Missing Student Policy

• Table of Contents

• 100.00 Definitions
• 200.00 Policy
• 300.00 Procedures

100.00 Definitions

1. On-Campus Student – A student who resides in on-campus housing under a housing contract with University Student Housing.
2. Off-Campus Student – A student who resides in off-campus private housing.
3. Non-Student – A person who is not an enrolled student, but is authorized to reside in University Student Housing. Examples of non-students include dependents of enrolled students (i.e., spouses, children), relatives, partners and other authorized residents.
4. Missing - A student is presumed missing if
   1. he/she is overdue in reaching home, campus, or other specific destination for 24 hours past his/her expected time of arrival, or
   2. additional factors lead university staff to believe he/she is missing, and a check of his/her residence supports that determination.

200.00 Policy

This policy and accompanying procedures establish a framework for cooperation among members of the University community including students, employees and other individuals to locate and assist currently enrolled students who are reported missing.

210.00 Missing Person Contact.

Student residents in University Student Housing shall be offered the option to identify an individual to be contacted by the University in case the student is determined to be missing after 24 hours. Students can provide this information on their application for University Student Housing and/or provide updated information at any time via their University Student Housing portal. Such contact information shall be held confidential and may be disclosed only to authorized university officials, and to law enforcement authorities in furtherance of a missing person investigation. Contact information will be provided to local law enforcement authorities within 24 hours of the University’s determination that the student is missing.

If a missing student is under 18 years of age and not emancipated, University Police shall notify a custodial parent or guardian and the contact individual designated by the missing student no later than 24 hours after the determination that the student is missing.

220.00 Reporting Missing Students.

Reports of any missing student may be directed to University Police [406-994-2121].

300.00. Procedures

When a student is reported missing by any source, the University shall:

• Any initial report of a student who is deemed missing or cannot be located must be forwarded to University Police.
• UPD will Investigate according to their Standard Operating Procedures to determine the validity of the report. UPD will Attempt to determine the location and status of the missing student.
• If the student is determined to be missing per the policy definition, UPD will notify the President and the Vice President for Student Success.
• If the student is an On-Campus Student, UPD will contact the University Official with access to the confidential contact information declared by the student in the University Housing Portal to assist in notifying the individual identified as the student’s missing person contact.
• If the missing student is under the age of 18, UPD or a designee will notify the individual identified by the missing student as the missing person contact and the student's custodial parent or guardian as provided in University records.

The Dean of Students may (1) inform university officials that may have knowledge of the student's background or situation, (2) inform the student's major college Dean, and (3) notify the student's instructors of his/her absence.

All parties involved in the reporting and investigation of missing students must comply with the applicable provisions of the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA), the federal law which protects the privacy of student records.