Behavior Intervention Team

Authority: Student Affairs
Date Enacted or Revised: N/A

The McNeese State University Behavior Intervention Team (BIT) is an interdepartmental team of University professionals who collaborate to provide proactive and reactive responses to students of concern and situations of concern within the University community. The BIT also considers off-campus influences that may impact the University culture and climate or challenge the safety and security of McNeese students, faculty, and staff.

Authority

BIT is not a governing body but an advisory council that provides educated and strategic guidance to designated professionals or the University as a whole. It does not take the place of other advisory bodies such as the Incident Management Team.

Organization

The BIT includes representatives from various areas of the University’s organizational structure. Appointments are recommended by the dean or director of each unit represented and affirmed by the dean of student support and advocacy, who serves as the chairperson of the BIT.

Student Affairs Representatives:

  • Accessibility Services (1)
  • Counseling Services (1)
  • Housing or Residence Life (1)
  • Student Health Services (1)
  • Student Services (1)
  • Wellness Programs (1)

Academic Representatives:

  • College of Agricultural Sciences (1)
  • College of Business (1)
  • Burton College of Education (1)
  • College of Liberal Arts (1)
  • College of Nursing and Health Professions (2)
  • College of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics (1)

Other Representatives:

  • Athletics (1)
  • McNeese Police (1)
  • Staff Member-at-Large (2)

Meetings

The BIT shall strive to meet once per month during the fall and spring semesters, once during the summer term, and as necessary according to situations that require the team to convene.

There is no quorum required to hold BIT meetings, and a chairperson may or may not be present. Representatives according to membership designations may be interchangeable at the discretion of the applicable dean or department head.

Example Meeting Agenda:

I. Roll Call
II. Students of Concern
III. Situations of Concern
IV. Community Connection Team Update
V. Open Floor Discussion
VI. Adjournment

BIT Protocol

Any BIT member may present a student of concern or situation of concern for discussion at the meeting. Students and situations must be submitted prior to the meeting to ensure confidentiality is exercised when necessary.

Students of Concern

Discuss identified students of concern when a support plan is needed to allow a student to remain in the campus community. Additionally, identified students may be discussed to determine if involuntary medical leave/withdrawal or disciplinary action should be taken to prevent a student from being further disruptive to University operations.

Discuss unidentified students of concern when the situation has been resolved or is nearing a resolution that will allow a student to remain actively enrolled. The objective is to use the student’s situation as a strategic contribution to similar circumstances.

Situations of Concern

Discuss on-campus situations of concern or off-campus situations that may permeate the campus culture. The BIT will strategize how the campus or designated professionals can proactively prepare and respond to circumstances requiring student support, outreach, and awareness.

Community Connection Team

Through the Community Connection Team (CCT), the BIT shall maintain connections with local community agencies to gain insight into trends and best practices for mitigating risks, providing quality support to students, and educating employees on how to be advocates for students in need. Examples of community agencies the CCT will work with include but are not limited to behavior intervention specialists, local law enforcement, sexual assault survivor support organizations, agencies that aid the homeless and those with food insecurity, etc.

The CCT will include at least one individual from each category of membership. The CCT will strive to meet with at least one community agency each semester to discuss trends on campus and in the local community to collaborate on strategies that enhance student support and safety.

Emergency BIT Meetings

Emergency BIT meetings may be called to discuss a student or situation requiring urgent review for possible action. Emergency meetings may only include a core group of members of the larger BIT. A worthy attempt will be made to include at least two individuals from each category of membership. The dean of student support and advocacy or their appointee must be present for an emergency BIT meeting to be facilitated.

Core BIT Members:

  • Dean of Student Support and Advocacy
  • Counseling Services representative
  • Student Health Services representative
  • Accessibility Services representative
  • McNeese Police representative
  • At least one member-at-large
  • At least one academic representative

Confidentiality

Members of the BIT are expected to exhibit exemplary professionalism and etiquette. Students discussed during meetings should not be mentioned outside the confines of meetings with non-BIT members. Exceptions are made for discussing student situations with colleagues within an employee’s unit when the situation is directly related to that unit’s operations.