Any member of the university community who believes a student is missing should immediately contact DePaul Public Safety at (773) 325-7777. A “missing student” is a student who has been reported absent from the University for 24 hours or more with no known reason. Any other DePaul office that receives a report of a missing student (for example, the Dean of Students Office, Housing & Residence Life, College/School offices, etc.) must immediately refer that report to Public Safety.
Public Safety will promptly investigate all reports of missing students to determine the validity of the report. If the report of a missing student is validated, the designated DePaul office will, within 24 hours of receiving the initial report:
1. Notify local law enforcement that the student is missing.
2. If the missing student has designated an emergency contact(s), including an additional emergency contact specifically related to being a Missing Student, attempt to notify the missing student’s emergency contact(s) that the student is a missing student. Students are responsible for updating all emergency contact information in Campus Connect. All emergency contact information is only available to authorized DePaul personnel, and will only be released for approved purposes, such as to law enforcement in furtherance of a missing person investigation.
3. If the missing student is under 18 and not emancipated, attempt to notify the student’s parent/guardian that the student is a missing student.
Public Safety is responsible for communicating all validated reports of missing students to local law enforcement within 24 hours of receiving the initial report.
Public Safety will work with Student Affairs regarding all reports of missing students. Student Affairs is responsible for communicating with a missing student’s emergency contact(s) (and if applicable, a missing student’s parent/guardian) within 24 hours of receiving the initial report.
Students have the option to designate one or more emergency contacts in Campus Connect. This includes designating an additional emergency contact specifically related to being a Missing Student. If a student is a Missing Student, DePaul will notify those emergency contacts specifically designated as emergency contacts for Missing Student situations, and may notify other emergency contacts as well.
In order to make students aware of this policy, including the student’s option to designate an emergency contact in Campus Connect, this policy will be summarized in DePaul’s Annual Safety and Security Information Report, in the Undergraduate Student Handbook, and in the Graduate Student Handbook.