Missing Student Policy

Anyone who suspects that a St. Mary’s College of Maryland student who resides in on-campus housing is missing MUST IMMEDIATELY contact the Office of Public Safety at (240) 895-4911. If a student is reported missing to someone other than the Office of Public Safety, the person receiving the report MUST IMMEDIATELY refer the report to the Office of Public Safety.  

The Office of Public Safety will begin an investigation in order to determine whether the student is missing. Once the Office of Public Safety investigates and determines that the student is missing, the Office of Public Safety will notify the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Department and the student’s emergency contact within 24 hours after the student is determined to be missing. Contacts to local law enforcement agencies will be made whether or not the missing student has designated a contact person.  

The Office of Residence Life will request that all new students residing in a College-owned residence provide, on a voluntary basis, emergency contact information and a person to contact if the student is reported missing. Returning students living in on-campus housing will also be given the opportunity each year to provide emergency contact information and a person to contact if the student is reported missing. A student may identify the same individual for both purposes or may choose different individuals as their emergency contact and person to contact if the student is reported missing. The College may contact both the emergency contact and the person to contact if the student is reported missing.  

Contact information provided by the student will be registered confidentially and will be accessible only to authorized College officials, such as the VPSA or their designee and director of residence life, and local law enforcement. Students’ designated contacts will only be disclosed to law enforcement officers in furtherance of a missing person investigation. 

The VPSA or their designee will notify the designated contact(s) within 24 hours after the student is determined to be missing. If a student is under the age of 18 and not emancipated, the VPSA or their designee must 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. Additionally, the Office of Public Safety will notify local law enforcement agencies within 24 hours of the determination that the student is missing, unless a local law enforcement agency is the entity that determines that the student is