Missing Student Policy
Missing Student Notification Policy and Procedures 20 USC 1092 (j) (Section 488 of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008)
Any institution participating in a Title IV federal student financial aid program that maintains on campus housing facilities must establish a missing student notification policy and related procedures for those students who live in on campus housing and who have been missing for 24 hours.
For purposes of this policy, a student shall be considered missing if a roommate, classmate, faculty member, family member, or other campus person has not seen the student in a reasonable amount of time, reports the pertinent facts to Campus Safety, and, if after an investigation, Campus Safety determines that the student has been missing for more than 24 hours. A reasonable amount of time may vary with the time of day and information available regarding the missing person’s daily schedule, habits, punctuality, and reliability. Individuals may be considered missing immediately if their absence has occurred under circumstances that are suspicious or cause concerns for their safety. If the initial report that a person is missing is made to an NHTI department other than Campus Safety, the NHTI employee receiving the report shall contact Campus Safety immediately.
In addition to registering an emergency contact, students residing on campus can identify an individual to be contacted by Campus Safety in the event they are determined to be missing for more than 24 hours.
Procedures for Designation of Emergency Contact Information
- Residence hall students aged 18 and above and emancipated minors living on campus shall be given notice of this policy and designate on the housing application an individual or individuals to be contacted by the college in case of emergency. They will be provided opportunity during the first 7 days after move-in each semester to correct this information. Contact information shall be registered confidentially, shall be accessible only to authorized campus officials, and may only be disclosed to law enforcement personnel in furtherance of a missing person investigation. In the event a student is reported missing, Campus Safety or a designee shall attempt to contact their emergency designee no more than 24 hours after the time that the student is
determined to be missing in accordance with the procedures set forth below. An emergency contact designee shall remain in effect until changed or revoked by the student. - For residence hall students under the age of 18 living on campus who are not emancipated and are determined to be missing pursuant to the procedures set forth below, the college is required to notify a custodial parent or guardian no more than 24 hours after the student is determined to be missing.
Official Notification Procedures for Missing Persons
- Any faculty, staff, or student who has information that a residential student may be a missing person must notify Campus Safety as soon as possible and no later than 24 hours after they determine a student may be missing. Campus Safety or a designee shall follow up on notifications by other individuals such as friends or family members.
- Campus Safety shall gather information about the residential student – including but not limited to the student’s description, clothes last worn, possible whereabouts, possible people they may be with, vehicle description, information about their physical and mental well-being, a current photograph, and class schedule – from the reporting person and the student’s acquaintances. Appropriate campus faculty and/or staff shall be notified to aid in the search for the student.
- No later than 24 hours after determining that a residential student is missing, Campus Safety or its designee shall notify the emergency contact (for students 18 and over) or the parent/guardian (for students under 18) that the student is believed to be missing. Contact is contingent on the correct emergency contact information being made available by the student.
Campus Communications About Missing Students
In all cases when the student is declared missing by Campus Safety after an initial investigation and in consultation with law enforcement agencies as appropriate, Campus Safety will coordinate with NHTI public information office to provide information to the media that is designed to obtain public assistance in the search for any missing student. This coordination will insure that investigations are not impeded by the release of information.
Emergency Telephones
- Code Blue Phones: NHTI has 10 Code Blue Emergency phones located throughout campus. Students who need assistance of any kind can push the red button and the call will be initiated. These phones dial the Campus Safety emergency number directly. The officer receiving the call will know which phone has been activated and will respond to the location. Campus Safety officers conduct bi-weekly tests of all Code Blue phones on campus.
- Yellow 911 Call Boxes: There are 9 yellow 911 call boxes located across campus in Little Hall, Farnum Hall, the Wellness Center, and Sweeney Hall. In the event of an emergency, students can push the talk button to activate the phone. They will be connected with a 911 dispatcher and can advise them of the emergency and location. Campus Safety must be notified after a 911 call has been completed by dialing 603-224‐3287. The 911 emergency call boxes are tested once each semester.
- Elevator Phones: Each elevator on campus has a phone that dials the Campus Safety emergency number directly/or through a dispatch service. The officer receiving the call will know which phone has been activated and will respond to the location. Campus Safety officers conduct bi-weekly tests of all elevator phones.
- Lighting and Safety Reviews: The Maintenance Department maintains college buildings and grounds with a concern for safety and security. Maintenance personnel regularly inspects for and repair potential safety and security hazards and responds to reports of such potential hazards such as potholes, inoperable lighting,
overgrown bushes, etc. Campus Safety officers are also charged with noting inoperable exterior lighting and reporting the location to our Maintenance Department for repair. Once a year, a lighting and safety walkthrough is conducted on campus. Student Senate members, residence hall and commuter students, the VPSA, plant maintenance engineer, director of Campus Safety, director of Residence Life, and members of the Campus Safety committee walk the grounds and identify areas that need additional lighting and/or may have trip hazards and other safety concerns that need to be addressed. During this walk, all Code Blue Phones are activated to ensure they are functioning. - Alarm Systems: A computer-based electronic system monitored by an off-campus alarm company immediately notifies Campus Safety upon alarm activation. These systems are located in the residence halls, Learning Commons Library, Little Hall, MacRury Hall, and Sweeney Hall. Alarm systems are configured to denote duress, intrusion, and other types of activations. In the event of a fire alarm activation, the Concord Fire Department is notified immediately through a Master Box system.
- Video Cameras: NHTI has 182 cameras on campus integrated with our card access system. Campus Safety is continually reviewing areas that would warrant video coverage based on safety concerns. These cameras can be viewed by Campus Safety 24/7. The director of Residence Life and the resident directors can view
residence hall cameras 24/7. The Wellness Center staff have the ability to view the Fitness Center, Gymnasium, and Student Center cameras. For a copy of the complete video monitoring policy, contact
Campus Safety at 603-230‐4042 or visit the Campus Safety Office. - Lockdown Buttons: NHTI uses lockdown buttons that, when activated during an emergency, lock interior and exterior doors connected through the NHTI card access system. The activation of a lockdown button secures the affected building and buildings immediately around it. Emergency notification will follow through the NHTI RAVE Alerts system with available information and instruction on how to procced.
- Panic Buttons: Should an emergency or situation arise that does not impact the greater campus community but needs immediate attention, NHTI has panic buttons placed in the residence halls and academic buildings that, when activated, contact Campus Safety directly.
- Mutualink: Should an emergency or situation arise Campus Safety is connected to other state agencies, including the N.H. Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, law enforcement, fire departments, and other incident responders on a single platform for effective emergency response.
