Dean of Students

The purpose of this policy is to establish procedures for the University’s response to reports of missing residential students as required by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008.

This policy applies to all students who reside in on-campus housing.  “On-campus housing” is defined as any building owned or controlled by the University that is used to house University students.

For purposes of this policy, a student may be considered a “missing person” when he or she is absent from the University for more than 24 hours without any known reason.  A student may also be deemed missing when his/her absence is contrary to his/her usual pattern of behavior and/or unusual circumstances may have caused the absence.  Such circumstances could include, but not be limited to, a report or suspicion that the missing person may be the victim of foul play, has expressed suicidal thoughts, is drug dependent, or has been with persons who may endanger the student’s welfare.

All residential students will have the opportunity to designate a confidential contact to be notified by the University in the event that the student is determined to be missing.  Instructions will be provided on how to register that person’s contact information.   All reports of missing residential students shall be directed to the UT Dallas Police Department, which shall investigate each report and make a determination whether the student is missing.  NOTE:  If a student who has been determined to be missing is under the age of 18, and is not emancipated, the University will contact the designated confidential contact, but is also required to contact the legal guardian or parent.

Procedures

Notices to students
All residential students will be given the opportunity to designate an individual or individuals to be contacted by the University no more than 24 hours after the time that the student is determined to be missing.  All residential students who are under the age of 18 and are not legally emancipated shall also be notified that the institution shall notify the student’s legal guardian or parent no later than 24 hours after the time the student has been determined to be missing under this policy.

 Student notification of this policy and contact designation procedures will be:

• Included on the UT Dallas residential life/housing Web site
• Discussed during new student orientations and mandatory housing meetings at the beginning of each semester
• Sent to students via University e-mail each semester

Reporting

• Any individual on campus who has information that a residential student may be a missing person must notify the UT Dallas Police Department (UTDPD) as soon as possible.  Any University office that receives a report of a missing residential student shall immediately relay the report to the UTDPD.   The UTDPD will gather all relevant information about the residential student and notify appropriate campus staff, which shall include at a minimum, the Dean of Students, to assist in determining if the student is missing.
• If the UTDPD determines that the student is missing , no later than 24 hours after the determination has been made, the Dean of Students shall  notify the confidential contact, if any, and, if the student is under 18 and unemancipated, the student’s  parent or legal guardian.

Confidentiality of designated contact information
All contact information designated by a residential student under this policy shall be kept confidential. Only University officials authorized to respond to a missing student report and law enforcement officers acting in furtherance of the investigation may have access to the confidential contact information designated by a student pursuant to this policy.

Compliance
The University shall include this policy and procedures in its annual security report to the Secretary of Education as required by 34 CFR § 668.46 (b) (14).