(A)
Policy
statement
Cleveland state university (CSU)
strives to provide a safe and positive environment for all students. When a
tragedy occurs, it is incumbent upon the university to respond in a sensitive
and caring manner, recognizing that individuals respond in different ways to
different circumstances that may surround a student death.
(B)
Purpose of policy
The purpose of this policy is to
establish guidelines that will support an orderly, effective and caring
response in the event of a student death.
(C)
Scope
This policy applies to all students of
the university, as defined in paragraph (D) of this policy. All members of the
university community must comply with this policy.
(D)
Definitions
Student: a student is defined as
outlined in paragraph (G) of rule 3344-8303 of the Administrative Code (student
code of conduct).
(E)
Procedure
The death of a student affects the
entire university community, as well as the family and friends of the deceased.
Considering the very sensitive and unpredictable nature of a death, no policy
or protocol can describe in complete detail all the steps that must be taken.
This policy sets forth guidelines to support communications in the event of a
student death. Those responsible for implementing this policy should be guided
by the essential communication needs required in these situations, as well as
by empathy, sensitivity and support for the bereaved and the need to preserve
important evidence.
(1)
Notification of appropriate campus officials
The chief student affairs officer or
designee should notify the following offices by email and/or phone, or
otherwise ensure that these offices have been notified of a student death once
student death has been confirmed by receipt of obituary or death
certificate.
Primary - contact as soon as
possible:
(a)
CSU PD
(b)
President's
office
(c)
Provost's office
(d)
Dean of
students
(e)
Counseling center
(f)
Marketing and
communications
(g)
IS&T
(h)
Registrar's
office.
(2)
Gathering information for university connections
(a)
Academic
college
(b)
Center for student involvement (if student is involved
in student organizations on campus)
(c)
Center for
international services & programs (if student is
international)
(d)
CSU global (if student is CSU global)
(e)
Housing &
residence life (if student resides on campus)
(f)
Athletics (if
student is an athlete)
(g)
Student employment (if student works on
campus)
(h)
Veterans success (if student is a veteran or military
connected student)
(i)
LGBTQ+ center (if student is known to be
LGBTQ+)
(3)
Secondary notifications to ensure streamlined
communication to student through campus engagement
(a)
Academic
dean(s)
(b)
Student's current faculty
(c)
CARE
team
(d)
Financial aid
(e)
Academic
advising
(f)
Treasury services
(4)
Once university
connections are identified, the chief student affairs officer or designee will
reach out by email to all professors and close connections. They will inform of
support options and also make a handout of grief coping recommendations
available.
(5)
Students who are identified as having been closely
connected to the deceased student will be referred to CARE management for
followup.
The chief student affairs officer or
designee may convene a meeting with designees from the offices listed above to
discuss the matter.
(6)
Student death on
campus
(a)
If a
student death occurs on campus, CSU PD (216.687.2020) shall be notified
immediately. CSU PD will contact the appropriate emergency medical provider to
attend to the body. The CSU PD will investigate all deaths on campus to rule
out the possibility of any foul play.
(b)
If a student
death occurs in a residence hall, the housing and residence life staff member
or designee will immediately involved shall place the call to CSU
PD.
(c)
Through above mentioned notifications, counseling
services staff will be made aware so they can provide appropriate support. This
may include additional walk-in appointment availability, in-class supports, or
holding space in residential communities or other areas to attend to community
members grieving if deemed appropriate.
(7)
Student death off
campus
(a)
Response to any death occurring off campus will be handled
initially by the local law enforcement agency, medical examiner and/or hospital
involved. It is the responsibility of these agencies to notify the next of
kin.
(b)
If a death occurs during university sponsored travel,
the university staff member accompanying the trip should immediately contact
local emergency services and the local law enforcement agency. As soon as
possible, the university staff member shall contact the chief student affairs
officer or designee.
(c)
If a death occurs while a student is studying
abroad:
(i)
The
program leader or representative will contact the center for institutional
services and programs and the US embassy or consulate.
(ii)
The director of
the center for international services and programs and/or chief student affairs
officer or designee will coordinate plans for addressing the
situation.
(iii)
The program leader or representative will follow all
aforementioned procedures outlined in the event of a study abroad student's
death.
(F)
Family
communication
(1)
The chief student affairs officer or designee who is
familiar with the situation may be assigned as the primary contact. The primary
contact shall serve as the single point of contact for family members who wish
to speak with faculty, staff, or students concerning the death of their
student. The family's wishes will be taken into account as to what information
is shared about how their family member died.
(2)
If the deceased
student has a family member currently enrolled at CSU, family member's name
will be shared with CARE team to offer support and outreach to
faculty.
(3)
Under the chief student affairs officer or designee's
office, CSU may send flowers as appropriate and attend the viewing, wake,
funeral, or other commemorative event for the student and their
family.
(4)
Requests for posthumous or honorary degrees will be
relayed to the registrar's office pursuant to the procedure on posthumous
degrees. The registrar's office will relay the request to the academic
department(s) and academic college(s) of the student's major(s) for
consideration. Upon approval by the student's academic department(s) and
academic college(s), the provost and senior vice president for academic affairs
will pose the recommendation before the board of trustees for consideration and
approval.
(G)
Campus community notification
(1)
In consultation
with the deceased student's family, the chief student affairs officer or
designee will determine when a department-wide or campus-wide notification
should be sent out.
(2)
CSU PD will send out a campus safety alert if it is
determined there is an on-going threat to the campus community.
(H)
Media
involvement
University marketing and communications
will be responsible for collecting and disseminating information to the media.
All media requests for information should be directed to this office.
University marketing and communications will work with CSU PD, the office of
the chief student affairs officer or designee, and the office of general
counsel to maintain the accuracy and ensure the legality of the information
disseminated.
(I)
Disclosure of records/release of records
Requests for disclosure/release of
records about a deceased student may be received by many individuals and
offices, including but not limited to individual faculty members, the
registrar, the bursar, counseling center, and others. All requests for
information should be referred to the chief student affairs officer or
designee. Such requests shall be considered on an individual basis, in
consultation with the office of general counsel as appropriate. In all cases,
proof-of-death in the form of a death certificate is required, unless
previously provided.
(J)
Post-mortem
meetings
The chief student affairs officer or
designee will determine when to hold a post-mortem meeting to discuss the
student's death and process the university's response.
