Missing Classes for Personal Emergencies:
Students may need to be excused from classes due to personal emergencies such as being
hospitalized, or being in a car accident. The Office of the Dean of Students can
assist students with documented emergencies in contacting professors, receiving
excused absences and getting extensions on academic assignments. For more information,
please call the Office of the Dean of Students.
Failing Classes:
Students may experience academic difficulties due to lack of motivation, inadequate
time management, poor study skills, learning disabilities, social distractions,
substance abuse or psychological problems. If you are having academic problems, call
the Office of the Dean of Students to learn about GT resources that can help improve
your academic performance.
Unable to Complete an Academic Term:
Sometimes the most unexpected, challenging life events can occur at the end of the
semester, just in time for completing final projects and taking exams. If this happens
to you it may be best to consider requesting an incomplete. Your professor has sole
discretion in this decision. He/She may request that the Dean of the Students verify
the need for the incomplete. The Dean of Students can also assist in making the
request to the faculty if the student is unable to do so. In order to receive an
incomplete, you must be passing the class. Work in the course must be completed by
the end of the term of the next semester that you are enrolled. For more information,
contact the Office of the Dean of Students.
Withdrawing From School:
Some students find that due to the length of their recovery and impact of their
personal emergency and/or missed classes, they are unable to make-up the missed work.
In these cases, student may decide to withdraw from school. The Office of the Dean of
Students can assist students with withdrawal procedures and help coordinate resulting
housing issues.
Student Affairs offers emergency loans through the Dean Griffin Hip Pocket Fund . These are interest free loans and can be used for academic or personal matters. For more information, contact Chrissy Sherstad.
The Office of the Dean of Students offers emergency loans through the Medical Assistance Fund. This fund provides financial assistance to students with life threatening illnesses for medical treatments, tutoring due to missed classes and/or the cost of medication. Students must have paid insurance to be eligible. For more information, contact the Dean of Students.
The Institute offers emergency 30 day loans to students who need short-term assistance in paying tuition and fees, or cash loans up to $1,500 (not both). These loans are interest free, but do have a service fee assessed at the time of the delivery of the loan funds. The loan requires a cosigner. Students must not borrow in successive terms of enrollment. For more information visit the financial aid web site.
Suicide:
Although occasional thoughts of suicide are not uncommon, frequent thoughts of suicide, especially if accompanied by a desire to act on these thoughts, should be a signal to seek professional help. If an individual has a suicidal plan and the means to carry out the plan, then the situation should be taken very seriously. A person contemplating suicide will often express or show some sort of suicidal communication before the actual attempt. Verbal and behavioral clues to which one should pay attention are listed below.
Some of the verbal clues might be statements like:
- "All my problems will end soon"
- "I just can't take it anymore"
- "Everyone will be better off without me"
- "I wish I were dead"
Behavioral signs might be:
- A withdrawal from family or friends
- An extreme mood change
- Lack of interest in appearance
- Not getting out of bed in the morning
- Giving away prized possessions
- Not going to class and grades dropping
Helping Others Who are Suicidal: If you are worried about someone you think might be considering suicide, there are some things you can do to be helpful:
- Listen Without Judgment: Try to understand what the person is feeling and don't downplay or minimize the person's feelings. Acknowledge that he or she is feeling sad, lonely, distraught or confused.
- Ask Questions: Try to get a sense of the seriousness of the situation. If the person is feeling depressed ask about it. You might say, "have you been able to eat' or 'is it hard to get up in the morning' or 'are you sleeping at night?' Don't be afraid to ask about suicide. Asking about suicide is generally perceived as a statement of caring.
- Be Affirmative and Supportive: A distressed person needs emotional support by knowing that you are with him or her- that you know what to do to help and that you are willing.
- Act Specifically: Do something tangible- give the person something to hang on to. Perhaps you could arrange to see or call him or her later.
- Don't Try to Handle it Yourself: Sometimes it is emotionally draining to help someone who is struggling. Realize when you are not able to be helpful.
- Encourage the Person to Seek Professional Help: Don't try to handle it by yourself. When a person is so depressed or unhappy that he or she is considering taking his/her own life, they usually need an intervention by a professional who is trained to deal with such situations. Contact the Counseling Center at (404)894-2575.
Sexual Assault / Rape:
What should you do if you were raped TODAY?
- Don't Deal With it Alone
There are many resources available for you to use. Call the GT Counseling Center at (404)894-2575 or the Grady Health System Rape Crisis Center 24-Hour telephone number (404)616-4861. The Crisis Center provides counselors to help answer the medical and emotional questions you have at any hour in complete confidence. - Don't Bath or Douche
Bathing or douching might be the first thing you want to do, but you shouldn't-regardless of your urge to do so. You might literally be washing away evidence. - Save Your Clothing
You can change your clothes, but save what you were wearing. If you decide to prosecute, your clothing could be used as evidence. - Get Medical Attention Immediately
You could be injured externally or internally. You could become pregnant or infected with a Sexually Transmitted Disease. Beyond your physical health, a medical examination could provide important evidence if you decide to prosecute. - Report to the Police
You have the decision whether or not to report rape. Note that reporting rape is not the same as prosecuting your attacker. At the very least, please report the rape to the police.
If you have been raped recently:
- Get medical attention to check for Sexually Transmitted Diseases, pregnancy or other injuries.
- Consider seeking counseling through GT Counseling Center or community resources.
- Is thin and keeps getting thinner, losing 15% or more of his/her ideal body weight.
- Continues to diet or restrict foods even though he/she is not overweight.
- Has a distorted body image- feels fat even when he/she is thin.
- Is preoccupied with food, calories, nutrition, or cooking.
- Denies that he/she is hungry.
- Exercises obsessively.
- Weighs himself/herself frequently.
- Complains about feeling bloated or nauseated even when he/she eats normal- or less than normal- amounts of food.
- Loses his/her hair or begins to experience thinning hair.
- Feels cold even though the temperature is normal or only slightly cold.
- Stops menstruating.
- Engages in binge eating and cannot voluntarily stop.
- Uses the bathroom frequently after meals.
- Reacts to emotional stress by overeating.
- Has menstrual irregularities.
- Has swollen glands.
- Experiences frequent fluctuations in weight.
- Is obsessively concerned about weight.
- Attempts to adhere to diets, but he/she generally fails.
- Feels guilty or ashamed about eating.
- Feels out of control.
- Has depressive moods.
- Eats large amounts of food when not physically hungry.
- Eats much more rapidly than normal.
- Eats until the point of feeling uncomfortably full.
- Often eats alone because of shame or embarrassment.
- Has feelings of depression, disgust, or guilt after eating.
- Has a history of marked weight fluctuations.
- Excessive, regular, or periodic usage.
- Inability to control usage.
- Four or more drinks at any one time, or 10 or more drinks per week.
- Losing time from classes.
- Drinking or using to build up self-confidence in social situations.
- Drinking or using alone.
- Drinking or using to escape from problems, studies, home worries.
- Financial troubles over buying alcohol or drugs.
- Interpersonal problems due to drinking or using.
- Legal problems due to drinking or using.
- Discuss feelings such as loneliness, anger and sadness openly and honestly with other students, instructors and family members.
- Maintain hope.
- If your religious convictions are important to you, talk to a member of the clergy about your beliefs and feelings.
- Join a support group.
- Take good care of yourself. Eat well-balanced meals. Get plenty of rest.
- Be patient with yourself. It takes time to heal. Some days will be better than others.
- Be supportive but do not attempt to give encouragement and reassurance when a student is in the depressed stage of grieving. It will not be helpful.
- Talk openly and honestly about the situation unless the student does not want to.
- Use an appropriate, caring conversational tone of voice.
- Show that you care. Listen attentively and show interest in what the grieving student has to say about his/her feelings and beliefs. Share your feelings and talk about any similar experience you may have had. Avoid using the phrase, "I know just how you feel."
- If symptoms of depression are very severe or persistent and the grieving student is not coping with day to day activities encourage that student to get professional help. (University of Buffalo Student Affairs, http://ub-counseling.buffalo.edu/coping.shtml)
- Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment or academic standing or student organization decisions; or
- Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as a basis for employment or academic decisions or student organization decisions affecting such individual; or
- Such conduct has the effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work or academic performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working or academic environment.
- Either men or women may be the initiators or victims of sexual harassment.
- The group seems to be perfect. Everyone agrees and follows all orders cheerfully.
- The group claims to have "all the answers" to your problems.
- You are asked to recruit new members soon after joining.
- You begin to feel guilty and ashamed, unworthy as a person.
- The group encourages you to put their meetings and activities before all other commitments, including studying.
- The group speaks in a derogatory way about your past religious, social or political affiliations.
- Your parents and friends are defined as unable to understand or help you with religious, social or political affiliations.
- Doubts and questions are seen as signs of weak faith or commitment. You are shunned if you persist in these doubts.
- Leadership of the group is mostly male, and males in general are believed to have different rights and abilities than females.
- You are invited on a retreat with the group, but they can't give you an overview of the purpose, theme, or activities before you go.
- An inability to stop once you start gambling.
- Setting 'loss limits' for the day and then routinely exceeding the limits.
- Borrowing money to pay gambling debts.
- Lying to friends and/or family about gambling frequency or the extent of losses.
- Neglecting other responsibilities such as school due to a preoccupation with gambling.
- Constant self worry about your gambling.
- Consistently feeling the need for the next "gambling rush".
- Do you feel preoccupied with the Internet (think about previous on-line activity or anticipate next on-line session)?
- Do you feel restless, moody, depressed or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop Internet use?
- Have you jeopardized or risked the loss of a significant relationship, job, educational or career opportunity because of the Internet?
- Have you lied to family members, therapists, or others to conceal the extent of your involvement on the Internet?
- Do you use the Internet as a way of escaping from problems or of relieving a dysphoric mood (e.g., feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, depression)?
Unexpected Pregnancy:
Counseling is available to talk over your alternatives or simply get a referral or information about different options available. Counseling sessions are intended to provide an opportunity for you to explore your decisions and feelings regarding an unexpected pregnancy. If you need academic assistance with implementing your decision, please contact the Office of the Dean of Students.
What is Anorexia?
Anorexia is self-imposed starvation. It is a serious, life-threatening disorder, which usually stems from underlying emotional causes. Although people with anorexia are obsessed with food, they continually deny their hunger. People with anorexia often limit or restrict other parts of their lives besides food- relationships, social activities, or pleasure. Anorexia can cause severe medical problems and even lead to death.
Warning Signs of Anorexia:
Here are some of the common warning signs that indicated that a person may be suffering from anorexia. The person:
What is Bulimia?
Bulimia is the repeated cycle of out-of-control eating followed by some form of purging. Bulimia is a serious eating disorder which can be fatal. The purging associated with bulimia may be self-induced vomiting, excessive use of laxatives or diuretics, or obsessive exercising. People with bulimia often feel out of control in other areas of their lives besides food. They may spend money excessively, abuse drugs or alcohol, or engage in chaotic relationships.
Bulimia can have severe medical consequences including dental and esophageal problems, kidney damage, chemical imbalance, and an overall loss of energy and vitality. It can even prove fatal.
Here are some of the common warning signs that a person may be suffering from bulimia. The person:
What is Binge Eating Disorder?
Binge Eating Disorder is more commonly referred to as compulsive overeating and can affect women or men, though it appears twice as often among women. People with binge eating disorders suffer from episodes of uncontrolled eating or bingeing followed by periods of guilt and depression. A binge is marked by the consumption of large amounts of food, sometimes accompanied by a pressured, "frenzied" feeling. Frequently, a compulsive overeater continues to eat even after he/she becomes uncomfortably full. Binge eating can lead to severe medical problems including high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, and depression.
Here are some of the common warning signs that suggest a person may be suffering from binge eating disorder. The person:
When & Where to Seek Help:
If anyone you know is exhibiting warning signs of anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder, it is important to seek counseling through the GT Counseling Center or community resources. (The Renfrew Center, http://www.renfrewcenter.com)
Alcohol/Drug Problem:
Alcohol and drug use among students is a serious problem. Binge drinking (drinking to get drunk, usually considered at least four drinks on any occasion) is one form of substance abuse that is very common among students. Alcohol and drugs pose special problems for students. The average student who has one drink a day earns a GPA at the C-Level, and grades decline with higher consumption. Women need to drink only half of what male students do to cause the same effects on their grades. Almost half of academic problems come from abusing alcohol. It is also a factor in about 1/3 of the drop-outs from college. (California Polytechnic State University, http://www.calpoly.edu)
Signs & Symptoms:
If you are concerned that you or a friend has a drinking or drug problem, please contact the GT Counseling Center.
Emotional Problems:
It is not uncommon for individuals to experience emotional distress related to problems encountered in every day living. Problems in relationships with parents, peers, or romantic partners commonly serve as triggers for emotional distress. Especially in a highly competitive academic environment, individuals may experience stress from striving to meet high expectations and competition to be 'at the top.' Also, academic problems may result from emotional problems that make it difficult for an individual to concentrate and focus on his or her studies. Academic problems can also be a cause of emotional distress, particularly when individuals perceive that they are not meeting expectations. Experiencing anxiety and depression are common ways that individuals may respond to difficulties encountered in life. However, when an individual's emotional distress interferes with the ability to function effectively in important life roles, then seeking professional help through the Counseling Center at (404)894-2575 or community resources is recommended.
Death of a Loved One:
Ways to Cope with Death and Dying:
Ways to Help a Bereaved Student:
Domestic/Roommate/Dating Violence:
Most people in relationships experience occasional disagreements with their partner or roommate, which is normal. Disagreements can even be healthy for a relationship when they are resolved constructively and peacefully in a reasonable period of time. Sometimes, however, disagreements become abusive, which is unhealthy or even dangerous to the overall relationship or an involved partner. Abuse in relationships can take the form of physical, emotional, verbal, sexual, or economic abuse and typically includes threats, intimidation, intense criticism, forced isolation, and/or physical violence. The overwhelming proportion of victims of relationship violence are women, but violence has been known to be perpetrated against men as well. (University of Cincinnati/ CampusBlues.com)
If you have been the victim of domestic or roommate violence, you can receive assistance through counseling and/or protective measures. Contact the Office of the Dean of Students, GT Police or the police department in your jurisdiction.
Sexual Harassment:
Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:
If you feel you have been harassed and would like to discuss the situation and/or file a complaint, please contact the Office of the Dean of Students.
Discrimination/Intolerance Issues:
Georgia Tech values each and every member of the community and this commitment is thoroughly outlined in our "Human Relations Statement." "Each member of our community must be committed to the creation of a harmonious climate because one cannot be neutral to this challenge. Those who are committed to it strengthen Georgia Tech and themselves." The Office of Diversity Issues and Programs works to eliminate discrimination and acts of intolerance on campus. The Associate Dean of Students investigates complaints of discrimination and works collaboratively with the parties involved in a complaint to support an inclusive campus environment. GT encourages free speech, debate and dialogue without degrading, abusing, or harassing others.
If you feel you have been the victim of discrimination or a witness to an act of intolerance, call the Office of the Dean of Students (404)894-6367.
High Pressure Groups/Cults:
At any given point in time on the campus there are some organized and/or informal religious, political, or social groups that use high-pressure recruiting tactics. These groups take advantage of vulnerable students who are lonely, hurting, having a tough time socially or academically.
How Can I Identify These Groups?
For more information or if you wish to report high-pressure group activity on campus, please call the Office of the Dean of Students.
Temporary and/or Permanent Disabilities:
Access Disabled Assistance Program for Tech Students (A.D.A.P.T.S.), a unit of the Office of the Dean of Students, can assist students with documented disabilities in arranging for academic, residential, and extracurricular accommodations. For more information, contact the A.D.A.P.T.S. office at (404)894-2561.
Gambling Problem:
If you are concerned about your gambling or that of someone you know, the following warning signs may help clarify your concerns:
If several of these signs sound familiar, you may want to discuss your concerns further with a counselor at the GT Counseling Center at (404)894-2575. (Bentley College/CampusBlues.com)
Internet Addiction:
If you are concerned about your internet use or that of someone you know, the following warning signs may help clarify your concerns:
If several of these signs sound familiar, you may want to discuss your concerns further with a counselor at the GT Counseling Center (404)894-2575. (SW Texas State University Counseling Center)