The University prides itself on being a warm and caring community whose members look out for one another. The University’s goal is to foster an atmosphere of actively encouraging persons who appear to be troubled or distressed to seek help. 

Faculty members with concerns about the physical or psychological well-being of a student are advised to contact either Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) or the Dean on Call program.

Support from CAPS may be accessed 24/7 by calling (434) 243-5150.  During business hours, this number connects callers to the CAPS front desk who can route the call to the appropriate clinician.  Afterhours and on weekends, calls to CAPS are routed to a nurse triage service that can contact the on-call clinician to respond.  If an emergency should arise that is potentially life-threatening, faculty members should contact 911 and appropriate help will be dispatched. 

The Dean-on-Call program, providing 24/7 support and crisis management services for students within the University community, is managed by the Division of Student Affairs. Those in need of support or referrals may contact the program at (434) 924-7133, Monday - Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM, or after hours by contacting the University Police Department at (434) 924-7166 and asking them to refer the issue to the Dean on Call. The Dean on Call is available to assist students, or consult with faculty, on a wide-array of things related to student support and wellbeing.