How We Can Help
You do not have to navigate challenges alone. Tell us what is happening, and we will help you understand processes, communicate with appropriate offices and identify the appropriate next step.
Personal or Family Emergencies
A serious situation is affecting your ability to participate in classes or University activities, such as:
- Unexpected personal crisis
- Caregiving responsibility
- Family illness or emergency
Food, Housing & Financial Concerns
You are having difficulty meeting basic needs, such as:
- Food insecurity
- Housing instability
- Unexpected financial hardship
- Difficulty meeting essential needs
Physical or Mental Health Challenges
A health-related challenge is affecting your daily life or academic participation, such as:
- Hospitalization, emergency care, illness or injury
- Mental health or emotional well-being
- Daily functioning or academic engagement
- Understanding resources or next steps
Academic Disruptions
A personal, health, behavioral or family circumstance is affecting your academic participation, such as:
- Attendance or assignments
- Exams
- Communication with instructors
- Ability to continue studies as planned
Returning After Time Away
You need support reconnecting with the UMD community after:
- Hospitalization
- Leave of absence
- Disciplinary dismissal or suspension
- Another significant interruption
Concern About Another Student
You are concerned about someone else's:
- Well-being or safety
- Behavior
- Academic engagement
- Ability to function successfully
What We Do & Don't Do
Student Support Services provides individualized assistance based on each student's situation.
We provide:
- Case Management: Work one-on-one with a staff member
- Resource Navigation: We'll help determine which campus offices can assist
- Academic Communication and Support: We'll help communicating with instructors and understanding University processes
- Coordinated Support: When multiple offices are involved, we'll help coordinate
- Follow-Up: We'll stay connected as circumstances change
We do not:
- Excuse absences
- Change grades
- Provide counseling
- Make housing or financial aid decisions
- Approve disability accommodations
- Conduct criminal investigations
- Guarantee a specific outcome, exception, approval or intervention
Final decisions remain with the University office, academic unit, faculty member or administrator with the appropriate authority.
What to Expect
Here's what happens you reach out to us.
Step 1: Tell us what's happening
When you contact Student Support Services, you do not need to have all the answers or know exactly which University office can help.
Our role is to listen, understand what you are experiencing, help identify your immediate needs and connect you with the appropriate resources and support.
Every student's circumstances are different. The type of support provided depends on your situation, your goals, available resources and the involvement of other University offices.
Step 2: We'll listen and talk through your situation
A member of Student Support Services may meet with you to better understand what is happening, identify concerns, discuss available options and help determine next steps. We consider the full context of a student's circumstances, including academic, personal, health, family, financial, housing, behavioral and well-being factors.
University processes can sometimes feel complicated. We help students understand:
- Available resources
- Possible next steps
- Which offices may be best positioned to assist
- What questions to ask
- How to navigate University systems
You do not need to know where to begin. That is part of what we help with.
Step 3: We'll connect you with campus and community resources
Depending on your circumstances, we may connect you with:
- Counseling Center
- University Health Center
- Thrive Center
- Academic advising offices
- Accessibility and Disability Service
- Department of Resident Life
- Office of Student Conduct
- Financial Aid
- Other campus partners
- Community resources
Some situations involve more than one area of the University. When appropriate and consistent with privacy requirements, Student Support Services may help coordinate communication and clarify roles among University partners.
Our goal is to reduce barriers, improve continuity and help students avoid navigating complex situations alone.
Step 4: We'll help you navigate next steps
Some situations require ongoing support. Student Support Services may provide follow-up to:
- Reassess changing circumstances
- Help students reconnect with resources
- Identify additional barriers
- Support transitions back to the University community
- Coordinate continued care when appropriate
Related Services
You do not need to know which office, resource or University process applies to your situation. The Dean of Students Office reviews concerns and determines the appropriate response.
The Student Care Team is a multidisciplinary group with representatives from across the university that:
- Focuses on student support, stabilization, and coordinated care
- Reviews complex challenges affecting student functioning
- Connects students with resources and support
- Helps coordinate care across University offices
The Behavior Evaluation and Threat Assessment Team (BETA) works to identify, assess and respond to concerning behaviors that may indicate a potential risk to an individual or the University community.
What the BETA Team does:
- Focuses on behavioral threat assessment and risk management
- Reviews concerning behavior that may indicate risk of harm
- Assesses behavioral patterns, risk factors, and protective strategies
- Helps coordinate safety planning and risk mitigation
The team uses a proactive, behavior-based approach focused on prevention, early intervention, safety planning and coordinated support.
BETA does not assume that concerning behavior will result in harm. Instead, the team works to understand the circumstances surrounding a concern, identify potential risks and recommend appropriate strategies to support safety and well-being.
The Student Reintegration Program provides a structured opportunity for students returning after a disciplinary dismissal or suspension to prepare for a successful return to UMD by reflecting on their experiences, identifying challenges, reconnecting with University resources and developing a plan for moving forward.
The program is coordinated through Student Support Services within the Dean of Students Office and is designed to support accountability, personal growth, connection and future success.