20.001:  Emergency Notification in Case of Student Death or Serious Injury

In all cases of medical emergencies or deaths, the name of a student will not be released to media until parents or next of kin have been notified, if at all possible.

I.  Notifying the Ohio University Police Department

Regardless of where or when an incident may have occurred, any individual with information about a student death or serious injury should contact the Ohio University Police Department, which will notify the Dean of Students (or the on-call staff person for Student Affairs, if outside normal business hours).

In the case of a regional campus student, OUPD will also notify the regional campus dean.

II.  Notifying the Dean

If an Ohio University regional campus student dies or is seriously injured, the regional campus dean will coordinate the University's response, consulting with the Dean of Students as needed.

If an Ohio University Athens campus student dies or is seriously injured, the Dean of Students will coordinate the University's response. If a student dies or is seriously injured outside of normal business hours, the on-call staff person for Student Affairs will begin to coordinate the response and notify immediately the Dean of Students and the Vice President for Student Affairs.

III.  Notifying the Executive Officers

Once the initial facts and circumstances of the incident are known, the Dean of Students or the Vice President for Student Affairs will notify the President, the Provost, and other executive officers and department heads, as appropriate.

In the case of a regional campus student, the regional campus dean will notify the Vice President for University Outreach and Regional Campuses, who will notify the President, the Provost, and others as appropriate.

IV.  Notifying Other University Offices

Upon receipt of a copy of an obituary, a death certificate, or newspaper article referencing the student's death, the Office of the University Registrar will update the deceased student's record accordingly in the Student Information System.

In addition, the Registrar's Office will prepare and distribute a memorandum informing select departments of the University community of the student's death: Office of the President; Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs; Office of the Dean of Students; Accounts Receivable; Admissions; Bursar; Career Services; Development; Graduate Appointments; Housing; Hudson Health Center; Payroll; Student Financial Aid; Information Technology; Alden Library Circulation; University Outreach and Regional Campuses (for regional campus students only); and the College Office of the deceased student.

If the deceased student was enrolled in the current term and took final exams, final grades will be recorded. Otherwise, a cancellation will be completed by the Registrar's Office and presented to the University Review Panel. Once approved, the college or regional campus will be sent a copy of the approval documentation. If the deceased student is enrolled for any future terms, those classes will be removed from his or her record. Information Technology, upon receipt of notice from the Registrar's Office, will deactivate the University email account of a deceased student, placing a reply message on the account that refers any sender of an email to the Office of the Dean of Students.

V.  Public Release of Information

All public release of information and communication with the media related to a student death or serious injury will be coordinated by University Communications and Marketing, in consultation with the Dean of Students. In the case of a regional campus student, the regional campus dean will be consulted.

VI.  Death of a Student

If a student dies, notification of next-of-kin will be coordinated by Ohio University Police Department, in consultation with the Dean of Students. In the case of a regional campus student, the regional campus dean will be consulted.

1. President

2. Provost

3. Cabinet

4. Vice President for Student Affairs

5. Vice President for University Outreach and Regional Campuses

6. Regional Campus Deans

7. University Registrar

8. Director of Campus Safety

9. Executive Director of Communications and Marketing

10. Student Senate

11. Graduate Student Senate

12. Policy and Procedure Review Committee