Graduate Policies and Procedures
Emergency Response, Fire Safety, and Security
Emergency Response
In the event of an emergency or natural disaster the campus community will be notified as prominently as possible through several means of communication. This includes Campus Alert E-mail, the University's website, campus and local media, text-messaging, Fire Alarm Systems, Indoor Warning System and Outdoor Warning System. For policies and procedures, and reporting requirements please visit ehs.utdallas.edu.
Fire Safety
The entire UT Dallas campus fire alarm system is monitored 24-7 through a SimplexGrinnell Information management system. This IMS operates on a fiber optic loop connected to every building fire panel on the Richardson campus. All 52 of UT Dallas' buildings have primary reporting to the University Police and secondary reporting to EHS and EMS. For policies and procedures please visit research.utdallas.edu/researchers/safety/fire-life-safety.
Gang-free Zones
Premises owned, rented or leased by The University of Texas at Dallas, and areas within 1,000 feet of the premises are "gang-free" zones. Certain criminal offenses, including those involving gang-related crimes, will be enhanced to the next highest category of offense if committed in a gang-free zone by an individual 17 years or older. See Texas Penal Code, Section 71.028.
Missing Student Notification
The purpose of the UT Dallas Missing Persons Policy is to establish procedures for the University's response to reports of missing students as required by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008. This policy applies to students who reside in on-campus housing. For purposes of this policy, a student may be considered a "missing person" when he or she is absent from the University for more than 24 hours without any known reason. A student may also be deemed missing when his/her absence is contrary to his/her usual pattern of behavior and/or unusual circumstances may have caused the absence. Such circumstances could include, but not be limited to, a report or suspicion that the missing person may be the victim of foul play, has expressed suicidal thoughts, is drug dependent, or has been with persons who may endanger the student's welfare.
All residential students will have the opportunity to designate a confidential contact to be notified by the University no more than 24 hours after the student is determined missing. Instructions will be provided on how to register that person's contact information. Residential students' contact information will be registered confidentially, will be accessible only to authorized UT Dallas officials, and may not be disclosed except to law enforcement personnel in furtherance of a missing person investigation.
All reports of missing students must be directed to the UT Dallas Police Department, which shall investigate each report and make a determination about whether the student is missing. In addition, no later than 24 hours after a student is determined missing, UT Dallas will notify the Richardson Police Department, unless the Richardson Police Department was the entity that determined the student to be missing. At that time, if the missing student is under the age of 18 and not emancipated, UT Dallas will also notify the student's custodial parent or guardian.