The University of Colorado Boulder has a strong interest in protecting students, employees, and others from harm to themselves or others. In support of that interest, ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä-Boulder has adopted a Campus Violence Policy and has developed two threat assessment protocols, one that focuses primarily on students and one that focuses primarily on employees, including faculty, classified staff, and university staff employees.   If you have concerns about an employee's behavior, please contact intervention@colorado.edu or if the threat is imminent, please contact the police at 303-492-6666 or 911.

"UCB will not tolerate violence, threats, harassment, intimidation, and other disruptive behavior on its campus, at off-campus locations administered by UCB, or in its programs, whether by students, faculty, staff or visitors. Such behavior may include oral or written statements, gestures, or expressions that communicate a direct or indirect threat of physical harm or intimidation. Individuals who commit such acts may be subject to sanctions including, but not limited to, removal from the premises; exclusion from the premises; criminal prosecution; corrective and/or disciplinary action; suspension or expulsion."  

Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT)

Purpose

The BIT provides the university community with accessible avenues for reporting concerning behavior and reviews collected information, identifying and addressing the needs of the individuals who demonstrate concerning behaviors, may be in distress, or may threaten the safety of the campus. 

BIT meets on a case-by-case basis to strategize about how best to handle situations posed by an employee who is making threats of violence to self or others, who has acted violently during their employment, or who is behaving in ways that are threatening, menacing or out of character. BIT is designed to address reasonable concerns raised by coworkers, supervisors, or others in a manner that is appropriate to the situation. BIT is also designed to protect the interests of the employee to ensure that actions taken to address a potential threat are based upon a reasonable threat assessment and not upon unreasonable fears or misinformation.

Goals

  • To promote and support campus safety
  • To assist individuals in mitigating sources of distress and get them back on a path towards success
  • To educate the campus community about identifying concerning behaviors and the role of BIT
  • To foster a culture of reporting
  • To provide early intervention for individuals in crisis
  • To serve as a centralized resource for collecting and evaluating information
  • To balance individual privacy and civil rights with community safety

Team Composition

  • Employee Relations, Human Resources (ER)
  • Office of University Counsel (OUC)
  • UCB Police Department (UCPD)
  • ADA Compliance Office
  • Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC)
  • Professional Clinician
  • Faculty Affairs (OFA) – on an as-needed basis
  • Employee Relations – on an as-needed basis

Members of the BIT participate in the process of team consensus decision making.  Consultants attend BIT meetings to provide expert perspectives and dialogue and do not participate in the consensus decision-making process.  

Consultants may attend routine meetings and only discuss information introduced by members of BIT.  They may contribute to the team’s understanding of the case or the development of recommended interventions for the individual. 

Threat Assessment Meeting(s)

The purpose of the threat assessment meeting is to share information (such as background check information and details about the recent incidents giving rise to the perceived threat) and to formulate an appropriate and timely response. The primary goal of the BIT is to protect the employee and others from harm. The secondary goal of the BIT is to determine the appropriate course of action to address the conduct following the Campus Violence Policy and federal, state, and university laws, rules, and policies. With these goals in mind, the team members develop a plan, which includes in part, advising the appointing authority on appropriate next steps. After the initial meeting, there may be follow-up meetings to reformulate the strategy as new information arises. The BIT remains involved in a particular case until the team collectively believes that the safety threat has been successfully mitigated.

Clery Act Reporting

The designated police officer on BIT will make the appropriate Clery Act report for any crime that meets the criteria. Please visit the Clery Compliance Program for more information and resources.Â