POLICY STATEMENT
The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 requires that colleges and universities establish a missing resident student notification policy, including missing student notification procedures for students residing in on-campus housing.
DEFINITIONS
American Campus Communities (ACC): Developer, owner, and manager of the housing apartment community at Nevada State College known as The Village NSC Student Housing.
American Campus Community (ACC) Emergency Contact Person: Contact person identified by on-campus resident students for general emergencies. The ACC Emergency Contact Person information is collected and stored by American Campus Communities.
Director of Housing: Responsible for overseeing the entire operation of the housing apartment community at Nevada State College known as The Village NSC Student Housing.
Missing Resident Student: Resident student whose whereabouts are unknown, whatever the circumstances of disappearance; considered missing until located or their well-being is otherwise established.
Missing Person Contact: Individual(s) identified by the on-campus housing student to be contacted in the specific case they are determined to be missing.
On-Campus Housing: Housing located on the College’s property catering to enrolled NSC and CSN students and families.
On-Campus Resident Student: Individual who is currently enrolled in classes, has a signed lease agreement, and resides in on-campus housing.
Reporting Party: Any person who reports a concern regarding the safety and security of a student whose whereabouts are unknown or unexplained.
Resident Assistant: An employee responsible for assisting students who live in on-campus housing.
PROCEDURES
I. Reporting a Missing Student
If a person has reason to believe that an on-campus resident student is missing, the individual should immediately notify a Resident Assistant or the Director of Housing. The Director of Housing will then notify the NSC Dean of Students. The NSC Dean of Students will contact University Police Services. University Police Services is the local law enforcement agency; they will begin an investigation immediately.
Should University Police Services determine that the student has been missing for more than twenty-four (24) hours, they will follow up with the Dean of Students. The Dean of Students will request the Missing Person Contact information from American Campus Communities. University Police Services will work with the Dean of Students to notify any appropriate outside jurisdictional agency and the student’s Missing Person Contact.
If the student is under eighteen (18) years of age and is not an emancipated individual, immediately after determining that the student has been missing for 24 hours University Police Services will notify the student’s parent or legal guardian and Missing Person Contact as designated in the form maintained by American Campus Communities.
Regardless of whether the student has identified a Missing Person Contact, if the student is age 18 or older, or is an emancipated minor, the Dean of Students will inform University Police Services within 24 hours that the student is missing.
The reporting party should provide the following information:
- Name of missing student;
- Student’s contact information;
- If there is a reason to believe the student might be in distress or if there is a threat of imminent harm;
- Background and descriptive information;
- Time and date last seen;
- Location last seen;
- Last known destination;
- Names of acquaintances;
- Any additional information that may help locate the missing student.
If contact is made with the student, University Police Services will notify the Dean of Students and the student will be encouraged to notify the Reporting Party.
II. Missing Person Contact
All on-campus resident students have the option to designate a Missing Person Contact strictly for the event that the student becomes a missing person. This contact information will be confidential and accessible only to authorized college officials and law enforcement personnel involved in an emergency response. The missing person contact information may not be disclosed except to law enforcement personnel to assist in a missing person investigation. The Missing Person Contact will be notified within 24 hours of University Police Services determining that the student is missing.
FORMS/INSTRUCTIONS
American Campus Communities provides students with the ability to identify an ACC Emergency Contact Person for general emergencies and a separate contact to act as a Missing Person Contact. The data for these contacts is collected via a form managed by American Campus Communities during the move-in process.
The American Campus Communities Emergency Information Form is considered non-public information and will only be shared with appropriate Nevada State College personnel on an as-needed basis. The form is part of every on-campus housing student’s housing record, and pursuant to records retention policies, is retained for a minimum of five (5) years past the final move-out date, and then destroyed according to policy.
ADDITIONAL CONTACTS
American Campus Communities
Shenice Noel, Director of Housing
shenice.noel@nevadastate.edu
702-308-5519
Division of Culture, Planning, and Policy
Edith Fernández, Vice President
edith.fernandez@nevadastate.edu
702-992-2358
RELATED INFORMATION
APPROVALS
Approved by Dr. Vickie Shields, Provost, November 10, 2020.
Approved by Bart Patterson, President, November 25, 2020.