campus may be required to complete the BASICS program administered by Peru State Counseling Services.  Students may be mandated to attend by Peru State’s Dean of Student Affairs, Director of Residence Life, or Athletics Department. Any student is welcome to attend.

Additional Information and Links

For further information or if you have questions, contact 402-872-2369 or email  counseling@peru.edu

Creating "Daring Classrooms"

In this video, University of Houston Social Work professor Dr. Brené Brown discusses engagement with vulnerability and learning to recognize and combat shame. She asks,  "What would it mean for our schools and classrooms if we showed up for tough, honest conversations about what it takes to bring our best, most authentic selves to work? These conversations may sound risky and vulnerable, but risk and vulnerability are essential to courageous schools. A daring classroom is a place where both teachers and students commit to choosing courage over comfort, choosing what is right over what is fun, fast or easy and practicing values rather than professing them."



Managing Student Relationships

It's not uncommon for you to develop relationships with students where they may disclose personal information and ask for assistance. Be careful to set clear boundaries for those relationships and take care to notice when you may be in situations that require professional intervention. Set clear expectations for communication outside of class and let students know how you prefer to be contacted. Be careful to disclose information to students that may suggest a closer relationship than what you intend. Keep discussions focused on professional, career, or classroom topics and try to avoid talking about personal matters.

If you feel that you may be in a situation where the boundaries have become unclear, these questions can help guide your decision-making in these situations:

  • Am I the only person this student is seeking out for help and assistance?
  • Is the student relying on multiple data points to assess their situation?
  • Am I talking with others about how to assist this student or am I relying on my own experience and instincts in offering advice?
  • Is the student taking up a disproportionate amount of my time?
  • Is the student asking for anonymity or disclosing information you feel like you should share with others? When students ask you to keep something secret, this should be a significant flag due to the likelihood that information shared can't or shouldn't remain confidential. Seek assistance if a student asks for anonymity or confidentiality.
  • Are you asking yourself how to get out of the situation?

In these situations, refer to the contacts at the top of this page to identify people who can help you address the situation with the student.

For Further Reading

  • Professor Goldilocks and the Three Boundaries: "As I think about my undergraduate mentor, it is precisely because of her professionalism, warmth, and mentorship that I still turn to her to help me navigate the waters of working in higher education."
  • Why Won’t They Ask Us for Help? (Lammers, 2017): "We gathered from what these focus groups reported that the most effective and direct way for instructors to encourage students to seek help is an honest review of our behaviors and a willingness to adapt our teaching styles so that we appear more transparent and accommodating to students. In truth, most of us are available, approachable, and ready to provide help. We just need to constantly remind ourselves to regularly communicate these qualities to our students."
  • Four Student Misconceptions about Learning (Weimer, 2017)