Missing Students Policy

The UIC Missing Student Policy (DOS-8100-001.R01) directs individuals who believe a UIC student is missing to immediately inform university police and specific staff in the university administration so that UIC staff can coordinate efforts to locate the student. The appropriate university police departments to notify are as follows: Chicago-UIC Police Department, Urbana-University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Police Department, and Springfield-University of Illinois Springfield Police Department. In the absence of university police, the local law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction in the area should be notified (Peoria: Peoria Police Department; Quad Cities: Moline or Rock Island Police Departments; and Rockford: Rockford Police Department). In addition, specific university staff (e.g. Office of the Dean of Students, Campus Housing) should be notified.

A student is defined as missing once the UIC Police, or local law enforcement agency, are notified and initiate a formal missing person investigation. For purposes of this policy, UIC defines a student to be any person enrolled in any class or program at UIC. The university will actively investigate any report submitted that describes a missing student incident. The university staff’s role in the missing student investigation may vary depending upon a student’s academic and residential status (e.g., living on or off campus, study abroad, full-time or part-time, etc.).

Efforts to locate the student will be coordinated through a collaboration of the UIC Police, Campus Housing, Office of the Dean of Students, local authorities, and friends and family members of the missing student. When information is received by the university regarding a missing student, there will be an initial response by staff to obtain information about the missing student and share this information with the UIC Police, or the local law enforcement agency, for investigative purposes. All investigative procedures will be governed by university policies and procedures and federal, state, and local laws. Formal police investigations and community notifications will typically take place after the initial staff response related to a missing student report.

After investigating the missing person report, if the UIC Police determine that the student is missing and has been missing for more than 24 hours, the student’s “missing student contact” (discussed below) will be notified no later than 24 hours after the student is determined to be missing.

If the missing student is under 18 years of age and is not emancipated, the UIC administration shall notify a custodial parent or guardian within 24 hours of the determination that the student is missing, in addition to notifying any additional contact person designated by the student.

The UIC Police will also notify the appropriate local law enforcement agencies within 24 hours of the determination that the student is missing.

Although the Higher Education Opportunity Act only requires the University to establish this policy for students who live in on-campus housing, certain protocols within this policy may be applied to certain situations involving non-residential students. For example, University staff and UIC Police may assist local authorities in their investigation of a missing, off-campus UIC student.

Registering a Missing Student Contact

In addition to registering an emergency contact, all students are notified bi-annually that they have the option to identify a contact person or persons whom the UIC administration shall notify, within 24 hours of the determination that the student is missing. Students can register their Missing Student contact(s) at any time at apps.uillinois.edu/selfservice. This option is provided to students even if a student has already registered an individual as an emergency contact. Students have the option to identify the same individual as both their emergency contact and Missing Student contact.

Missing student contact information is registered confidentially. This information is private and only accessible to University of Illinois System employees who are authorized campus officials. This information will not be disclosed, except to law enforcement personnel in the furtherance of a missing student investigation.

Steps to Register a Primary Contact if Missing

1. Go to apps.uillinois.edu/selfservice

2. Select “University of Illinois Chicago”

3. Log in using NetID & Password

4. Under “Student Self-Service,” select “Home Page” (student self-service home page)

5. Under “Registration and General Information Pages,” select “Personal Information”

6. Under “Emergency Contacts,” click the “edit” button under an existing contact, or select “Add New”

7. Click on the “Relationship” drop-down menu and select “Primary Contact if Missing”

8. Enter contact information and select “Update”