Missing Student Policy

It is the policy of the Office of Residence Life at Hofstra University to investigate any report of a missing student living in one of the University’s residence halls. All students are requested to provide an Emergency Contact. The residential student is asked to identify the name and contact number of the individual(s) to be contacted in the event of an emergency. This emergency contact information will be registered confidentially and may not be disclosed, except to law enforcement personnel in furtherance of a missing person investigation and authorized Hofstra University officials, including Public Safety officers.  

Hofstra understands that students may decide to stay outside of the residential halls, and, as such, the location of students in the halls is not monitored by resident assistants or other University staff. If a student intends to leave their residence hall for an extended period of time, the student is strongly encouraged to advise the residence hall staff before leaving, to avoid the student being reported “missing.” If, however, there is reason to believe a residential student is missing, all reasonable efforts will be made to locate the student to determine the student’s state of health and well-being. These efforts, which are done in conjunction with Public Safety, include but are not limited to checking the student’s room, speaking with friends and/or roommates, checking ID access, locating the residential student’s vehicle and calling the student’s cellphone number or other known contact information.  

Where a residential student has been missing for 24 hours, students, employees, or other individuals should make a report to Residence Life, the Dean of Students Office, or the Department of Public Safety. All missing student reports will be referred immediately to the Department of Public Safety. If upon investigation by Public Safety, the residential student is determined missing, staff from Public Safety will contact the resident’s designated Emergency Contact within 24 hours of the time the residential student is determined to be missing by the Department of Public Safety. For any residential student under the age of 18, Hofstra will notify a custodial parent or guardian within 24 hours after the time the residential student is determined to be missing by the Department of Public Safety.  

Public Safety will continue to investigate, utilizing established investigative procedures in collaboration with staff from Residence Life, other campus offices, and local law enforcement agencies. When an emergency contact has not been submitted by the student, Public Safety will inform the appropriate law enforcement agency and/or make contact with the residential student’s parent or legal guardian. 

In all cases where the Department of Public Safety determines that a residential student is missing, Public Safety will notify the appropriate law enforcement agency within 24 hours of that determination.