Behavioral Threat Assessment Procedures

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Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK University strives to maintain an environment that is safe from any kind of threats to the community. This requires a proactive community approach to behavioral threat assessment.

The Behavioral Threat Assessment Process is in place to proactively intervene before concerning behavior poses a real threat to the campus community. For it to be effective, all campus community members should err on the side of caution and report concerns to the appropriate campus resources.

Potential Threat Reporting

If you feel that a member of the campus community (student, staff, or faculty) presents behavior or language that appears threatening to the health and safety of himself/herself or others, you should do the following:

  • If a threat is imminent, call 911 and University Police (ext. 4999  call link ).
    • Example: You see a campus community member walking on the quadrangle with a weapon.
  • If you are uncertain about the immediacy of the threat, contact University Police (ext. 4999  call link ).
    • Example: A campus community member tells you that he saw another campus community member with a weapon.
  • If the threat is viewed as less than imminent, please contact the University’s point of contact for the Behavioral Intervention Team.
    • Example: A student writes something on his/her social media site that could be perceived as a threat to a member of the campus community.

If you wish to report threatening behavior and want to remain anonymous, you can call the CARE line at (570) 408-2273  call link .

Behavioral Threat Assessment Process

When a potential threat is reported to the point of contact, they will determine the level of urgency and proceed in one of the following ways:

  • (if non-urgent) refer the problem to the appropriate University professionals to resolve
  • (If urgent) Assemble the Behavioral Intervention Team.

The Behavioral Intervention Team will gather information to make an informed and timely decision to resolve the potential threat. Anyone who reports a potential threat will receive follow-up information from the point of contact.

Once the potential threat has been assessed, the appropriate action will be taken guided by University policy (i.e., emergency action plan, student discipline process, involuntary suspension policy, etc.).

Behavioral Intervention Team

  • University Point of Contact
  • Director of Public Safety
  • Campus Counselor
  • One of the following based on the nature of the threat:
    • Provost (faculty)
    • Functional vice president (staff)
    • Student affairs representative (students)
  • Other professionals may be included depending on the nature of the potential threat.
University Point of Contact
Dr. Philip Ruthkosky

Associate Vice President of Student Life and Success

philip.ruthkosky@wilkes.edu email link

Contacting University Police