Missing Person Policy
If any member of the Wilkes community believes that a student is missing, the Department
of Public Safety (WUPS) should be contacted immediately at 570-408-4999. WUPS will
generate a missing person incident report, and initiate a joint investigation with
Student Affairs and Residence Life.
In accordance with the Higher Education Act of 2008, and in addition to registering
a general emergency contact, all resident students have the opportunity to confidentially
register an individual to be contacted in the event the student is determined missing
for more than 24 hours. If the student has identified such an individual, the University
will notify that individual no later than 24 hours after the student is determined
to be missing. A student who wishes to identify a confidential contact can do so at
the beginning of each year. This contact information will be accessible only by authorized
campus officials in the offices of Residence Life, Student Affairs, and Public Safety.
After investigating a missing person report, should WUPS determine that the student
has been missing for 24 hours, the University will notify the Wilkes-Barre City Police
and the student’s emergency contact no later than 24 hours after the student is determined
to be missing. If the missing student is under the age of 18 and is not an emancipated
individual, the University will notify the student’s parent or legal guardian immediately
after WUPS has determined that the student has been missing for 24 hours.