Here at Georgia Piedmont Tech, we are dedicated to providing a safe place for all students in our pursuit of creating unforgettable learning experiences. The Safe Place initiative was designed to help make this vision possible.
Faculty, staff, students and others may refer a student who may be struggling with personal or emotional difficulties or who may be exhibiting concerning behavior by clicking the button below.
When there is an active or immediate risk of violence or harm to others, you should call 911.
How do I submit a referral on a person of concern?
In non-emergency situations, you may fill out the online form by clicking the button above.
Behaviors of concern might be observed in a number of settings: in the classroom, at a service location or office, at an on-campus job, or during participation at an extracurricular activity. By reporting behaviors that are concerning, the Safe Place team will be able to reach out to students to intervene, provide support and connect them with resources that can assist them.
The Safe Place Referral process does not replace faculty classroom management, disciplinary processes, and/or Campus Police responses to incidents.
Report behaviors to the Safe Place such as:
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Homelessness/Food challenges
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Violent fantasy content
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Anger problems
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Fascination with weapons and accoutrements
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Homicidal ideation
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Stalking
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Interest in previous shooting situations
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Victim/martyr self-concept
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Strangeness and aberrant behavior
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Paranoia
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Violence and cruelty
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History of unstable/volatile mental health
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Unusual interest in police, military, terrorist activities and materials
What happens to a Safe Place referral form?
The College utilizes Maxient, a centralized online reporting and record keeping software.
By submitting an online form, a notification is sent to the Safe Place team for a quick response.
Once a report is submitted:
1) The report immediately enters secure database
2) An automated notification is sent to the Safe Place team
3) Report is reviewed by Chair and team members
4) Reporter may be contacted for further information
Safe Place Team Members
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Dr. Cheree Williams, Chair (Academic Affairs)
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Chief Christopher Hughes (Campus Police)
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Kevin Lane (Newton Conference Center)
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Theresa Snagg (Academic Affairs)
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Dr. Melinda Robinson-Moffett (AVP, Student Affairs)
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Paula Greenwood (Student Affairs)
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Hazel Simmons (Adult Education)
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Adrian Williams (Dir., Human Resources)
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Walter Putman (Campus Police)
Safe Place Reporting FAQs
Who can submit a report?
Anyone can report a concern about a student. Faculty and staff are encouraged to use the Behavioral Reporting Form.
Should I approach the student first?
Whenever possible, you should express your concern(s) directly with the student. However, should you have any concern about your safety or the safety of others, your best course of action for the safety of all involved is to access intervention from people who are trained in these areas.
What if I’m not sure if I should report the concern?
If you are concerned about a student, do not let uncertainty stop you from taking action. You are registering a concern based on an observed behavior (e.g., verbal exchange, action, etc.), not making a determination. By alerting the appropriate campus representatives, a professional determination can be made. Let the Safe Place team weigh the information and see if gathering more information is warranted.
What will happen to the person who I submit a report about?
Although the action/outcome will depend upon the situation, the Safe Place team will intervene in support of the person of concern, as well as in support of college policies and procedures.
Will the student know that I am the person who reported her/him to the Safe Place team?
The Safe Place will attempt to handle all matters discreetly. In most cases, we would expect that the student has been notified of your concern (for example, academic dishonesty rulings, classroom disruptions, code of conduct violations). A reported student will be given specific information about the behaviors/actions that occurred so they can respond to the reported concern. Therefore, it is possible that a student may know who made the report through the circumstances described to them.
FERPA
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy of students’ educational records. Protecting student privacy is also a high priority of the Safe Place team. Records and proceedings of the team are kept protected and private and are only shared on a need-to-know basis. This “need-to-know basis” complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
FERPA does not in any way restrict a College employee from sharing what they observe personally. In other words, a College employee would not violate FERPA by advising the Safe Place team of what the employee saw or heard when directly interacting with the student, observing a student interaction with others, or otherwise observing a student’s behavior or demeanor.