STAT Program Enhances Campus Safety at Westfield State

Nov 8, 2024
A stock photo of campus, with two students walking by the silver globe near Ely. In the corner of the photo is a tree with green and yellow leaves from autumn.

Westfield State University’s Student Threat Assessment Team (STAT) plays a vital role in maintaining campus safety, proactively addressing potentially threatening or alarming behaviors exhibited by student community members. 

Westfield State University’s Student Threat Assessment Team (STAT) plays a vital role in maintaining campus safety, proactively addressing potentially threatening or alarming behaviors exhibited by student community members.  The STAT program, staffed by representatives from multiple campus divisions allowing for a broad and comprehensive approach when assessing potential threats, is designed to identify, intervene, and provide support in situations before they escalate, ensuring the well-being of the entire campus community.

The team is responsible for receiving and reviewing reports of behaviors that may intimidate or threaten individuals, cause serious disruptions, or pose a risk to the campus community. This includes explicit threats, verbal statements that are violent in nature, suicide risks, and other concerning behaviors.

Maggie Balch, Dean of Student at Westfield State, emphasized the importance of such a program in today’s environment, commenting, “I think this program is important because we live in a day and age when behavior that is concerning needs to be addressed. When people feel unsafe or feel as though things aren’t going well, we need to support others and give them access to resources in the event that something seems out of character.”

To maintain proficiency, the STAT team receives annual training, most recently from Sigma Threat Assessment Associates, a national organization that trains threat assessment teams across the country. Their systematic training ensures that team members follow established procedures and apply consistent standards when evaluating reports.

“We have a very systematic rubric of what we’ve been educated on, and we have a lot of experience moving through the process to evaluate if there’s an immediate threat,” Balch added. “It’s consistent with each situation that comes forward.”

While STAT addresses serious threats, its primary focus is prevention. The program strives to identify students who may need help and connect them to resources before their behavior escalates into a larger issue. “That’s the purpose of this program” Balch said. “It’s really to educate and raise awareness, and it invites community members to bring concerns forward, proactively.