Nov. 8, 2018
Dear Students:
I wanted to provide a follow-up to President Beck’s message from earlier this morning…
In the aftermath of a tragedy of this magnitude, it is normal to feel sadness, anxiety, fear, anger, vulnerability, or combination of these emotions. I want to encourage you to reach out to your friends, peers, colleagues, staff and/or counselors to process your feelings and find effective and healthy ways to cope with our emotions. Everyone copes differently – some of us like to talk about our feelings, while some prefer to process internally. Either way, please be sure to support one another during this time by talking, listening, or even just being together with each other. Also, please be sure to contact your parents, siblings, family, and loved ones to let them know that you are OK.
We have received several inquiries as to whether classes will be canceled. At this time, the University has decided to remain open and be available to support our campus community. Some students have expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to gather in classes with peers as they are seeking some degree of normalcy, while others will need additional time and space to process. We encourage students to focus on their individual well-being and seek out resources and make decisions that meet their needs. Please know that faculty and staff recognize that this is an extremely difficult time and will be sensitive to each individual student.
For students interested in meeting with a counselor, our Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) team is located in Bell Tower East, Room 1867, and their phone number is 805-437-2088. Beginning this afternoon, we will also be offering support services for students in Santa Cruz Village, Building E, Rooms 237 and 239. Students are also encouraged to utilize the Text Help Line for additional support – just text “Start” or “Hello” to 741-741. We also have 24-hour phone support available to students – please dial the main CAPS number and choose option 2. We are also very thankful for our CSU sister-institutions, who have offered to send additional counselors to campus for our students, and we are also coordinating to provide after-hours support for students as well.
If you have additional questions, concerns, or need additional support separate from counseling, such as how to navigate all of your academic and co-curricular obligations and priorities during this time, please reach out to the Dean of Student’s office (805-437-8512) to work with a professional staff member. They can share resources, provide possible accommodations, communicate with faculty members and on-campus supervisors, assist with leaves of absences and other related support. If you would like to self-report your involvement in this incident or are concerned about a fellow peer or community member, please let us know by completing a CARE Report so that we may reach out to them and provide support.
We are also planning a campus gathering to support one other, honor the victims and their loved ones, and begin to facilitate the collective healing process. We will send out details once they are finalized.
If you would like to self-report your involvement in this incident or are concerned about a fellow peer or community member, please let us know by completing a CARE Report so that we may reach out to them and provide support.
Sincerely,
Richard Yao, Ph.D.
Vice President for Student Affairs