Student Care

WeCare team is a student concern response team that exists to provide early intervention in dealing with various student concerns: academic, social, emotional, and physical.  Members: Director of Student Success & Wellness, Academic Support Coordinator, Director of Housing & Residence Life, Student Counselor, The Registrar, Student Life Vice President (chair). All of the details of students’ concerns are highly confidential.

4 Rs of Student Care

You can submit the WeCare alert through erezlife.

Research shows that the first 5 weeks of a student’s first semester at university are indicative of a student’s future success. Only around 80% of freshmen at LCC continue as sophomores and therefore, freshmen are our biggest at-risk group. With 9 weeks left in the semester, we focus on freshmen while there is still time to intervene. Faculty will be alerted before week 5 to alert us about the students who meet at least one of the below criteria. You can submit the WeCare alert through erezlife.

The Student Success and Wellness Center provides individual support and tutoring in math and writing, as well as other subject areas as needed. The Center seeks to provide a welcoming, safe and non-threatening environment where students’ academic questions can be heard, addressed, and acted upon in a timely manner. Direct students to our page https://portal.lcc.lt/student-life/student-success-and-wellness/your-success-at-lcc/ and submit the WeCare alert through erezlife so we can follow up.

Mental health issues are more prevalent among the current generation. Lithuania has the highest suicide rate in the EU. It is important to notice the signs of psychological distress and refer a student to LCC counselors. At LCC we have three counselors who are trained to help students with various life challenges: relationships, trauma, anxiety, depression, etc. We also refer students to the Klaipeda Mental Health Center when needed. Direct students to the information and resources on the portal or send them the link www.lcc.lt/counseling to sign up for counseling. Please also submit the WeCare alert through erezlife so we can follow up but make sure to let the student know that you are, it makes reaching out to the student much easier.

Remember that if someone is in a severe or life-threatening situation, immediately call Emergency #112. For severe psychological crises, you must also inform Student Counselor Ina Kamaityte at +370 650 97297.

If you notice that students are not interested in their chosen major, are not motivated, or failing courses, they might have chosen the wrong major. This happens often when parents make decisions for their children. LCC’s Career Development Counselor helps identify strengths and career preferences, help explore career options, and advise on practical experience. Direct students to the information and resources on the portal or send them the link https://bit.ly/talk2CDC to sign up for an appointment. Another great resource for the student is his/her Academic advisor.

Students may encounter financial hardships sometimes, faculty and staff are strongly discouraged from giving money to students directly but please direct them to the following resources:

• Food Pantry – providing basic foods to students experiencing temporary food insecurity. You can donate food items to the box in the Staff/faculty lounge. Food items must have a long expiration date: pasta, canned food, rice, sources, etc. Direct students to the Food pantry request form items through erezlife.
• Emergency Care Fund Emergency Care Fund is available for students in need of minor financial assistance for unexpected expenses, usually, the money is given as a loan. Expenses may include upfront medical expenses, unexpected travel costs, food items not provided by the food pantry, etc. ECF is a revolving fund that is supported by generous donations from staff/faculty. If you would like to donate cash, visit SLVP office #22b. Direct students to the ECF request form items through erezlife.
• Student Financial Services have a number of financial support options: emergency aid,  McQuaig DPP (Deferred Payment Plan) Fund. Direct students to sfs@lcc.lt for assistance.

LCC seeks to create equal access for all students, including those with special needs, to the University’s programs and activities.  Sometimes students are aware of their special needs and other times they are not. We seek to support our students in seeking professional help. Upon documented verification of the special need, we can provide academic support based on the learning needs of each student.  A student with documented special needs must follow the required procedure for requesting special needs status.  The student can apply for special needs status at any point during their academic studies but accommodating students’ special needs will not be granted retroactively (for e.g. all missed classes will not be excused in case flexible attendance is granted as accommodation). Direct students to our page https://bit.ly/apply4specialneeds for more information on how to apply.

Are you interested in investing in an LCC student by serving as a mentor? Mentors can be invaluable resources for students who want to go further in their professional skills or who desire to enhance their personal growth. If you are an LCC staff/faculty member or the spouse of an LCC staff/faculty member and are interested in the Mentoring Program, please apply to be a mentor https://bit.ly/beAmentor. The Mentoring Program will launch in late September and will run for 8 weeks. The mentor commitment is made on a semester-by-semester basis.

Pastoral care is a ministry of compassion and guidance and given the many challenges we are facing today, students, staff, and faculty can benefit by speaking with a Chaplain who is available for any student regardless of faith or philosophy of life. These can include a listening and confidential ear, crises support, hospital visits, prayer, space for your to explore your faith as well as confidential support on questions of sexuality. Direct students to email chaplain@lcc.lt to arrange a meeting with Chaplain.

At LCC, it’s important to have discussions about faith and sexuality, including discussions about sexual identity. We need to engage these topics so we can thoughtfully dialogue with students and lead from a place of calm and compassion, rather than fear and anxiety.  Talking about same-sex attraction and sexual identity can be a very sensitive topic, often connecting strongly with personal beliefs and experiences, friendships, cultural understandings, and religious perspectives.  We want to begin by establishing a safe place for having this conversation about your thoughts and experiences.     Here are some helpful guidelines: 

Research shows that non-heterosexual students are three times more likely to experience depression or anxiety compared to their heterosexual peers. Transgender students and others identifying as gender minorities are nearly five times more likely to experience bullying and harassment. At LCC we care for all students regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Please refer to the additional resources here: LGBTQ Staff & Faculty Resource.pdf