Colorado College seeks to be a community of care, fostering a culture of compassion and holistic well-being and safety for every member of our community. The death of a student is a tragedy that affects the Colorado College community. In times of grief and crisis, we are committed as a college to responding to these situations in a caring and sensitive manner, with compassion for the student and their family; care for friends, faculty, and staff who may be impacted; and timeliness in managing sensitive logistics and administrative processes during a difficult period.

Reporting a Death

Any member of the Colorado College community or the general public who becomes aware of a student death should first notify Campus Safety (719-389-6911). Campus Safety will coordinate with the Colorado Springs Police Department and the El Paso County Coroner (or relevant authorities where the death occurred), as well as the Dean of Students and the Chaplain.

What Happens Next

The Dean of Students Office with the Chaplain coordinate the college’s Student Death Protocol and work closely with many departments and campus contacts to facilitate a centralized and comprehensive process. This process helps by establishing a single college point-of-contact for family members; coordinating support for impacted students, faculty, and staff; protecting the privacy and accuracy of information; and ensuring coordination for other college processes that are involved.

Messaging to the Campus Community Regarding a Student Death

Under a special agreement with the El Paso County Coroner, CC can contact the family as soon as we have confirmed the student has passed. The family’s wishes are paramount in determining when and with how much detail the campus community is notified. 

After speaking with the family, the Dean of Students and or the Chaplain will first contact student facing faculty, staff and in some cases coaches so they are prepared before we make an all-campus announcement. After the initial communication, an all-campus announcement will be sent as well as a communication to families.

In most cases, we share this information with everyone because those who are impacted live and work throughout the campus community, we want to make counseling and other supportive resources available to everyone, and we want to be honest and clear about what’s happening. We also consider safety and the need to protect the integrity of any related on-going investigations.