A year after joining Campus Safety, the Threat Assessment Team has furthered its violence prevention efforts
A team of University of Iowa employees is dedicated to keeping the campus community safe using a proactive and compassionate approach.
Established by the Iowa Board of Regents in 2008, the UI Threat Assessment Team (TAT) focuses on identifying concerning behaviors and intervening early when individuals may pose a threat to themselves or others. The multi-disciplinary team includes people with backgrounds in human resources, student life, health care, and law enforcement. These varied perspectives allow TAT to assess and monitor the reported behaviors and intervene with supportive resources to maintain campus safety. The team is also equipped to provide direct support by developing safety plans and collaborating with others on campus to mitigate concerning behaviors.
The Threat Assessment Team moved from the purview of University Human Resources to Campus Safety in 2023 when all campus safety services were combined into the single office.
“Working under Campus Safety has helped us significantly improve the sharing of information across the university,” says Eli Hotchkin, director of the Threat Assessment Team. “What we do is compassion-based problem solving. We approach problems with an empathetic and solution-oriented lens.”
Making Reports and Mitigating Behavior
Making a report to the Threat Assessment Team is different than making a report to the police department. While the team strives to respond within 24 hours of receiving a report, TAT does not operate 24/7.
Instead, the team works with reporting parties to address concerning behaviors before they escalate into an emergency. These behaviors can include things such as threatening or harassing, calls, texts, emails, or social media; bizarre or delusional statements with violent content or intentions; or intense hopelessness or a sense of desperation over one’s circumstances.
Hotchkin says if you see someone experiencing any of these behaviors or if you feel threatened, you should follow your “gut feeling” and make a report as early as possible.
After receiving a report, the Threat Assessment Team collects information and works with campus partners and the reporting party to form a safety plan. Plans often start with implementing boundaries between the reporting party and the individual displaying the behavior. The assessment and safety planning process will continue until the concern is resolved, or behavior is de-escalated. Hotchkin stressed that the last resort for the team is an arrest, though it is sometimes necessary and appropriate.
Working together as a Campus Community
While the Threat Assessment Team uses its training, resources, and tools to address concerning behaviors, Hotchkin stressed that the team could not function without the help of the campus community—especially those who bring potentially threatening situations to the team’s attention.
In 2023, the Threat Assessment team established the Campus Threat Awareness Round Table, made up of employees from various campus departments who meet regularly to discuss best practices for high-risk situations.
“The round table has improved our ability to come together as a campus to reduce safety-related concerns,” Hotchkin says. “It’s an initiative that was formed as part of the Reimagining Campus Safety Implementation process, as well as lessons learned and best practices from our threat assessment peers in higher education.”
The Threat Assessment Team has embedded staff in the Division of Student Life, UI Police, Human Resources, and UI Health Care. Those campus partners also refer reports to the team if they hear about a potential risk.
“We care deeply about campus safety,” Hotchkin says. “We’re committed to protecting the safety of the individuals we work with, but also the larger campus and surrounding community.”
Contact the Threat Assessment Team
If you are concerned about an individual’s behavior, you can contact the Threat Assessment Team by emailing uitat@uiowa.edu or calling 319-384-2955. You have the option to make an anonymous report.
More information can be found on the Threat Assessment Team web page.
If you feel you or someone you know is in imminent danger or experiencing a mental health emergency, call 911.
Article written by Kayli Reese, Office of Strategic Communication