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Administrative policy and procedure regarding missing student notification

  1. Purpose. Kent state university takes student safety very seriously.  To this end, the following policy and procedure has been established to assist in locating Kent state university students living in Kent state university owned on-campus housing who, based on the facts and circumstances known to Kent state university, Kent state university has determined to be missing.
  2. Implementation. At the beginning of each academic year, Kent state university will inform students residing in on-campus housing of the following:
    1. Students have the option of identifying an individual to be contacted by Kent state university not later than 24 hours after the time the student is determined to be missing.  A student can register this confidential contact information through the student's Flashline account. 
    2. If the student is under eighteen years of age, and not an emancipated individual, Kent state university is required to notify a custodial parent or guardian not later than twenty-four hours after the time that the student is determined to be missing.
  3. Procedures.
    1. Kent state university police services will be notified not later than twenty-four hours after the time that the student is determined to be missing.
    2. If Kent state university police services personnel have been notified and make a determination that a student who is the subject of a missing person report has been missing for more than twenty-four hours and has not returned to campus, Kent state university will initiate the emergency contact procedures in accordance with the student's designation.
    3. Kent state university will adhere to the following notification procedure for a missing student who resides in on-campus housing:
      Once Kent state university receives a missing student report via the dean of students' office, Kent state university police services, university housing or other source, the following offices will be notified:
      1. Kent state university police services
      2. Undergraduate/graduate deans' offices;
      3. Senior vice president for student life; and
      4. University housing
    4. Any official missing person report relating to this student shall be referred immediately to Kent state university police services
    5. If Kent state university police services , after investigating the official report, determines the student has been missing for more than twenty-four hours, Kent state university will contact the individual identified by the student, the custodial parent or legal guardian if the student is under eighteen and not emancipated, or local law enforcement if these do not apply.
    6. Upon notification from any entity that any student may be missing, Kent state university may use any of the following resources to assist in locating the student.  These resources may be used in any order and combination.
      1. University housing may be asked to assist in physically locating the student by performing a wellness check at the student's campus housing.
      2. Police services may search on campus public locations to find the student (library, dining hall, etc.).
      3. Police services may issue an ID picture to assist in identifying the missing student.
      4. The dean of students' office may try to contact known friends, family, or faculty members for last sighting or additional contact information.
      5. Student life or academic departments may be contacted to seek information on last sighting or other contact information.
      6. University housing may access residence hall card access logs to determine last use of the key card.
      7. Police services may access vehicle registration information for vehicle location and distribution to authorities.
      8. Information services may be asked to look up email and other network logs for last login and use of Kent state university network resources,
      9. If there is any indication of foul play, other local police agencies may be contacted for assistance.
Policy Effective Date:
Aug 01, 2024
Policy Prior Effective Dates: 
9/17/2010, 3/1/2015, 08/27/2018