Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2024 04:39:38 -0400 (EDT)
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ROWAN UNIVERSITY POLICY<=
/h2>
Title: Response =
to Death of Student or Staff Member
Subject: Offi=
ce of Emergency Management
Policy No: DPS 2019:01=
Applies: University-Wide
Issuing Authority:=
President
Responsible Officers: Assistan=
t Vice President for the Department of Public Safety and
the Office of Emergency Management
Adopted: 9/11/19
Last Revision: 9/11/19
Last Reviewed: 12/=
6/19
I. PURPO=
SE
These guidelines are intended to assist U=
niversity employees as they respond to a student death. While some campus o=
fficials play more active roles in responding to student crises, it is impo=
rtant for all University faculty and professionals to understand response p=
rocesses. Although the University strives to respond in a consistent manner=
, the specific facts and circumstances of any crisis may lead the Universit=
y to adjust the actions suggested in these guidelines.
=
II. ACCOUNTABILITY
Under direction of the President, the Uni=
versity Executive Management Team, shall implement and ensure compliance wi=
th this policy.
=
III. APPLICABILITY
This policy should be used to support a r=
esponse to the sudden death of any student, faculty or staff that will like=
ly impact the University Community. Responding to the death of a stud=
ent, faculty, or staff member is a challenging undertaking. Those affected =
by the death of the student are encouraged to seek help as needed.
IV. DEFINITIONS
- Emergency Operations Team (EOT), as outlined in the University=E2=80=99=
s emergency plan is activated based on the type and nature of the incident.=
It is used to manage the operational aspects of the University=E2=80=99s r=
esponse to an emergency event, in this case a crisis resulting from student=
or staff member death. While select EOT members could include any of the f=
ollowing, leadership from The Wellness Center, the Department of Public Saf=
ety, University Relations, Student Affairs and Dean of Students will repres=
ent the initial EOT in response to a student or staff member death. =
li>
- Executive Management Team (EMT), as outlined in the University=E2=80=99=
s emergency plan will evaluate information from various sources during the =
progress of the event and advise the University President on appropriate ac=
tions requiring his/her decision. Select members of the EMT could include a=
ny of the following leadership members from the President's Office, General=
Counsel's Office, the Department of Public Safety, and University Relation=
s, could represent the initial EMT response to a student or staff member de=
ath.
- SMART: The Stress Management and Response Team (SMART) was established =
to provide a form of crisis intervention specifically designed to help the =
Rowan community cope with highly stressful or traumatic events. SMART is ma=
de up of administrators, professional staff, faculty and support staff from=
across the Rowan University campus. These team members are trained in cris=
is response. The team is available for both death notifications and trauma =
support meetings. The team can arrange a meeting site and time or be availa=
ble at a normally scheduled time/place for your class/group.
VI. =
REFERENCES
- Emergency Preparedness policy: https://conflu=
ence.rowan.edu/display/POLICY/Emergency+Preparedness
- Emergency Operations Plan
V. POLICY
- All deaths on campus will be investigated by the appropriate law enforc=
ement agency which may include the Gloucester or Camden County Prosecutor=
=E2=80=99s Office in coordination with the University=E2=80=99s Department =
of Public Safety. In the case of any death, the area surrounding the deceas=
ed is considered a crime scene. With the exception of first aid or conducti=
ng life saving measures, no one is to disturb the scene, including media pe=
rsonnel.
- In respect for the deceased and due to confidentiality requirements, no=
University staff or member of the campus community shall comment, post, or=
communicate statements regarding the cause of death or scene of the death =
to any entity or organization except in accordance with this policy.
- Upon notification of a death, the Department of Public Safety shall rev=
iew the facts and circumstances of the death to determine whether a Timely =
Warning is warranted.
- All requests for information, including media inquiries, shall be direc=
ted to the Office of University Relations 856-256-4240. Following the=
death, University Relations shall coordinate with the legal representative=
of the individual, with the Department of Public Safety and with the Execu=
tive Management Team to determine whether information relating to the cause=
of death may be released.
- The Emergency Operations Team (EOT) shall review Section VII of the Uni=
versity Emergency Operations Plan to determine the impact to the University=
community and implement department specific response protocols accordingly=
. An initial briefing of the EOT and Executive Management Team (EMT) will b=
e planned immediately if a Level 2 Emergency Incident is identified. If the=
EOT identifies a Level 1 response, internal response protocols may be foll=
owed as warranted.
- EOT and designated support staff shall follow the procedures below in r=
esponse to the death of a current student or staff.
VII. PROCEDURES
- If you become aware of, or suspect a student or staff has died call 9-1=
-1 or 856-256-4911.
- The Department of Public Safety, local law enforcement or County Medica=
l Examiner will contact next of kin, as outlined in the New Jersey Attorney=
Generals Guidelines for Homicide and Sudden Death Survivor Guidelines, iss=
ued July 1985.
- If a death occurs during University Sponsored Travel, the University st=
aff member accompanying the trip should immediately contact local emergency=
services and the local law enforcement agency. As soon as possible once th=
e situation is secured, the University staff member shall contact the Dean =
of Students Office (856) 256-4283.
- The Department of Public Safety will notify the Senior Vice President f=
or the Department of Public Safety and Office of Emergency Management to tr=
igger notification to the EMT. The Department of Public Safety will notify =
the following members of the EOT to begin internal response protocols.
- Director for the Wellness Center
- Vice President for University Relations
- Dean of Students
- Senior Vice President for Student Affairs
VIII. RESPONSIBILITIES
- The Office of the President
- Ensure the EMT members have been notified.
- After official notification of a student=E2=80=99s death has been given=
to the family by the Department of Public Safety or local law enforcement,=
the Office of the President, in coordination with the Dean of Students, wi=
ll contact the family of the deceased student and shall determine if the fa=
mily has any immediate needs from the University (e.g. gathering items from=
the residence hall room, notifying other students, etc.) and if available,=
gather information about funeral, visitation, and memorial arrangements
- Coordinate communication to other constituents of the University as app=
ropriate, including the Board of Trustees
- The Dean of Students Office
- Represent the University by communicating with the family of deceased=
li>
- After initial contact with the family has been made as provided in this=
policy, the Dean of Students shall generally be the primary point of conta=
ct with the family to avoid duplication of communications
- Coordinate with other EOT members to identify initial briefing
- Make available any known arrangements for memorial services
- Review student account
- If the student was a financial aid recipient, remaining funds will be r=
epaid to the sources (federal, state or private lender) in accordance with =
federal and state law
- Housing, meal plan and flex dollars charges are refunded on a prorated =
basis
- Remove outstanding library or other similar fines or holds on student a=
ccounts
- The Division of Academic Affairs
- Support Wellness Center in collection of contacts for the deceased
- Ensure grief counseling is available to the Rowan community
- Review internal policies and communicate response protocols to faculty<=
/li>
- University Department of Public Safety
- Initiate investigation protocols
- Coordinate investigation with local law enforcement and County Prosecut=
or Office if death occurs on campus (Glassboro, Stratford, Camden, Mantua)<=
/li>
- Notify Senior Vice President for the Department of Public Safety and Of=
fice of Emergency Management to trigger the notification protocol to EMT
- Notify EOT members specified above to assess Emergency designation and =
trigger internal response protocols
- Coordinate with University Relations to determine initial notice to Row=
an Community
- Address or remove outstanding parking violations, if applicable
- University Relations
- Coordinate with other EOT members to identify initial briefing
- Coordinate and disseminate campus wide communication of student=E2=80=
=99s death
- Identify spokesperson to serve as media contact
- Brief and prepare spokesperson
- Coordinate scheduling for post incident briefings and messaging to the =
University community
- The Wellness Center
- Coordinate with other EOT members to identify initial briefing
- Initiate SMART response protocols
- Collaborate with Student Affairs and Academic Affairs to gather contact=
information
- Brief SMART members and perform death notification to contacts of decea=
sed
- Identify surge capacity and promote grief counselling services to Rowan=
community
- Update Director of the Wellness Center so that EOT and EMT members can =
receive updates daily until the EOT scales down operations
- The Associate Vice President for Student Life
- Assist in identifying members for initial briefing
- Verifies enrollment status of the deceased
- Coordinate with Student Affairs offices to deactivate ID card and addre=
ss academic registrations
- Support Wellness Center by coordinating the identification of contacts =
for any clubs, organizations or other activates in which the deceased parti=
cipated
- The Office of General Counsel
- Review details of death and coordinate any legal response with the Offi=
ce of the President
- Coordinate any issues relating to the release and return of personal pr=
operty. In the case of death, property shall be released in accordance with=
state law. Generally, property of students shall be released to the parent=
s of the students unless there is a surviving spouse or child of the studen=
t.
- Coordinate requests for records received by other offices. Requests for=
records relating to the deceased shall be made to the appropriate office.&=
nbsp; Upon receipt of same, that office shall consult with the Office of Ge=
neral Counsel to determine whether records may be released. Pri=
mary consideration shall be given to records requests supported in writing =
by a deceased student=E2=80=99s parents unless that student is survived by =
a spouse or child.
- The Office of Residential Learning and University Housing (if residenti=
al student)
- Notify RLC, RD and RA staff associated with student
- Remind staff not to release about the deceased to any non-staff person<=
/li>
- Coordinate with the Dean of Students to arrange for family to collect p=
ersonal belongings. Please note that appropriate regard shall be given to t=
he family=E2=80=99s wishes while ensuring compliance with laws governing pr=
operty release. As such, in certain cases, property may be boxed and =
stored for safeguarding while property distribution is considered.
- Promote Wellness Center services for students affected
- Human Resources Department (if deceased is a staff member)
- Verifies employment status of the deceased
- Support Wellness Center in collection of contacts for the deceased
- Ensure grief counseling is available to staff identified as a contact t=
o the deceased
- Review internal policies and communicate response protocols to staff
- The Athletic Department (if deceased is a student athlete or on staff)
- Support Wellness Center in collection of contacts for the deceased
- Ensure grief counseling is available to staff identified as a contact t=
o the deceased
- International Center (if deceased is an international student or on sta=
ff)
- The Director of the International Center or designee will contact a rep=
resentative at the appropriate embassy to notify next of kin of the student=
=E2=80=99s death.
- The Director of the International Center or designee will serve as the =
campus contact to assist family members throughout the repatriation process=
.
- The Director of the International Center will follow all aforementioned=
procedures outlined in the event of a study abroad student=E2=80=99s death=
.
- Information Resources and Technology
- Work in collaboration with the identified offices above to deactivate t=
he network account and preserve a copy of same.
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