Dean-on-Call Program

One of the resources the University makes available to students is the support and guidance of a University administrator who is on call and can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. This administrator is called the Dean-on-Call.

The Dean-on-Call Program features two distinct entities, the Dean-on-Call and the Sexual Assault Dean-on-Call. The Deanon- Call Program is a collaborative effort between Campus and Student Life (CSL) and the University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD). UCPD provides dispatch and transportation services for the Dean-on-Call Program and often accompanies the Dean-on-Call when the Dean-on-Call needs to make physical contact with a student.

The Dean-on-Call will be contacted by UCPD when UCPD has a report of a critical incident in which:

  • a student has been the victim of a violent crime, such as a robbery, battery, or assault;
  • there are significant concerns about a student’s health or well-being, such as a serious accident, a fire, or a student has not been seen for some time;
  • a student is engaged in disruptive or dangerous activities, such as loud music or climbing on roofs; or
  • a student is detained or arrested by police.

There may be other incidents reported to UCPD involving a student in which the watch commander may determine that the Dean-on-Call should be notified. Generally, a student can refuse the assistance of the Dean-on-Call, though there may be incidents that warrant the involvement of the Dean-on-Call against a student’s wishes.

A student may contact the Dean-on-Call at any time the student has an emergency to get advice and support in managing the situation. The Dean-on-Call can be reached through the UCPD dispatch at 773.702.8181 or 123 from any campus phone. The Dean-on-Call may also be reached through a direct paging system by calling 773.834.HELP (4357). A caller will be asked to input a call back number and wait for a return phone call from the Dean-on-Call.

When a student arrives on his or her own at the Emergency Room, UCPD can only contact the Dean-on-Call if the student has given permission for the Dean-on-Call to be contacted. (HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, prohibits the release of personal health information without consent.) University students or staff, or on occasion people from outside of the University, may request to speak to the Dean-on Call, and UCPD will connect the caller with the Dean-on-Call.

The Dean-on-Call

The Dean-on-Call is the University official responsible for ensuring that the full breadth of University resources are available to and working for the student in a critical incident. The Dean-on-Call intervenes at times to de-escalate a situation between students and other members of the campus and/or city communities and determines and coordinates the University’s response to insure that all involved receive due consideration and fair treatment. The Dean-on-Call may involve other University offices to determine the institutional response and will monitor an incident to make sure that adequate support continues to be made available even after the critical situation passes.

The Dean-on-Call will ensure the student’s privacy; this means that only those people who need to know to help in dealing with a critical incident will be given the student’s name and other limited information as necessary. In a rare instance, the Dean-on-Call may learn information from a student that the University may be obligated to pursue.

Other Situations in Which the Dean-on-Call May Be Engaged

The Dean-on Call may be contacted by University employees dealing with a behavioral situation involving a student, when the employee’s intervention does not resolve the matter with the student. The Dean-on- Call also is involved in the management of oncampus protests and demonstrations, as well as in high profile speaker events.

The Sexual Assault Dean-on-Call

In case of a report of a sexual assault, UCPD will contact the Sexual Assault Dean-on-Call. Students may also contact a Sexual Assault Dean-on-Call by calling the UCPD dispatcher at 773.702.8181 and asking for the Sexual Assault Dean-on-Call, or by calling 773.834.HELP (4357), a direct paging system. A student may contact the Sexual Assault Dean-on-Call even if he or she has not yet decided whether to report the sexual assault to the police or to receive guidance and support in helping a student friend who may have been the victim of sexual assault. Sexual Assault Deans-on-Call will also provide contact information for Unlawful Harassment Complaint Advisors.

The Sexual Assault Dean-on-Call will follow all procedures consistent with the Illinois Rape Victim Advocate protocol. The Sexual Assault Dean-on-Call will provide emotional support to students who are victims of sexual violence. By providing basic legal and medical information, and referrals to other resources on campus and local community service organizations, the Sexual Assault Dean-on-Call helps the student make informed decisions. The Sexual Assault Dean-on-Call will offer the student continued support through telephone or personal follow-up and appropriate referrals, including the Unlawful Harassment Complaint Advisors. For more information about the Dean-on-Call Program, visit deanoncall.uchicago.edu.