Faculty - Resources

Counseling and Psychological Service for Students (CAPS) and ICARE training

CAPS offers a wide range of services including individual and group counseling and therapy, crisis intervention, structured workshops, psychological testing, medication reviews, and consultation. The staff of CAPS consists of psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers. In addition, psychology doctoral interns, psychiatric residents, psychology practicum students, and social work field placement students supplement the professional staff. Services are without charge to Penn students. What students discuss with CAPS will be treated as private and confidential.

CAPS also offers ICARE training for faculty, lecturers, and staff at Penn. Penn is strongly encouraging all faculty and staff who interact with students to complete ICARE training. ICARE is an intensive crisis identification and intervention training program developed and taught by the University’s Counseling and Psychological Services clinicians. Through this interactive workshop, you will learn how to identify and understand stress, distress, risk factors, and common psychological problems of college students, and how to provide supportive intervention. There are two ICARE workshop opportunities: a 7-hour intensive session, or a 3-hour session, which requires prior completion of a 30-minute online training module. Watch for announcements about these training opportunities. 

Contact: 3624 Market Street, 1st floor
Phone (including emergencies): (215) 898-7021
Email: caps@pobox.upenn.edu    
https://wellness.upenn.edu/

Helping students in distress

If a student is showing some signs of distress, whether they are academic, physical, or psychological, first to talk to the student in private, be direct and nonjudgmental, and listen sensitively. If you think a student needs professional help, please refer him/her to the appropriate person or service. Visit the CAPS website to browse guides for faculty, family, and staff to help students.

Please see a joint statement on ways faculty can continue to support our students, supported by the Undergraduate Deans, Vice Provost for Faculty, Chair of the Faculty Senate, and our UA, SCUE, and GAPSA student leaders. This PDF contains reminders about best practices for classes, exams and assignments, and communicating with students as well as links to detailed resource guides and workshops.

Download: Continuing to Support our Students (PDF)

Sexual harassment:

The University of Pennsylvania is committed to providing a working and learning environment free from sexual harassment. It is therefore the policy of the University that sexual harassment is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. This prohibition applies to all faculty, staff, students, other persons on University premises subject to University control, and to those engaged to further the interests of the University. A complete set of guidelines and policies has been implemented at Penn. 

If you or one of your students feel you are experiencing sexual harassment, please contact The Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Programs, Sansom Place East, 3600 Chestnut Street, Suite 228, (215) 898-6993.

Teaching resources

SAS Online Learning team help: online-learning-help@sas.upenn.edu

Academic support services through Penn

There are a wide variety of academic support services for Penn students, and we encourage you to review the ones described in the Faculty Handbook.

Libraries and the Information Commons

The library system at Penn offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a wide variety of support services, including library orientations and workshops that will introduce students to library databases and other resources. It is possible for instructors to arrange for library sessions that are tailored to the needs of their students. Instructors can make these arrangements through the reference departments of Penn’s libraries. See more information on available library services, programs, and resources that support teaching and research.

Students can also sign up for individual consultations with reference librarians, who will help students with questions specific to their research projects. Interested instructors should call the Van Pelt Reference Department at (215) 898-8118. Since Penn has 15 libraries, they may also contact the library that provides services for their subject area. View a complete list of Penn libraries.

The David B. Weigle Information Commons

The Information Commons supports study groups and collaborative learning and offers training, equipment, and support for digital media. It also provides flexible and technology-rich space and offers group study rooms, study booths, consulting services on research skills, time/project management, writing, and communication skills.

There are three complementary centers: the College Technology Center, the Digital Media Lab, and Academic Consulting Services.

Contact: Van Pelt Library
Phone: Weigle Information Commons: (215) 746-2660
Vitale Digital Media Lab: (215) 746-2661
www.commons.library.upenn.edu

The Weingarten Learning Resources Center

The Weingarten Learning Resources Center (WLRC) provides academic support and accommodations such as professional consultation services in skills such as academic reading, writing, study strategies, and time management for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. It also offers a very popular series of study skill workshops at the beginning of each fall term for LPS students. The center is composed of two offices: The Office of Learning Resources and the Office of Student Disabilities Services. WLRC is dedicated to fostering collaborative relationships with schools, academic departments, and programs and to enriching the teaching and learning dialogue across the University. The comprehensive services of WLRC ensure equal academic opportunities and participation in University-sponsored programs.

Contact: 3702 Spruce Street, Suite 300
Phone: (215) 573-9235
www.vpul.upenn.edu/lrc 

Emergency contacts

Campus Emergency

511

Penn Police Communication Center

(215) 573-3333

Special Services/Victim Support

(215) 898-6600

Vice Provost to University Life (VPUL)

(215) 898-6081

Student Health Services

(215) 662-2869

Counseling and Psychological Services

(215) 898-7021

Office of the Chaplain

(215) 898-8456

Emergency Number After Hours

(215) 349-5490 (ask for CAPS clinician on-call)

Confidentiality of student records

Federal law, the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), protects the privacy of student "education" records — which generally includes information maintained by Penn that identifies a student. Students should be aware of their rights under FERPA and faculty and staff should be aware of and follow their obligations under FERPA. View the complete confidentiality statement and resource materials.