Student Assistance and Outreach v Resources
Iowa State University Dean of Students Office
1010 Student Services Building v 515-294-1020 v
Emergency Notification: A Guide for Faculty and Staff
When students are absent due to a crisis situation or unexpected illness and are unable to contact their individual instructors directly, the Dean of Students Office can send out an Emergency Notification. The notification is sent to the student’s faculty members and advisor.
Sample Notification
FROM: Keith Robinder, Assistant Dean of Student
Director of Student Assistance and Outreach
Dean of Students Office
1010 Student Services Building
RE: Jane Smith
The Dean of Students Office received notification that Jane Smith will be absent from your lecture/laboratory sessions due to a death in the family.
This emergency notification is not a request to excuse the student’s absence. The Dean of Students Office is providing this communication because this situation limits Sarah's ability to contact you at this time. This note is to advise you of Sarah's situation and solicit your assistance in identifying a resolution.
The student will contact you directly to make arrangements for completing any unfinished coursework. If you should need supporting documentation or details about this absence, please request that from Sarah.
If you have information to share with the Dean of Students Office regarding this or any other student issue please contact me by e-mail at or by phone at 515-294-1020. Complete information about Emergency Notifications can be found at http://www.dso.iastate.edu/sa/emergency/.
Thank you for your consideration of this matter.
This communication contains private and confidential information and is intended only for the addressee. Forward only to authorized persons. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message and attachments. This E-mail (including any attachments) is covered by the electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2510-2521, is confidential and may be legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited."
Responding to an Emergency Notification
In most cases, the student will contact faculty and staff directly to make arrangements for completing missed coursework as soon as they are able. Student Assistance may also provide supporting documentation and/or advocate on behalf of the student requesting the notification.
Each instructor has the authority to make decisions about students' absences and the subsequent impact on the students' grades. The Dean of Students staff encourage faculty to keep in mind that students who utilize the emergency notification service are typically recovering from a crisis and would benefit from appropriate consideration.
Please note: the Dean of Students Office staff does not investigate when students request an Emergency Notification. We do ask for enough details from students to assess the situation and offer advice about what should be done to make their transition back to class easier. However, we do not contact hospitals, doctors, police, family members, etc. to assess the validity of an absence prior to sending out an Emergency Notification. We inform students that it is their responsibility to have appropriate documentation available should their instructors request it.