There are a multitude of resources available to the UMass community. Whether you’re looking to report an incident or seek guidance from various offices and centers, a good place to start is at Bias and Crisis Support. Here you’ll find the Center for Women and Community, Dean of Students Office, Ombuds Office, and the Office of Equal Opportunity that oversees Title IX. Mental health and support services are available through the Center for Counseling and Psychological Health (CCPH), 24/7 and the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) that offers free and confidential counseling, financial and legal consultation, and referrals. Support groups are available as well.
New and current graduate students can find resources directly through the UMass Graduate School website here. Information about housing, employment, transportation, healthcare, and legal services is available through Student Life. In the event of financial difficulty relating to food, housing, childcare, basic health needs or technology necessary for online learning the Student Care and Emergency Response Fund (SCERF) offers funds to eligible students by way of donations from the campus community. Information about conflict resolution and concerns can be found through the Ombuds Office. Graduate students may seek or be referred to a case manager in the Dean of Students office when they are experiencing difficulty with physical or emotional health, personal loss or an unexpected challenge or crisis. The case manager works with the student to identify problems and directs them to available resources within both the university and the community. The Dean of Students office also offers resources for anyone who experiences harassment, violence, or discrimination and the university’s Title IX page offers more detailed information concerning policies and procedures that it follows in compliance with federal regulations. The Sexual and Relationship Violence Resource Guide can be found here.
UMass employees have union representation through contracts that detail the rights and working conditions of its members. Graduate students are represented by Graduate Employee Organization (GEO) and faculty are represented by Massachusetts Society of Professors (MSP). Labor unions for clerical and professional staff are the University Staff Association, Affiliate of the Massachusetts Teachers Association (USA/MTA), and the Professional Staff Association/Massachusetts Teachers Association Unit A (PSU/MTA). UMass Amherst also has generous leave policies for faculty, graduate, students, and staff, which can be found here: MSP (pg. 118), GEO (pg. 47), USA (pg. 21), and PSU (pg. 38).
In the case of an emergency on campus, call 911 from a campus landline or on your cell (413) 545–3111 at UMass Amherst Police Department (UMPD) or use a Help Phone that can be found here.