CU Boulder works to provide a safe and supportive environment to our students. When tragedies, like student death, occur it is important for us to provide care and support to those who have been impacted. The Dean of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ office works to support the family of the student and those directly impacted by the death like close friends, roommates and classmates.Ìý
Our first step when we learn of a student's death is to reach out to the student’s family, which can sometimes take several days because the family is grieving. During a tragedy, such as a student death, notifications to students and the campus community are determined on a case-by-case basis with the priority given to the family’s wishes. We also consider factors such as where the student lived, their academic program and student groups in which they may have been involved.
Our team works to assess each tragedy individually to provide coordinated outreach and support resources needed given the circumstances of the situation. We work with the necessary students, staff and faculty to determine who, when and how to provide support. These may include, but are not limited to, one on one contact from our Dean of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ office, outreach from the Office of Victim Assistance and/or assistance from .Ìý
Our notification process is based on national best practices to minimize undue trauma to those who are impacted by the death, as well as our broader campus community. Often after a death, people speculate on the cause or reason. These speculations and rumors can be inaccurate and cause significant harm and additional negative impact to friends and family who are grieving the loss of a loved one. With messaging and outreach, we also have to be considerate of the student’s and their families’ privacy and we are not able to share details of a student’s death. The cause of death is something that can only be determined by the coroner. CU Boulder does not determine or track a cause of death.
Considering the very sensitive and unpredictable nature of a death, we cannot describe in complete detail all the steps that must be taken. Our role and goals are to support the family of the student and other members of our campus community who were impacted by the death both with immediate and longer term needs.