UCLA

I.  PURPOSE AND SCOPE

The death of a Student, Employee, Emerita/Emeritus, Scholar, or Fellow of the University represents a loss for the UCLA community as well as for the family and friends of the deceased.

The purpose of this Policy is to outline the notification and reporting requirements to campus administrative and service departments in the event of a UCLA Death and to coordinate such actions expeditiously and sensitively.

This Policy does not apply to the coordination of the immediate professional response actions of campus police, health care professionals, or other campus emergency response personnel in the event of a UCLA Death, or situations which may result in a death.

II.  DEFINITIONS

Defined terms are capitalized throughout this Policy.

For the purposes of this Policy and the subordinate procedures:

Emeritus or Emerita refers to a retired member of the faculty or staff with formal emeriti status.

Employee is anyone who at the time of death was receiving or was entitled to receive a University of California payroll disbursement check; was on a leave without pay employment status, including medical disability leave; active academic or non-academic career, contract, per diem, and limited staff (excluding Students); and may include certain medical trainees, clinical Fellows, or post-doctoral or visiting Scholars.

Scholar or Fellow is an individual who is affiliated with the University as a post-doctoral Scholar, visiting Scholar, medical trainee, or clinical Fellow. A Scholar or Fellow may receive pay as an Employee or, in the case of medical residents, may be registered in a Student status. Other Scholars or Fellows may be appointed as non-student trainees/affiliates without salary, with fellowship stipend support, or with extramural support.

Student is an individual for whom the University maintains student records, and who:

• is enrolled in or registered with an academic program of the University;
• has completed the immediately preceding term and is eligible for re-enrollment, including the recess periods between academic terms; or
• is on an approved educational leave or other approved leave status, including under suspension, or is on filing-fee status (https://grad.ucla.edu/academics/graduate-study/filing-fee-application/).

UCLA Death refers to the death of a UCLA Student, Employee, Scholar, Fellow, or  Emeritus or Emerita.

UCLA Death Notice refers to the form and notification submitted to the UCLA Office of the Chancellor in the event of a UCLA Death. The UCLA Death Notice is a form of internal notification and is not a substitute for a medical death certificate that may be required for certain benefits processing purposes.

III.  POLICY STATEMENT

The institutional response to a UCLA Death entails a series of administrative actions made to a number of campus units to settle accounts, resolve benefits issues, and close academic and personnel records in a timely manner. The notification required depends on the nature of the affiliation of the deceased. For the appropriate offices to be notified, notification responsibilities are coordinated as follows.

A.  Notification & Reporting of a Death of a Student

The notification and reporting requirements of the death of a Student are set forth in UCLA Procedure 160.2 : Student Death Response and Reporting.

B.  Notifications & Reporting of a Death of an Employee or Emeritus/Emerita

The notification and reporting requirements of the death of an Employee and Emeritus/Emerita are set forth in UCLA Procedure 160.1: Employee Death Response and Reporting.

C.  Notifications & Reporting of a Death of a Scholar or Fellow

                  The notification and reporting of a death of a Scholar or Fellow are as follows:

• For post-doctoral Fellows and visiting Scholars (whether or not they are also Employees of the University), notification is to be made to the Dean’s Office of Graduate Education, which will coordinate all further notifications as may be required;
• For medical residents and clinical Fellows (whether or not they are also Employees of the University), notification is to be made to the Dean’s Office of the David Geffen School of Medicine, which will coordinate all further notifications as may be required.

IV.  REFERENCES

1. UCLA Procedure 160.2: Student Death Response and Reporting
2. UCLA Procedure 160.1 : Employee Death Response and Reporting
3. UCLA Procedure 115.1 : Lowering of University Flag to Half-Mast (Upon Death of Employee or Elected Student Official)

V.  ATTACHMENTS