Emergencies Off Campus

Use these guidelines to help you in the event of an emergency while traveling.

Emergency Notification Procedures

In case of an emergency, contact Hope College Campus Safety at 616.395.7770.

Operators are available 24 hours/day, seven days/week. Campus Safety will contact the appropriate college personnel to assist you.

In an effort to assist you better, we have included an example of the Emergency Information Call Sheet that Campus Safety will use when taking your call.

Preparing for Emergencies

1. Create an emergency plan
2. Share faculty/staff leader contact phone numbers with students
3. Choose a designated student to know the emergency plan in case the faculty/staff leader is unavailable
4. Convey the local emergency number(s)
5. Create a communication tree
6. Implement the buddy system
7. Advise students to never leave their residence without ID or money
8. Designate a primary and secondary meeting place
9. Have a listing of all students cell phone numbers

Responding to Medical Emergencies

• Seek appropriate medical care
• Notify Campus Safety (24 hours) at 616.395.7770 with your location and status
• Campus Safety will notify the appropriate college official
• Maintain consistent communication with the college
• Protect the student’s right to medical privacy
• Complete an Incident Reporting Form

Responding to General Emergencies

• Secure a safe location
• Contact or respond to directions of local authorities
• Notify Campus Safety (24 hours) at 616.395.7770 with your location and status
• Campus Safety will notify the appropriate college officials
• Wait for further instructions from the college
• Communicate instructions to students
• Maintain consistent communication with the college
• Complete an Incident Reporting Form
  

Replacing a Lost or Stolen Passport

U.S. Citizens

To replace a U.S. passport lost or stolen abroad, American citizens must go to the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate and apply in person.

• Passport matters are usually handled on specific hours; read the embassy or consulate website carefully.
• Travelers will need to complete a document called a DS-11, provide a passport photo and pay a replacement fee.

Contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for specific instructions, forms and assistance.

Other Citizens

Students of other nationalities should contact the nearest embassy or consulate of their citizenship. The State Department website can assist travelers in finding the right resource.

U.S. passports and international travel (U.S. Department of State) 

Victim of a Crime

If you are a victim of a crime abroad, know that Hope College is here to help. 

1. Contact Hope College Campus Safety at 616.395.7770
2. Campus Safety will contact the appropriate college personnel.
3. The college will contact the student(s) or faculty/staff’s designated emergency contact(s).
4. If the incident is between a member of a group and an outside party, action taken will depend on legal requirements of the host country and the wishes of the group member.
5. The college’s legal counsel will be in contact, if necessary, for appropriate advice.
6. If necessary, the college will contact local on-site authorities for appropriate action.

In addition, the U.S. Department of State is also committed to assist U.S. citizens who become victims of crime while abroad. Consular officers, agents and staff work with crime victims and to help connect individual with the local police. Travelers can find the consular office in their local area by visiting the directory of U.S. embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions.

Responding to Sexual Harassment/Sexual Assault Off Campus

If the harasser/perpetrator is not affiliated with Hope:

• Contact Campus Safety with report information, as they can engage appropriate college personnel to help with resolution.
• Offer any assistance needed in connecting with local medical support or police as desired by the victim.
• Provide support to the victim (be aware of language use, avoiding victim blaming or language that infers judgment).
• Verify victim knows support resources are available on campus.
• Taylor Sinclair will assume the primary contact role and communication information as appropriate.

If the harasser/perpetrator is affiliated with Hope:

• Contact Campus Safety with report information, as they can engage appropriate college personnel on campus to help with resolution.
• Verify no contact between reporting and responding party after receipt of report.
• Offer any assistance needed in connecting with local medical support or police as desired by victim.
• Provide support to the victim (be aware of language use, avoiding victim blaming or language that infers judgment).
• Taylor Sinclair will assume the primary contact role and help processing the next steps.
• Complete and submit a Sexual Harassment/Assault/Misconduct Reporting Form. All submitted forms are sent directly to Taylor Sinclair, Title IX Coordinator.
  
  Sexual Harassment/Assault/Misconduct Reporting Form The reporting form is to be a follow-up tool after the initial call to Campus Safety notifying the college of an incident or emergency.