Dear faculty and staff colleagues,

The start of a semester is an exciting time for our students. It can also be challenging—especially for those beginning their first semester at WSU. You may encounter students who need extra support.

We want to share some of WSU’s key student resources that you can use and pass along to Cougs. This is not a full list of everything WSU offers. Instead, it is a quick guide to help you easily find and share resources. We encourage you to flag this message so you can reference it when needed.

Our educational mission is at the core of everything we do. As educators in and out of the classroom, we play a role in mentoring, challenging, and supporting students as they grow socially and intellectually.

Access to the right resources at the right time can make a meaningful difference in whether a student feels supported, stays engaged, and ultimately persists to graduation. Helping students connect with these services early strengthens both their personal well-being and their academic success. The resources provided below are designed to support that important work.

Each of us can make a difference for someone in our community by simply extending care and kindness. WSU is known for its strong sense of community and belonging, and we need to demonstrate this every day. As we move through the fall semester, please remember that “Cougs Helping Cougs” is more than a slogan; it is truly an expression of who we are.

If you have any questions about these resources or how you can support students, please contact the Office of the Dean of Students.

Sincerely,

Chris Riley-Tillman
Provost and Executive Vice President

Support Resources for Students

Student Care Network

If you have a concern about a student’s well-being, behavior, academic performance, and/or access to fundamental needs, please submit a referral to the Student Care Network.

This is also a great resource if you think a student may be struggling but don’t have a lot of information about what’s going on. A good policy to follow: when in doubt, submit a referral to the Student Care Network.

Early Academic Referrals (EARS) – for faculty and instructors

Early intervention is key to student success. The EARS program allows faculty and staff to refer undergraduate and pharmacy professional students to university resources for academic support. Examples of instances in which an academic referral may be appropriate include:

Poor attendance record
Lack of engagement
Performance on coursework
Performance on assessments

Submit an Early Academic Referral, by logging into your myWSU account. Go to your class roster and select the class section and student. Click the “Submit EAR” button connected to the student, select a reason(s), add a comment, and click “Submit Referral” at the bottom of the form.

Civil Rights and Discrimination

Compliance and Civil Rights: File a report or complaint and find support for reports of sexual harassment, ADA obligations, the Clery Act, and more.
Center for Community Standards: Helps create a safe, inclusive campus by guiding and correcting behaviors that don’t align with WSU’s values. This includes academic integrity.
Office of the Ombuds: A neutral resource that helps protect student interests, rights, and privileges.

Please remind your students that in emergencies, they should call 9-1-1.

Freedom of Speech

At Washington State University, freedom of speech and expression is essential to who we are. We aspire to be an affirming community that encourages respect and learning where we can engage in diverse viewpoints. Throughout the academic year and beyond, students, faculty, and staff are likely to encounter those who share viewpoints different from their own. While we hope that this discourse can happen in a respectful manner, it may be important to remind our community of WSU’s guidance around free speech. If at any point a member of our community feels they have been harassed or discriminated against, they should contact Compliance and Civil Rights.

Health, Wellbeing, Community, and Academic Support

Each campus in the WSU system has a wide array of resources designed to support students in and out of the classroom. For resources specific to your campus, please click the links below.

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