Missing Student Policy

Purpose of this Policy

Rochester Institute of Technology (“RIT” or “the University”) is committed to creating and preserving a safe and secure environment for its students. To support this commitment, this Policy sets forth rules and procedures to be followed in the event a resident student of the University is missing or believed to be missing.

Scope of this Policy

This Policy applies to all RIT students who live on RIT’s campus.

Policy Statement

If an individual believes that a resident RIT student is missing, RIT’s Office of Public Safety should be contacted promptly either by telephone at (585) 475-3333, by text at (585) 205-8333, or in person at the emergency dispatch center, which is located on the first floor of Grace Watson Hall, and is open 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.  Any report of a missing student, from whatever source, must be referred to RIT Public Safety immediately.

Each resident RIT student has the option to register a confidential contact person or persons who will be notified by on-campus authorities such as RIT’s Public Safety Department and Division of Student Affairs, or by local law enforcement officials within 24 hours of the determination that the student is missing. This confidential contact person may be a person other than one who is registered as an emergency contact in RIT’s student information system.  The individual designated by the RIT student will be accessible only to authorized campus officials, and to law enforcement. To register a confidential contact person, log into myhousing.rit.edu using your DCE login, and enter personal information including a field for Missing Person notification and click to save. The contact information will be registered confidentially.

If a missing student is under 18 years of age, and not an emancipated individual, the University will notify a custodial parent or guardian of the missing student not later than 24 hours after the determination that the student is missing.

RIT Public Safety will contact local police and other law enforcement agencies no later than 24 hours after the University determines that the student is missing.

​​​​​Notification Procedures

When a resident RIT student is reported missing, RIT Public Safety will:

  • initiate an investigation immediately upon receipt of a report of a missing person; and
  • make a determination as to the status of the missing student.

A missing person checklist is used so that the investigation follows a standard path relative to engaging appropriate resources and technologies both on and off campus. In addition, several campus departments and centers are engaged during the investigation, including Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, Residence Life, Dining Services, and Information & Technology Services to assist RIT Public Safety and law enforcement.

Upon determining that a student is missing, RIT Public Safety or the division of Student Affairs will do the following within 24 hours:

  • notify the missing student’s designated confidential contact person(s) that the student is missing;
  • notify the student’s custodial parent or guardian and any other designated contact person that the student is missing if the missing student is under the age of 18 and not an emancipated individual; and
  • notify local police or other appropriate law enforcement agencies that the student is missing.