Death Notices and Obituaries

Owned by Martin Walls
Last updated: Jul 11, 2024 by Allison DeVoe
2 min read

Internal Reporting Procedure

When a School of Education faculty or staff member is alerted to the passing of an SOE community member, the following offices must be notified as soon as feasible:

  • Office of the Dean (in all cases)

  • Office of Marketing and Communication (in all cases)

  • Office of Academic and Student Services (students)

  • Office of Advancement and Alumni Services (alumni)

Communications Procedures

Notification of a community member’s death will initiate the following communications procedures:

Death of a Current Student

SOE will follow Syracuse University Division of the Student Experience protocol on Death of a Current Student (in coordination with the SOE Office of Academic and Student Services):

  • University Communications will draft a campus announcement to be sent under the signature of the Chief Student Experience Officer and/or Dean of Students.

  • The Vice President and Dean of Students will have the announcement reviewed by BCA, Counseling prior to distribution. 

  • All efforts should be made to alert the family of the intended communication prior to it being sent.

  • The communication should not be sent prior to Chancellor notification.

  • The Dean of Students will send an internal message to senior University and School leaders.

  • A campus announcement will then be sent.   

  • After a campus announcement, the school/college, resident director, academic program director, etc. may decide to send a communication that is population specific.

    • If possible, this announcement should be coordinated with Student Outreach and Retention (SOaR). 

Communications Procedure for Other Death Notices

In coordination with appropriate offices (Office of the Dean, Academic and Student Services) ...

  1. The Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations will notify the central alumni records office, if necessary. 

  2. The Office of the Dean will send a representative to calling hours/funeral and/or send flowers/card to the bereaved in the case of:

    • Current  student

    • Current faculty member

    • Current staff member

    • Emeritus faculty

    • Long-standing staff member

    • Family member of staff/faculty member

      • Office of the Dean will ask staff/faculty member if a message to the SOE Community is appropriate—see below

  3. The Office of Marketing and Communications and/or Office of the Dean will disseminate a death notice via the following channels ...

  • Email to SOE Community (SOE-ALL@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU), in the case of …

    • Current student (follow SU protocols)

    • Current faculty member

    • Current staff member

    • Emeritus faculty member

    • Alumnus/alumna of note (prominent professional, partner, donor)

    • Former/current Board of Visitors member

    • Former staff member of note

  • Email to Faculty/Staff (SOE-FACSTAFF-FT@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU), in the case of ...

    • Family member of staff/faculty member (if appropriate—see above)

    • University colleague with connections to SOE

  • SOE News Release/Website Story, in the case of …

    • Current student (follow SU protocols)

    • Current faculty member

    • Current staff member

    • Emeritus faculty member

    • Former/current Board of Visitors member

    • Former staff member of note

  • SOE Social Media Channels, in the case of …

    • Current student (follow SU protocols)

    • Current faculty member

    • Current staff member

    • Emeritus/former faculty member

    • Alumnus/alumna of note (prominent professional, partner, donor)

    • Former/current Board of Visitors member

  • Education Exchange In Memoriam List

    • Alumnus/alumna (this list is pulled by Alumni Relations each spring)

  • Education Exchange In Memoriam Story

    • Emeritus/former faculty member

    • Alumnus/alumna of note (prominent professional, partner, donor)

    • Former/current Board of Visitors member