Missing Student Notification
1. PURPOSE
Federal regulations require Brigham Young University–Hawaii ("BYU–Hawaii" or "university") to provide for means of notifying parents, campus authorities and law enforcement when a student who lives in on-campus student housing facilities has been missing for 24 hours.
2. POLICY
Annually, the university will inform all students via an automated alert of the option to confidentially register the name of one or more emergency contacts to be notified in the event that the student is determined to be missing. Students may update this information at any time through the student information system. Information regarding registered emergency contacts will be accessible only to Authorized Campus Officials and may not be disclosed, except to law enforcement personnel in furtherance of a missing student investigation. In the event that a student is missing, those designated to receive missing student reports must immediately notify Campus Safety & Security as outlined in the following implementation guidelines.
3. IMPLEMENTATION
3.1 Definitions
3.1.1 Authorized Campus Officials
Authorized Campus Officials include, but are not limited to, the student life vice president, dean of students, members of Campus Safety & Security, and members of the Conduct Assessment, Response, and Evaluation Team (CARE Team)
3.2 Registration of Contact Persons by the Student
The university provides an option for each student living in on-campus housing to provide the name and contact information of one or more individuals to serve as a contact for missing persons purposes (Missing Persons Contact). A student’s Missing Persons Contact is registered confidentially, is accessible only to Authorized Campus Officials, and is not disclosed except to law enforcement personnel in furtherance of a missing person investigation. If there is no contact identified, the Honolulu Police Department will be notified by the university.
3.3 Students Under the Age of 18
If a student is under 18 years of age and not emancipated, the university must notify a custodial parent or guardian within 24 hours of the determination that the student is missing, in addition to notifying any Missing Persons Contact designated by the student.
3.4 Reporting
The following are the titles of the employees or campus units to which students, employees, or other individuals should report that a student who lives in on-campus housing has been missing for 24 hours or more:
- Campus Safety & Security – (808) 675-3911, MCK 148;
- residential living manager – (808) 675-4921
- campus life director – (808) 675-3677, ACR 166; or,
- dean of students – (808) 675-4586, LSB 121.
Reports of missing students may also be made to the Honolulu Police Department by calling 911.
Any report of a student missing from on-campus housing, including reports from individuals not affiliated with the university, must be referred immediately to Campus Safety & Security regardless of how long the student is believed to have been missing.
If a student is determined by Campus Safety & Security or local law enforcement to be missing, Campus Safety & Security will coordinate with the dean of students so that the CARE Team can plan and oversee an investigation.
3.4.1 Information for Missing Student Reports
When a university employee or faculty member receives notification that a student from on-campus housing is missing, the employee should help the reporter contact Campus Safety & Security to file a missing student report. If the reporter is unwilling to make a report, the employee should attempt to collect and report to Campus Safety & Security as much information as possible, including the following:
- Name of the missing student.
- Contact information of the missing student.
- Physical description of the missing student, including clothing; hair, eye, and skin color; and any distinguishing features.
- Time and location where the student was last seen.
- Names and contact information of persons close to the missing student or recently seen with the missing student.
- Name and contact information of the reporter.
3.5 Investigation Procedures
When a student from on-campus housing is reported missing and has been deemed by Campus Safety & Security or local law enforcement to have been missing for 24 hours without any known reason, Campus Safety & Security will notify the CARE Team. The university will then follow the procedures outlined below:
- The dean of students will contact the student life vice president.
- The CARE Team will identify and implement actions to assist in locating the missing student.
- The dean of students will notify the student’s Missing Persons Contact(s) within 24 hours of the determination that the student is missing.
- If the student is under 18 (and not emancipated), the dean of students will notify the student’s custodial parent/guardian no later than 24 hours of the determination that the student is missing.
- The dean of students will notify the Honolulu Police Department within 24 hours of Campus Safety & Security determining that the student is missing.
- All attempts to notify the Missing Persons Contact(s) and/or the student’s parent/guardian should be documented. Any of the foregoing steps may be taken before a student is determined to have been missing for 24 hours if there is reason to believe the student is missing or may otherwise be in danger.
For international students determined to be missing, the CARE Team will immediately inform the international student services manager.