Protocol for dealing with traumatic incidents affecting staff or students
1. Introduction
A traumatic incident is defined as a tragic or harrowing event affecting a student or staff member, which has the potential to cause strong emotional reactions in the University community, for example, death or serious injury. The Registrar’s Office will be the central point of contact and coordination of any activities and/or information dissemination. (Further guidance appears in 3 below).
2. Reporting
2.1 On campus incidents
If the incident is on-site at the University, and involves death, serious injury or a threat to life or property, University Security should be contacted and will instigate the procedures for management of emergency (or counter disaster) events.
2.2 Off campus incidents
If the incident involves a student and is off-campus, the staff member receiving the information should immediately contact the Registrar who will communicate with appropriate officers in the University.
If the incident involves a staff member, the staff member receiving the information should immediately contact the Registrar and the Director, Human Resources.
3. Checklist for managing traumatic incidents
The Registrar, who will be the single spokesperson for media and publicity, will, if necessary, seek information from the police and/or the hospital about the circumstances of the incident. The Registrar will also decide the most appropriate manner of contacting the next of kin and by whom.
If the incident involves a student the Registrar’s Office will contact the following officers, as appropriate:
- Dean of Faculty and/or Head of School (if an award student) and/or FAM
- Appropriate manager who will notify and liaise with relevant sponsor/agent/home university (if a non-award student)
- Registrar of another institution (if a cross-institutional student)
- Director, Student Business Services
- Director, Student Support Services, who will notify the Head of Counselling, and/or Head, International Student Services as appropriate
- Chaplain
- Director, Corporate Communications
- President, Student Guild
- HR Director (if impact on staff of student incident) who, in turn, may contact the EAS counsellor for assistance with staff, Diplomatic representative (if international student is involved) – see final section for further guidance
- ITS to arrange for email account to be deactivated
If the incident involves a staff member the following staff may be involved as appropriate:
- Registrar or nominee (eg HR Director)
- Manager of the staff member’s department, who will notify and liaise with appropriate staff (and students if relevant)
- Director Student Support Services (if impact on students of a staff incident) who will notify the Head of Counselling
- Associate Director, Health and Safety (for example to notify Workplace Health and Safety)
- Chaplain
- The University’s Employee Assistance Scheme counsellors
- Director, Corporate Communications
- Human Resources staff as appropriate
For both staff and student incidents the Registrar’s Office will also:
- Ensure advice and support is provided to the family
- Ensure specific academic arrangements, eg release from classes (for academic staff) or rescheduling assessments or exams (for students) are provided by the Faculty. If a student is unable to continue with studies, ensure arrangements are made for withdrawal of subjects without penalty and refund of fees
- Determine whether students or staff require legal assistance
- In the event of death, provide appropriate officers with details of the funeral if known and subject to wishes of the family of the deceased person
- In the event of death, make arrangements with appropriate departments to stop associated administrative procedures
- Provide follow-up condolence letters to family
- Contact the Executive Director, Finance, Resources Planning to arrange any insurance matters.
International students – Specific matters
If an international student dies or sustains serious injury in Australia, the Registrar will appoint a case manager and appropriate officers from International Student Services to perform many of the tasks which would normally be dealt with by the family. These tasks may include:
- Hiring interpreters
- Arrangements for hospital/funeral/memorial services
- Copy of death certificate/accident report
- Repatriation
- Consideration of personal items and affairs
- Attending to insurance matters, health coverage, ambulance cover
- Liaison with Immigration if studies are interrupted.