Preliminary Wellness Assessment Policy

Effective: August 7, 2026 

Approved by: Justin Schwartz, Chancellor 

Policy Owner: Vice Chancellor for Student Life 

Policy Contact: Vice Chancellor for Student Life, StudentLife@colorado.edu 

Supersedes: N/A 

Applies to: Staff, faculty, students 

I. Introduction

In compliance with Senate Bill 26-120 Concerning Law Enforcement Procedures Related to Missing Persons (SB26-120), when a current University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) student who was last known to reside in Colorado is reported to CU Boulder as missing or cannot be located, CU Boulder must either: 

  1. Immediately make a report to CU Boulder Police Department (CUPD); or 

  2. Within six hours of the report, conduct a preliminary wellness assessment and document the information. If the student is not located within six hours of CU Boulder receiving the report or if, at any point, CU Boulder determines that there is a credible risk to the student’s safety, CU Boulder must notify CUPD and contact the student’s confidential contact. 

Pursuant to the requirements of SB26-120, this policy describes the following:  

  1. The categories of employees or agents who are authorized to conduct a residential verification;  

  2. The process for escalating a missing person report to an employee responsible for initiating a preliminary wellness assessment; 

  3. The record-keeping requirements for the preliminary wellness assessment; and 

  4. Other preliminary wellness assessment steps, as established by CU Boulder. 

II. Definitions

Academic and social inquiry: A query by CU Boulder of faculty and residential staff about the student’s most recently known attendance. This includes, at a minimum, checking activity in online academic tools, Buff OneCard usage, and inquiring with faculty. 

Business hours: The hours during which CU Boulder administrative offices and services are open for operation; typically, 8 am – 5 pm (MT), Monday – Friday. 

Confidential contact: The person listed by the student as the student’s authorized contact in the event that a student is missing, pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act (Clery Act). 

Current student: For the purposes of this policy, current students include all persons taking for-credit courses at CU Boulder, either full time or part time, pursuing undergraduate, graduate, or professional studies, as well as non-degree seeking students. 

Digital contact attempt: An attempt by CU Boulder to contact the student through all institution-provided communications available including, but not limited to, a CU Boulder email, Buff Portal Advising, and a phone call and a text message to the number previously provided by the student. 

Disengaged student: A student about whom CU Boulder has some indirect evidence of recent activity (e.g., card swipes, system logins or administrative records) but with whom CU Boulder has no direct communication or confirmation of well-being. The student’s presence is suggested through data, but their current status or safety cannot be verified. 

Emergency contact: The person listed by the student as the student’s authorized contact in case of emergencies. 

Missing student: A student for whom CU Boulder has no verifiable activity, contact, or confirmed presence within a defined timeframe across academic, social or residential contexts. There is no communication by the student with known contacts and CU Boulder has not been able to confirm the student’s safety or location within six hours of the initial report. 

Non-business hours: Any time outside of CU Boulder’s business hours; typically, outside of 8 am – 5 pm (MT), Monday – Friday. 

Residential verification: A physical check of the student’s residence if the student resides in CU Boulder-controlled housing, completed by an authorized representative of CU Boulder. 

III. Policy Statement

If a current CU Boulder student is believed to be missing or cannot be located, a report should be made immediately using the following process for escalating a missing person report: 

  1. If the student lives in housing managed by University Housing (e.g. a residence hall, graduate and family housing, etc.), a report should be made to Residence Life by phone call. 

  2. If the student does not live in housing managed by University Housing and the report is being made within business hours, a report should be made to Student Outreach, Advocacy and Support by phone call. 

  3. If a report is being made for a student that does not live in housing managed by University Housing during non-business hours or during a campus closure, a report should be made to CUPD by phone call. 

Contact information for reporting a missing student is located on the Missing Students tile on the Reporting at CU Boulder webpage. In the event of an active emergency or threat, please contact 911. 

If a current CU Boulder student who was last known to reside in Colorado is reported to CU Boulder as missing or cannot be located, CU Boulder will either immediately notify law enforcement or conduct a preliminary wellness assessment to locate the student. 

Preliminary wellness assessments include the following steps: 

  1. A digital contact attempt; 

  2. A residential verification; and 

  3. An academic and social inquiry. 

CU Boulder may conduct the steps of a preliminary wellness assessment simultaneously.  

Authorized employees within the Division of Student Life who may conduct a residential verification include:  

  1. Residence Life staff who are available during business hours and non-business hours; 

  2. Vice Chancellor for Student Life Office staff who are available during business hours and non-business hours; 

  3. Student Outreach, Advocacy and Support staff; and 

  4. Dean of Students Office staff. 

If a student is located during a preliminary wellness assessment, CU Boulder will document the steps taken and notify the student of the contact information of the person who made the report. If it is determined that the student is a disengaged student and not missing, the preliminary wellness assessment will be concluded without notification to the emergency contact or CUPD. 

If a student is not located during a preliminary wellness assessment, before the conclusion of the six-hour period, CU Boulder will first attempt to contact the student’s confidential contact, as defined in the Clery Act. If the student is not found following a confidential contact attempt, or if a confidential contact is not listed, CU Boulder will contact the student’s emergency contact, unless the confidential contact and emergency contact are the same person. 

Records of preliminary wellness assessments will be maintained through the case management database utilized by Student Outreach, Advocacy and Support. Records must be maintained for a minimum of three years after the missing person report was received by CU Boulder, must be available to law enforcement upon request and in compliance with applicable law, and must include the following information: 

  1. The date and time the missing person report was received and the name and role of the employee who received it; 

  2. The date, time, method and outcome of each attempt made to contact the student; 

  3. The date, time, method and outcome of each attempt made to contact the confidential contact and emergency contact as designated by the student; 

  4. The name and role of each CU Boulder employee or agent who participated in the preliminary wellness assessment; 

  5. The reason any step of the preliminary wellness assessment was not completed in the six-hour period; and 

  6. The date and time a missing person report is made to CUPD.  

As permitted by applicable law, if the student is not located within 30 days after CU Boulder receives the report, CU Boulder shall make required preliminary wellness assessment records available upon request by the missing student’s designated emergency contact. The permissible disclosure must be limited to information reasonably necessary to locate the student and must be made solely for the purpose of informing the student’s emergency contact of CU Boulder’s efforts to locate the student. 

This policy will be reviewed and updated at least every three years. 

IV. Roles and Responsibilities

CU Boulder Police Department (CUPD): This is the default law enforcement organization that CU Boulder will notify when it is not able to locate a current student within 6 hours, or immediately if there is credible evidence of risk to the student’s safety. 

Residence Life: Residence Life staff are primarily responsible for the preliminary wellness check when a student lives in housing managed by University Housing.  

Student Outreach, Advocacy and Support (SOAS): SOAS staff are primarily responsible for the preliminary wellness check when a student does not live in housing managed by University Housing. 

Dean of Students staff: Dean of Students staff are primarily responsible for oversight of the preliminary wellness check process and are able to conduct preliminary wellness checks when other staff are not available. 

V. Related policies, forms, guidelines and other resources 

VI. History 

  1. Adopted: August 7, 2026 

  2. Revised: N/A 

  3. Last Reviewed: N/A