Red Folder

The Red Folder Initiative at the Graduate School

Assisting Students in Distress.

See something. Say something. Do something.

The Graduate School is pleased to share the Red Folder Initiative, designed to provide resources and information for faculty, staff and administrators as you support students in distress.

Developed in partnership with the UMD Counseling Center, Health Center, Office of Student Affairs, BETA Team, Office of Undergraduate Studies and Office of Faculty Affairs, the folder shares indicators of students in distress, a response protocol chart to help you when faced with a distressed or distressing student, and tips for preparing to reach out to a student, connecting with the student and making referrals to resources across the university and in the community.

“See Something. Say Something. Do Something” organizes the recommended response to students showing distressed or distressing behavior.

The Graduate School will distribute the UMD Red Folder to Directors and Coordinators of Graduate Students across the campus. A digital version can be found here. Please keep each version at hand or bookmarked for easy access and referral.

The Red Folder drew from examples of several other major universities. We hope that this document and initiative will support you as you do the important work of supporting our students. 

If you have any questions about the Red Folder project, please contact the Graduate Academic Counselor, Simone Warrick-Bell at slivings@umd.edu.