It becomes official the moment a student makes the decision to come to the University of Iowa—they’re part of the Hawkeye family. And like any family, the UI is there to provide an essential support system throughout college and beyond in good times and challenging ones.
If a situation with a student arises or you have questions, concerns, or need more information, please do not hesitate to contact Student Care and Assistance at dos-assistance@uiowa.edu, 319-335-1162, or by sharing a concern through this form.
Student Care and Assistance (SCA) provides support, care, and access to resources and services during challenging times no student ever wants to experience, such as a crisis or emergency situation. The office has been serving students since July 2013, when Angie Reams, assistant dean of students and director of SCA, was hired to lead the now two-person team housed in the Office of the Dean of Students. Reams and Nikki Hodous, assistant director of student care and outreach, are the primary staff members dedicated to assisting UI students experiencing difficult situations such as the death of a family member, physical and mental health emergency or long-term illness, or natural disaster.
“We strive to ensure all students have the opportunity to succeed in whatever manner best meets their needs,” says Reams. “We’re in a central location on campus, and we want students to know they have support and resources available to them no matter their concern.”
Reams and Hodous often work behind the scenes to help students navigate the university system, which includes things like connecting them with additional campus or community resources, working with facilities or University Housing, contacting faculty members regarding an absence or concern affecting academic participation, consulting with other members of the campus community about how to address student concerns, and providing access to emergency funding or meals.
“We wouldn’t be able to do what we do or assist as many students as we do if it weren’t for all our great campus partners and programs,” says Reams. “The partnerships and teams we’ve formed in order to support students have a tremendous positive impact on the work we do and the success of our students.”
Between July 2013 and May 2014, SCA and its campus partners provided support and assistance to 284 undergraduate, graduate, professional, and nondegree/non-enrolled students (not including Title IX cases). Fast forward to the period between June 2016 to May 2017 and the number of students supported by SCA nearly tripled. Then, during fall 2017 alone, SCA offered support and services to 834 students, including more than five who lost an immediate family member during a four-week span and more than 300 impacted by unprecedented natural disasters. SCA and University Counseling Service, which sent joint outreach emails to those affected, had about 45 responses or requests for assistance as a result of their natural disaster outreach.
It’s that outreach and follow-through that students say they appreciate, as evidenced by the large number of thank-you notes SCA receives. Some excerpts include:
“I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your positivity, patience and strategic thinking today. I am very pleased!”
“Thank you so much for the kind email and for reaching out to me. I really appreciate it.”
“Thank you very much for reaching out to me. I am so grateful to belong to such a caring and thoughtful community.”
And it’s that community—the Hawkeye family—that Reams says will continue to be there for students through SCA and all its campus partners and programs.
“We never want a student to experience a crisis or emergency situation, but when they do,
I want them to know that we’re all here to help—always—because that’s what family does.”