Missing Student Policy

Colorado College is committed to protecting the health, safety, and welfare of its students. The College encourages any member of the campus community who believes a student may be missing to report that concern immediately.

Consistent with the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA), the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act), and Colorado Senate Bill 26-120, the College has established procedures for responding promptly to reports of missing students, conducting preliminary wellness assessments when appropriate, and notifying law enforcement and designated contacts within the timeframes required by law.

Authority

This policy is adopted pursuant to:

• Colorado Senate Bill 26-120, Missing Person Training and Higher Education Reporting
• Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008
• Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act
• Applicable federal and Colorado privacy laws, including FERPA

Responsible Office

Campus Safety is responsible for administration of this policy in coordination with Student Life and Residential Experience & Housing.

Procedures

Reporting a Missing Student

Any person who believes a student may be missing should immediately report the concern to Campus Safety.  Reports may also be made through Student Life or Residential Experience & Housing. Any College employee receiving such a report shall promptly notify Campus Safety.

There is no minimum period a student must be absent before a report is made.

Institutional Response

Upon receiving a report that a student may be missing, Campus Safety shall promptly evaluate the circumstances and determine whether immediate notification to law enforcement is warranted or whether a preliminary wellness assessment may be conducted.

Nothing in this policy requires the College to delay notifying law enforcement.

Immediate Law Enforcement Notification

The College may immediately notify the appropriate law enforcement agency upon receipt of a missing student report.  Immediate notification should occur whenever circumstances indicate that prompt law enforcement involvement is appropriate.

Preliminary Wellness Assessment

When appropriate, the College may conduct a preliminary wellness assessment for a period not to exceed six (6) hours after receiving the missing student report.

The assessment may include:

Digital Contact Attempts

Reasonable attempts to contact the student through available means, including: telephone, text message, email, College communication platforms, or other available electronic communication methods.

Residential Verification

Reasonable efforts to determine whether the student is present at their residence, including: welfare check of the residence hall room or known local residence, contact with roommates, consultation with residential advisors or housing staff.

Academic and Community Inquiry

Reasonable efforts to contact individuals who may know the student's whereabouts, including: faculty, academic advisors, coaches, supervisors, friends, student organization advisors, or other appropriate individuals.

Additional reasonable efforts may include:

• contacting emergency contacts or family members when appropriate;
• reviewing institutional information that may assist in locating the student.

Required Notification to Law Enforcement

The College shall immediately notify the appropriate law enforcement agency when:

1. credible evidence indicates that the student's health or safety may be at risk; or
2. the student cannot be located within six (6) hours after the missing student report is received.

For incidents occurring on or near the Colorado College campus, notification will generally be made to the Colorado Springs Police Department unless another law enforcement agency has jurisdiction.  The College will cooperate fully with any resulting law enforcement investigation.

Documentation

The College shall maintain contemporaneous written documentation of actions taken in response to a missing student report, including, as applicable:

• date and time the report was received;
• individuals participating in the response;
• contact attempts made;
• residential verification efforts;
• academic or community inquiries;
• information supporting any determination that a credible safety concern existed;
• date and time law enforcement was notified;
• disposition of the report.

Documentation shall be maintained in accordance with the College's records retention requirements and applicable privacy laws.

Emergency Contact and Confidential Contact Notification

For students residing in on-campus housing, the College will notify the student's designated confidential contact or emergency contact no later than twenty-four (24) hours after the student has been determined to be missing, as required by federal law.

If the missing student is under eighteen (18) years of age and is not emancipated, the College will notify the student's parent or legal guardian within the same timeframe.

Nothing in this policy prevents the College from contacting an emergency contact sooner when doing so is reasonably necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or others.  Notification of emergency or confidential contacts does not replace or delay notification to law enforcement.

Confidential Contact Designation

Students residing in on-campus housing may designate a confidential contact to be notified if the student is determined to be missing.

The confidential contact designation may be made or updated through Residential Experience & Housing.

Confidential contact information will:

• remain confidential;
• be accessible only to authorized College officials with a legitimate need to know;
• be disclosed to law enforcement only as permitted or required by law.

Annual Notification

The College will inform students residing in on-campus housing annually of:

• their option to designate a confidential contact;
• the procedures for updating that information;
• the College's missing student notification procedures.

The College's missing student procedures shall also be published in the Annual Security Report as required by the Clery Act.

Good Faith Immunity

College employees acting in good faith in conducting a preliminary wellness assessment or implementing this policy shall receive the protections afforded under applicable Colorado law.

Definitions

Missing Student Report

A report made to the College indicating that there is reason to believe a student cannot be located after reasonable attempts to contact them or that the student's whereabouts are unknown.

A report may be made regardless of how long the student has been absent. There is no waiting period before a report may be made.

Preliminary Wellness Assessment

The reasonable efforts undertaken by the College, not to exceed six (6) hours from receipt of a missing student report, to determine whether a student's whereabouts can be confirmed before notifying law enforcement, unless circumstances require immediate notification.