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Missing student notification policy
How to report a missing NAU resident student
Effective September 1, 2011
It is the policy of Northern Arizona University to investigate any report of a missing resident student (student who resides in on-campus student housing facilities).
If a member of the University community or any other person has reason to believe that a student who resides on campus has been missing from campus for 24 hours, or less if suspicious circumstances exist, they should immediately notify:
NAU Police Department (NAUPD) at (928) 523-3611 or in person at 525 E. Pine Knoll Drive, Building 98A, Flagstaff, AZ.
Anyone that receives a report of a missing student must immediately bring it to NAUPD’s attention.
NAUPD will initiate a missing person report and investigate in collaboration with the Office of the Dean of Students and Campus Living and/or affiliates such as American Campus Communities (ACC).
As students apply for on-campus student housing, each resident is requested as part of their application to identify a contact person or persons whom the institution will notify within 24 hours of NAUPD determining that the student is missing. Note: For ACC properties, this contact person information is collected during move in. This contact information will be registered confidentially and is accessible only to authorized campus officials who will not disclose it except to law enforcement personnel in furtherance of a missing person investigation. For any non-emancipated student under the age of 18, the institution is also required to notify a custodial parent or guardian within 24 hours of NAUPD determining that the student is missing.
After investigating a missing person report, should NAUPD determine that the student can be designated a missing person, the Office of the Dean of Students (i.e. the Dean of Students or their designee) will notify the student’s designated contact person no later than 24 hours after the student is determined to be missing, and (when the student is under 18 years of age and not emancipated) will notify the student’s custodial parent or guardian within 24 hours that the student is missing.
Regardless of whether the student has identified a contact person, is 18 or older, or is an emancipated minor, NAUPD will notify the local law enforcement agency (that has the jurisdiction in the area that the student is missing) within 24 hours of the determination that the student is missing, unless the local law enforcement agency was the entity that made the determination that the student is missing.
Revised 11/24/21