Missing Student Policy

In compliance with the 1965 Higher Education Act (HEA)
Updated: 11/5/20; Reviewed: 10/13/21
Contact: Student Life Office

If a member of the College community has reason to believe that a student who resides in on-campus housing is missing, that information should be reported immediately to the Director of Residence Life at 816-415-5969 or the Dean of Students at 816-415-5960. Any College employee receiving a missing student report should immediately notify Campus Safety so that an investigation can be initiated.

Every incoming student is required to register an emergency contact with the College. In addition to registering a standard emergency contact, students may identify one or more confidential, missing student contacts that the College will notify upon determination that the student is missing. Students may register their general emergency contact and one or more missing student contacts via their My Jewell account. Missing student contacts are saved separately and confidentially and are only accessible to authorized campus officials and law enforcement personnel in furtherance of a missing person investigation.

The missing student contact(s) will only be contacted by the College in the event the student is deemed missing. If a student registers one or more missing student contact(s), the registering student authorizes the College and law enforcement personnel to contact said missing student contact(s) to communicate that the student has been deemed missing and is part of a missing student investigation. The College will notify a custodial parent or guardian of any missing student younger than 18 years of age and not emancipated.

If information indicates the student in question may be in danger or at risk during the 24-hour period the College is attempting to contact/locate the student, the College will immediately notify the Liberty Police Department with all information known at that time.

Until a student is deemed missing, Campus Safety and Student Life will make every effort to contact, locate and confirm the safety and well-being of the student in question. Information will be gathered about the student in question and will include, but is not limited to, the student’s ID photo or other available photos of the student, physical and clothing descriptions, vehicle information, the last known time and location of contact and identifying who was with the student during the last known contact.

Efforts to locate the student may include, but are not limited to, making direct contact with the student in question (phone, e-mail, text, social media, etc.), checking electronic records for the most recent activity (on-line lock access, network log-in, most recent e-mail activity, meal plan use, library systems, social media, etc.), interviewing the last known contact with the student in question, confirming and interviewing the last known college employee who had contact with the student (professors, coaches, student organization advisors, etc.), confirming when the student in question was last seen by their resident director and/or resident assistant, performing an, “in plain sight inspection,” of the student’s room for any information as to the student’s whereabouts (this will include “keying into” the student’s room if it’s locked) and checking with and interviewing the student’s known acquaintances.

Once a student is deemed missing, the College will immediately initiate the following actions:

• A Student Life administrator will first attempt to notify the confidential missing student contact, if registered with the College. In cases where a confidential missing student contact is not designated, the emergency contact, or other available contacts provided to the College will be notified.  If the missing student is younger than 18 years of age and not emancipated, the College will notify their parent(s) or guardian(s) of record and any additional contacts designated by the student within 24 hours of the determination that the student is missing.
• Regardless of whether the student has identified a contact person, is above the age of 18, or is an emancipated minor, Campus Safety will file a missing person’s report with the Liberty Police Department within 24 hours of a determination that the student is missing (unless it was LPD who made this determination). All information gathered while attempting to contact/locate the missing student will be shared with law enforcement.