3.02A - Missing Residential Student Procedure

Procedure Statement

These procedures are intended to establish formal notification process for students who reside in oncampus housing and are reported as missing.

Designating Emergency Contact Information

Residential students age eighteen (18) or older and emancipated minors: At the start of each semester, residents will designate an individual or individuals to be contacted by the College at which time the student is determined to be missing. Students designate a contact specifically for this purpose using the emergency contact card which is collected and maintained by the Student Housing Office. Contact information will be registered confidentially, will be accessible only to authorized campus officials, and may not be disclosed, except to law enforcement personnel in furtherance of a missing person investigation.

Residential students under eighteen (18) years of age and not emancipated: In the event a residential student is determined to be missing pursuant to the policies set forth below, the College will contact a parent and/or guardian as noted on the housing agreement, in the students' College record, or on the residential student's emergency form within twenty-four (24) hours.

Students may register this confidential contact information by completing the emergency contact information form. The contact information will be accessible only to authorized campus officials, and will not be disclosed, except to law enforcement personnel in furtherance of a missing person investigation.

Reporting Missing Residential Students

Any faculty member, staff member, student or community member who has information that a residential student may be missing must notify the Dean of Student Services and the KCKCC Police Department as soon as possible. It is important that both notifications are made. The Dean of Student Services bears responsibility for notifying the KCKCC Police Department immediately and vice versa.

All parties involved in the reporting and investigation of missing students must comply with the applicable provisions of the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA), the federal law which protects the privacy of student records.

Contact Numbers

KCKCC Police Department (913) 288-7636

Dean of Student Services (913) 288-7437

Housing Supervisor (913) 200-4532

Procedures

In the event a residential student is reported missing by any source and the College official reasonably determines or believes that there is justification to investigate the welfare or missing status of a residential student, the KCKCC Police Department shall:

• Notify the President, the Vice President of Student Affairs, and the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Outreach.
• Investigate to determine the validity of the report.
• Attempt to determine the location and status of the missing student.
• Notify local/other law enforcement agencies in accordance with established protocols.
• Notify the individual designated on the student’s emergency contact card.
• If the missing student is under the age of 18, notify the individual designated on the student’s emergency contact card and the student's custodial parent or guardian as provided in College records.

The College may use any of the following resources to assist in locating the student. These resources may be used in any order and combination.

• The Dean of Student Services may inform college officials that may have knowledge of the student's background or situation, inform the student's Academic Dean, and notify the student's instructors of his/her absence.
• Through the KCKCC Student Housing Office, authorized staff may be asked to assist in physically locating the student by entering the student’s assigned room and by talking with known associates.
• The KCKCC Police Office and other College staff may search on-campus public locations to find the student (classrooms, learning commons, dining area, wellness center, parking lots, etc.).
• The KCKCC Police Office may issue an ID picture to assist in identifying the missing student.
• College officials may try to contact known friends, family, or faculty members for last sighting or for additional contact information. This includes checking a student’s social networking site(s) such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.
• The KCKCC Police Office may access card access logs to determine last use of the card and track the card for future uses if the missing person was issued a card.
• The KCKCC Police Office may access vehicle registration information for vehicle location and distribution to authorities.
• Information Services may be asked to review email logs for last login and use of the KCKCC email system.