Death of a Faculty or Staff Member
The death of a staff or faculty member has a profound impact on family, friends, and the work and learning environment. Ensuring that family, students, colleagues and co-workers are assisted with kindness and compassion is our priority. Human Resources, Health, Safety and Environment (HRHSE) will work with the department/faculty to offer support through the grieving process.
Grieving + Support Services
Everyone grieves in their own way and in their own time. There are, however, typical stages that people experience as they move through the grieving process.
- Shock and denial. Feelings of shock, disbelief, numbness or detachment are common. The bereaved may appear to be coping well because they have not fully accepted the loss.
- Separation. The reality of the separation begins to sink in. This period involves intense emotions that include anger, guilt, fear, sadness, yearning and sometimes even relief.
- Depression. The intense pain associated with the separation stage begins to subside, leaving in its place an ongoing ache and feeling of sadness and emptiness.
- Acceptance. People entering this phase are gradually coming to an acceptance of their loss, moving forward and lett