RUL 04.20.01 – Behavior Assessment Team

Authority: Executive Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration

History: First Issued: September 25, 2024

Contact Information: Director of Risk Assessment (919-513-4224)

Related Policies:
UNC Policy Manual 1300.7[R] – Regulation on Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management Teams
NCSU REG 04.05.02 – Campus/Workplace Violence Prevention and Management
NCSU REG 11.35.05 – Code of Student Conduct

Resources:

Concerning Behavior Referral Form

  1. INTRODUCTION

As part of NC State’s commitment to provide a safe and secure campus environment for all members of the university community and consistent with UNC Policy Manual 1300.7[R], this regulation describes the mission and purpose of NC State’s Behavior Assessment Team (“BAT”)1 and provides an overview of the processes and procedures used by the BAT to prevent and manage concerning behaviors that may pose a risk to the university. 

  1. MISSION and PURPOSE

NC State’s Department of Risk Assessment includes the Violence Prevention & Threat Management (“VPTM”) Unit.  The Director of Risk Assessment (the “Director”) oversees the BAT. 

The mission of the university’s VPTM Program–including the BAT–is to identify, deescalate, and decrease threatening behavior from negatively impacting students, faculty, staff, and the greater university community.  The purpose of the BAT is to improve the campus community’s safety through a proactive, multidisciplinary, coordinated and objective approach to the prevention, identification, assessment, intervention and management of situations that pose or may reasonably pose a threat to the safety and well-being of the campus community (i.e., students, faculty, staff and visitors).  The BAT analyzes potentially threatening situations and then develops, and implements case management plans that may include recommended courses of action (as needed) to administrators. The BAT is not a disciplinary body, but may, as appropriate, refer matters to University administrators with disciplinary authority for review.

  1. BEHAVIOR ASSESSMENT TEAM MEMBERSHIP

3.1  NC State’s BAT members shall include representatives from the following:

Department of Risk Assessment
Violence Prevention and Threat Management
University Police Department
Office of Student Conduct
Prevention Services – NC State CARES
University Housing
Counseling Center
Employee Relations
Office of Equal Opportunity
Academic Affairs  

Attorneys from the Office of General Counsel shall serve as advisors to the BAT and will provide legal advice and counsel to the BAT.

3.2  The BAT is divided into two sub teams:  the Student BAT (for assessment of students) and the Employee / Non-Affiliate BAT (for assessment of employees or non-affiliates).

3.3  In consultation with the Director of Risk Assessment, the Chancellor shall appoint specific individuals (primary and alternates) from the offices listed in section 3.1 to the BAT and shall review the membership on an annual basis.

3.4 The charge of the BAT shall be to:

  1. Evaluate whether students, employees, or non-affiliates have engaged in threatening or concerning behavior or exhibited potentially threatening or concerning behavior that may pose a risk of harm to the community;
  2. Recommend appropriate interventions to mitigate any risk of harm to the campus community or to the individual; and
  3. Monitor and review any ongoing interventions.

  4. BEHAVIOR THREAT ASSESSMENT PROCESS

The BAT will utilize reasonable protocols which are consistent with industry standards (e.g., ANSI Standard on Workplace Violence Prevention and ASIS International Standards & Guidelines) to conduct behavior threat assessments. The BAT will review its protocols periodically for any needed updates or other adjustments.  

Threat assessment is a case driven approach and considers the totality of circumstances.  The general process used by the BAT to conduct a behavior threat assessment is outlined below.  

4.1      Initial Report / Triage

The University encourages faculty, staff, students and guests to report behavior that they perceive as concerning, worrisome, or threatening. Such reports may be submitted online through a  Concerning Behavior Referral (“CBR”) or other incident report. Once submitted, the CBR  will be subject to initial review, triage, and case creation.   If, based on a determination by the Director or another BAT representative that there is an urgency of response required, a meeting of the pertinent BAT sub team will be convened to address the situation.  If an immediate response is not required, the VPTM Unit, with coordination with campus partners, will begin the behavior threat assessment process.  The behavior threat assessment process may occur simultaneously with other applicable proceedings such as employee investigations, student disciplinary processes,  Equal Opportunity investigations (including under Title IX), or external civil or criminal proceedings. 

4.2 Information Collection

The VPTM Unit will collect information to be used by the BAT to conduct the behavior threat assessment.  Information sources may include, but are not limited to, interviews with primary and secondary sources, organizational records, and public records.  The BAT may consider any information deemed relevant to its assessment to protect the campus community, including information regarding behavior both on and off campus.  

The BAT shall have access to student and employee records as needed to conduct a behavior threat assessment of a student or employee.  Access to student and employee records shall be in compliance with all relevant and applicable state and federal laws, including but not limited to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”), the State Human Resources Act (“SHRA”), and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”).

4.3 Assessment Tools

The VPTM Unit and/or BAT may use one or more assessment tools to evaluate the available information collected and to assess the risk that an individual may pose a threat to themself and/or to the campus community.   

4.4 Interventions

Once a behavior threat assessment has been completed, the BAT will assess what, if any, interventions may limit potential risk to the campus community.  The focus of such interventions shall be the safety and well-being of the university and/or the individual whose actions have been assessed, as well as the safety and security of university property. When applicable, the BAT shall recommend interventions to the appropriate administrator with the authority to implement such recommendations.

In some cases, an intervention may include an interim step to temporarily remove a student or employee from the campus.  Such interventions may be made on an emergency basis and should follow regular institutional processes for the temporary removal of a student or employee from campus.

4.5 Case Management / Monitoring

Following the implementation of appropriate interventions, the VPTM Unit and/or BAT will continue to manage and monitor the individual’s case in order to assess whether additional or different interventions and/or resources may be required and to periodically assess whether the case should remain active.

4.6 Records Retention

Any records generated by the VPTM and/or BAT shall be maintained in an electronic standalone database for 20 years at minimum.

  1. TRAINING

The BAT shall participate in a mandatory annual training on threat assessment best practices, confidentiality, and other relevant laws and policies.  In addition, the Department of Risk Assessment will provide or arrange for other applicable educational opportunities or training for the BAT.  A record of all training completed by the BAT will be maintained by the Department of Risk Assessment.

 

1 At NC State, the threat assessment and management team required by UNC Policy Manual 1300.7[R] is referred to as the Behavior Assessment Team.