Missing Student Policy

(Information and requirements provided under The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008; regarding missing students.)

Each Smith College student, eighteen (18) years of age or older, has the option to identify an individual to be contacted by the Smith College Campus Safety or Dean of Students office not later than twenty-four (24) hours after the time circumstances indicate that the student may be determined missing. For each student who is under age eighteen (18) and not emancipated, the institution is required to notify the custodial parent not later than twenty-four (24) hours after the time that the student may be determined missing.

A confidential contact is a person designated by the student, in addition to the emergency contact listed within Workday, maintained by the College Registrar. In cases where a confidential contact is not designated, or the confidential contact cannot be reached at the number provided by a student, the emergency contact provided to the College Registrar will be used. The emergency contact may be notified in addition to any confidential contact provided.

Each student, eighteen (18) years of age or older, may register a person designated as a confidential contact on the confidential contact information form on their Residence Life Self-Service Page (accessible via the Smith Portal) at any time. The student wishing to register a confidential contact is solely responsible for the accuracy of the information, as well as any update of information regarding the confidential contact.

Smith College will notify appropriate law enforcement agencies not later than 24-hours after the time a student is determined to be missing. A student is determined to be missing when a report comes to the attention of the College and the College determines the report to be credible. College officials receiving a missing persons report relating to a student are required to notify Campus Safety immediately to 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. Campus Safety will notify the Dean of Students of the circumstances presented with the report of a missing student as soon as it is established that avenues to contact the student have been exhausted (even when less than twenty-four hours of time has elapsed), or immediately if circumstances of criminality or safety are determined to be involved. The Dean of Students office, through the Administrator-on-Call system, or Campus Safety, will initiate the notification to the confidential contact, as provided above, and to the emergency contact person provided to the College upon enrollment for investigative and/or notification purposes.

Updated July 2023