Last post we discussed creating a personal support system as part of a broader success framework to provide students structure when they leave home for the first time. Today we’ll finish the discussion with a quick note about administrative resources commonly available at schools.
Administrative Resources
- Ombudsman or campus-level resources
- First, find the contact info for your school’s ombudsman and plug it into your phone. If your school doesn’t have an ombudsman, seek out an administrative official or faculty mentor who would be willing to answer any questions you have about the school’s resources. Ombudsmen are a useful starting point for almost any problem you may have in a university context, because they provide free, flexible, and confidential support and can direct you to the most appropriate campus resource for solving any problem you may have. They can also aid you in figuring out how to provide feedback to other campus departments and resources if they fail to meet your needs.
- If you find yourself needing to use administrative resources, make sure to document your interactions with them and continue the interaction until you are satisfied that your concern has been understood, even if it means having to give feedback to the administrative resource about your dissatisfaction with their service.
- Mentors
- Join a peer mentorship program associated with your major, department, intended profession, or identity. A program that provides occasional events for you and your mentor to interact is great.
- You and your mentor should also plan to meet about once a month to make sure you build the supportive relationship necessary to maintain the mentorship dynamic.
- Giving feedback
- For any of the resources made available by your university or its health center, feel empowered to initiate a discussion or provide feedback if the resource is not helping you as you had hoped.
- If you are unsure where to direct feedback, the ombudsman or faculty member should be able to suggest the appropriate venue. It’s important to let the administrative resources know what works or doesn’t work for you, since they exist for that purpose. They may also be able to suggest alternative supports or resources that can better assist you. Those types of conversations will also help you develop your sense of responsibility, self, and accountability because you will gain a better understanding of what is under your control and what expectations are reasonable.
- Being prepared for crises
- Make sure to have the following numbers programmed into your cell phone in case you need them:
- Campus police or the nearest off-campus police station
- Rape crisis center on or near campus
- Counseling center
- Student health center or your primary care doctor
- Suicide prevention hotline
- Domestic violence hotline
- Poison Control hotline
- Any other numbers listed on the back of your student ID card
- Most important – don’t be afraid to call these numbers. That’s what they’re there for!
- Make sure to have the following numbers programmed into your cell phone in case you need them:
These are just a few ideas for making use of the administrative resources at your school. What other ideas do you have?
