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Missing Student Notification Policy

Pursuant to section 488 of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, this policy and procedure will apply to all students residing in on-campus housing and in response to a missing student report.

 

Policy

A student may be considered a missing person by Kean University if the student is reported missing for a 24 hour period and the student’s absence is contrary to his/her normal pattern of behavior or is the result of any unusual circumstance.

Any time a student is believed to be missing, whether or not the student is a campus resident, the appropriate police department should be contacted. The Kean University Department of Public Safety and Police, the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, and the Office of Residential Student Services work together to locate missing students, notify appropriate local law enforcement, and check on the welfare of such students. As part of the residential check-in procedure, all students are afforded the opportunity to provide, on a voluntary basis, contact information for individuals to be notified in case of emergency, and this emergency contact will serve as a contact if the student goes missing as well, unless the student specifies otherwise.

Anyone who believes a student to be missing should report their concern to the Kean University Department of Public Safety and Police, (908)737-4800. Most missing person reports in the college environment result from a student changing his/her routine without informing his/her roommates and/or friends of the change. Every report made to the campus will be followed up with an immediate investigation once a student has been missing for 24 hours, though instances of bizarre disappearances, suspected kidnapping, or potential crimes will be acted upon immediately when reported.

 

Procedure

If a residential student is presumed to be missing, the University will notify the emergency contact, parent or legal guardian within 24 hours after it has been determined that the student is missing. For students under the age of 18, a call will be made to the custodial parents, regardless of who is designated by the student as the emergency contact. In the event that emergency contact notification is necessary, the Kean University Department of Public Safety and Police will place the call.

The University official receiving the report will collect and document the following information at the time of the report:

  1. The name and relationship of the person making the report.
  2. The date, time and location the missing student was last seen.
  3. The general routine or habits of the suspected missing student (e.g. – visiting friends who live off-campus, working a job away from campus) including any recent changes in behavior or demeanor.
  4. The missing student’s cell phone number (if known by the reporter).
  5. Whether a local police department has been notified.

Upon notification from any entity that a student may be missing, the University may use any or all of the following resources to assist in locating the student.

  1. Call the student’s room.
  2. Go to the student’s residence hall room.
  3. Talk to the student’s RA, roommate, and floor mates to see if anyone can confirm the missing student’s whereabouts and/or confirm the date, time, and location the student was last seen.
  4. Secure a current student ID or other photo of the student from a friend.
  5. Call and text the student’s cell phone and call any other numbers on record.
  6. Send the student an email.
  7. Check all possible locations mentioned by the parties above including, but not limited to, library, residence hall lounges, classroom and recreational facilities, etc.
  8. Contact or call any other on-campus or off-campus friends or contacts that are made known. This could include checking a student’s social networking sites such as Myspace, Facebook and Twitter.
  9. Ascertain the student’s car make, model and license plate number.

The Office of Computer and Information Services (OCIS) may be asked to obtain electronic logs in order to determine the last time the student accessed the Kean University network.

September 21, 2009