In compliance with the Higher Education Reauthorization Act of 2008, the purpose of this policy is to provide procedures for reporting, investigating, and notifying authorities if a student who resides on campus is believed to be missing.
A residential student will be considered missing if any person has reason to believe that a resident student’s absence is contrary to their behavior and has not been seen in a reasonable amount of time. A reasonable amount of time may vary with the time of day and information available regarding the missing person’s daily schedule, habits, and reliability. Before presuming that a person is missing, reasonable measures should be taken to determine that no one familiar with the person has seen or heard from the person for an unusual period of time or is aware of where they may be. If a person’s absence has occurred under circumstances that are considered suspicious or there are concerns for their safety, the person shall be considered missing immediately.
In addition to registering an emergency contact, all students living in campus student housing shall have the opportunity to identify a missing student contact to be used in the event the student is reported missing. That person shall be the first contact in the event that the student would be officially reported missing during their time at the College. Missing student contact information will be registered confidentially and will be accessible only to authorized College officials and may not be disclosed except to law enforcement personnel for the purpose of locating the student. In the absence of a designated confidential contact, the student’s emergency contact shall be utilized as the confidential contact.
For students under the age of 18 and not emancipated, the College is required to notify the custodial parent or guardian not later than 24 hours after a student is determined to be missing.
Students can register a contact when signing their housing agreement or at any time by contacting the Safety and Security Office at 360.442.2911.
Any individual who believes a student living in on-campus student housing may be missing should immediately contact Lower Columbia College’s Safety and Security Office at 360.442.2911 or the Vice President of Student Services at 360-442-2300. Any missing student report must be referred immediately to LCC’s Safety and Security Office.
The College has 24 hours after receiving a report that the student is missing to initiate specific missing student notification procedures. However, the College can initiate their procedures for a missing student before 24 hours has passed.
Upon receiving a report of a missing student, the Director of Safety and Security or their designee shall immediately investigate and make a determination that a student who is the subject of a missing report has been missing for more than 24 hours and has not returned to campus.
After investigating a missing person report, should Lower Columbia College Safety and Security determine that the student has been missing for more than 24 hours, the Director of Safety and Security or their designee will notify the following:
| Resource/Reference/Procedure | Title | Unit Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Procedure 475.1A | Missing Student Notification Procedure | VP Student Services |