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Residence Life Reporting Protocol

Weekday Emergency Chain of Command:

The Weekday Emergency Chain of Command should be used to report emergencies and/or crises from 7 a.m. Monday until 5 p.m. on Friday.

1. Hall Director
2. Complex Coordinator
3. Assistant/Associate Director on call
4. Senior Staff Member on call

In some instances it is necessary to skip someone in the chain, but that person should be notified at a later time.

It is imperative that the staff member directly concerned with the problem obtains all available information from those involved.

Staff members should NOT notify parents. Escalate through the Chain of Command.

Weekend Emergency Chain of Command:

The Weekend Chain of Command should be used to report emergencies and/or crises from 5 pm on Friday until 7 am on Monday and on Holidays.

1. Professional staff member on call (Assistant/Associate Director or Complex Coordinator)
2. Senior Staff Member on call (Director or Vice President)

Depending on the emergency or situation that arises on a weekend or holiday (refer to the outline below), contact the professional staff member on duty. When you call the Assistant Director or Complex Coordinator on duty, please be prepared to describe the incident (when and where), to give the name(s) of the student(s) involved, and state what action you and your staff have taken.

It is important to distinguish between situations that should be reported quickly and those that can be reported later. Normally this notification is made to your supervisor; on weekends, however, the Residence Life professional on duty should be notified instead. While the following situations do not include all you might encounter, the outline will give you a sense of departmental priorities. If you have any questions whether or not to report a situation, it is always better to be too cautious and report rather than wait.

Emergency/Crisis Notification Time Frames:

A. Immediate Notification -- Day or Night

• Fire
• Life-threatening situations (suicide attempts, gestures, or threats; threats to harm others)
• Mental health crises (bizarre behavior, loss of touch with reality, etc.)
• Serious injury occurring in the residence halls
• Sexual assault or rape
• Major disturbances involving significant numbers of people (e.g., large illegal or disruptive parties, major confrontations, etc.)
• Drug busts
• Alcohol overdose (where student is hospitalized)
• Significant acts that have the potential to create a significant disturbance to the community.

B. Next day Notification -- By 8:00 a.m.

• Fights (physical confrontations except as noted above)
• Serious behavioral problems (e.g. major vandalism, theft, party breakups except as noted above)
• Situations likely to become public relations problems (e.g., lawsuit is threatened, parents become involved, administrators outside of the department involved are contacted, and reporters contacting staff)

C. Items That Can Wait Until the Next Supervisory Meeting

• False fire alarms
• Minor thefts
• Minor policy infractions

Note: Please escalate situations involving facility issues such as keys, access cards, security, floods (not drips) to 831-1141. If in doubt, contact your supervisor or the professional on call.

Working with Offices or Individuals Outside Residence Life:

In an emergency situation, if an outside office or individual contacts you, you must inform your supervisor, the professional on call, or the Director of Residence Life. At the minimum, these individuals will want information. However, the situation may also necessitate their direct involvement.

Do not hesitate to contact the University Police if the situation warrants it. In many cases, this should be done before consulting with anyone else. However, you should always consult with Residence Life personnel before contacting other individuals or campus offices.