Behavioral Evaluation Response Team (BERT)

Purpose

The purpose of BERT is to encourage a proactive, confidential collaboration with relevant professionals to address student behavior to prevent escalation.

Charter Sponsor

President’s Cabinet

Charter Contact

Vice President for Student Affairs

Timeline

Standing

Membership

  • Vice President for Student Affairs (Chair)
  • Vice President for Learning and Academic Affairs or designee
  • Dean, Athletics and Physical Education
  • Dean, Student Life
  • Dean, Student Support
  • Dean, Academic Affairs
  • Chief, Department of Public Safety or designee
  • Director, Campus Services – Rome Campus
  • Licensed Mental Health Practitioners, Counseling Department
  • Director, Student Accessibility & Wellness
  • College Nurse
  • Coordinator, Judicial Affairs & Community Standards

Does

Task Action
Create an opportunity and expectation for College employees to be aware of and report student behavior that is concerning Maintain an online reporting system
Communicate the process for making a BERT report at the beginning and mid-point of each semester as reminders

Communicate to all full-time, part-time, and adjunct employees the location for making a BERT report, noted below: www.mvcc.edu/bert
Proactively identify student behavior to effect appropriate and preventative strategies for the mutual benefit of the student and the campus Meet weekly to discuss
Develop action step plans to address patterns of behavior Assign the action steps to workgroup members for follow through
Communicate back to the original person making the report pertinent information that assures that action has been taken without violating the student’s confidentiality Communicate


Does Not

Discuss BERT cases outside of the BERT team with the exception of communicating back to the original person making the report about the general status of the report.

Guiding Points

  • Keep the College mission front and center.
  • Think about what’s best for the individual student and the campus as a whole.
  • Seek to understand and recognize there are multiple perspectives to each issue. 

Updated August 2022