When a Student Dies: A University Protocol
The following is a summary of the appropriate response of the University when a
student dies.
1.
Responsibility for coordinating the response of the University rests with the
Director of Student Support & Development. S/he will call upon relevant
individuals within the Unit for assistance with this response, where
appropriate. If s/he is unavailable, the responsibility rests with the University
Secretary. It is important that s/he be contacted immediately when the
University is informed (day or night).
2.
The Head Chaplain, under the guidance of the Director of Student Support &
Development (or the Secretary) should immediately inform the following: the
President’s Office, Vice-President for Learning Innovation and Registrar, the
Director of Registry, the Director of Graduate Research, the Secretary’s
Office, the Finance Office, the Dean of (relevant) Faculty, the Head of
(relevant) School, Chairperson of (relevant) Programme, Faculty
Administrative Assistant, (relevant) School Secretary, Public Affairs & Media
Relations Office, Students’ Union, each service within Student Support &
Development, the Reception Desk and the Security Superintendent.
3.
Both the Reception Desk and Security should be informed that all queries,
from the media or otherwise, be referred in the first instance to the Director of
Student Support & Development or the University Secretary, should the
Director be unavailable.
4.
The Head Chaplain / Director of SS&D (or the University Secretary in his or
her absence) should contact the family and coordinate subsequent liaison with
the family.
5.
The Security Superintendent should immediately ensure that the University
flag is flown at half mast on the day on which news of the death is received
and on the day of the funeral.
6.
As soon as the removal and funeral details become known, they should be
communicated by the Head Chaplain to all those listed above.
7.
If a large number of students from the class group wish to attend the funeral, it
may be desirable to hire a bus or a mini-bus for this purpose. This can be
organized by the Students’ Union.
8.
Student Support & Development should inform the Director of Registry, in
writing, that the student has died, and this must be recorded on the student
database by the Registry in such a way as to ensure that the student is not
included in any subsequent mailshots. In the case of the University learning of
the death of a graduate, both the Registry and the Alumni Office should be
informed, in writing, to ensure no subsequent mailings are sent.
9.
If the death has occurred abroad, the University may have an important role to
play, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, in assisting with the
bureaucracy and expediting the return of the remains to Ireland. In this case, it
may also be useful to check that arrangements are made for the reception of
the remains at the airport, if deemed appropriate.
10.
The Finance Office should establish whether the Student Personal Accident
Policy applies and, if it does, should liaise with the Director of Student
Support & Development to ensure that the information is conveyed to the
family at an appropriate time.
11.
The class group may wish to have a commemorative service on campus. If so,
this should be organised by the Chaplains, and the above listed members of
staff should be informed of arrangements.
12.
The Counsellers can be an important resource in cases where grievance
counselling is deemed useful either for individuals or for the class group.
13.
Following the funeral, a letter from the President should be sent to the family
of the student.
14.
While it is understandable that, in the immediate aftermath of the death of a
student, classmates and others might want a commemorative plaque or some
other tangible memorial, no undertakings or publicity should be given to such
an eventuality until the University has had time to consider it. There is on
campus a Garden of Remembrance in memory of all deceased students and
staff of the University. There is also a Book of Remembrance kept in the Inter
Faith Centre, and an annual remembrance ceremony.
15.
The primary consideration in the University’s response on these occasions
should be the wishes of the family. Therefore, if the parents, for example,
wish absolutely no comment to be made to the media (even confirming that
the deceased was a student here), or if they wish that the circumstances of the
death not be conveyed to anyone in the University, this wish must be adhered
to.
Director of Student Support & Development
November 2008