Death Notification Procedures

Below are death notification procedures for faculty and Academic Affairs staff.

The death of a member of the TU faculty or Academic Affairs staff represents a loss for the campus community, as well as for the family and friends of the deceased. The purpose of these procedures is to establish responsibilities concerning necessary notifications to various campus administrative and service departments in the event of the death of a member of the Academic Affairs community, including adjuncts and retirees, and to coordinate such actions with sensitive regard to the family, relatives and friends of the deceased. Notifications must be made to a number of campus units in order for administrative actions to be taken in a timely manner.

Notification Steps and Responsibilities

1

Inform Leadership

The university faculty or staff member who first learns of a death should inform the dean and department chair or the unit supervisor to whom the faculty or staff member reported.

2

Inform Campus Entities

It is the responsibility of the dean, department chair, unit supervisor or their designee to share relevant information with the following:

  1. Human Resources: Benefits, Leave, and Timekeeping Manager ()
  2. Provost's Budget Office: Budget Director (Heather Wilson, ) - this contact can be skipped for retirees
  3. Leadership: Academic department notifications should be routed to the Vice Provost. For non-academic departments, the unit supervisor or designee should contact either the Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management or the Budget Director, Provost’s Budget Office, as applicable.
  4. Vice President for University Advancement (Jasmin Alston, )
  5. TU Retiree Association (TURA) liaison (Maggie Reitz, or Pat Alt, )
  6. Office of Technology Services (Patrick Rohe, )

3

Distribute an Announcement

The dean, department chair, unit supervisor, or their designee drafts an announcement for distribution at a level of their discretion (e.g., department, college, TU Today).

The announcement is reviewed within 48 hours by the person specified in Step 2c as well as University Marketing and Communications (UMC). UMC has final authority on all external or university-wide messages. Once approved by UMC or person specified in 2c, that person will alert the dean, department chair, unit supervisor, or designee, who is responsible for distributing the announcement.

If the announcement is not reviewed and approved within 48 hours, the dean, department chair, unit supervisor, or designee has the right to move forward with distribution of the announcement.

The dean, department chair, unit supervisor or designee may request, in time-sensitive circumstances, that the Office of the Provost assist in distributing the notification to relevant groups via e-mail.

4

Distribute an External Announcement (optional)

In cases where the individual was broadly known in the Greater Baltimore community, nationally, or internationally, the dean, department chair, unit supervisor, or designee may make a request for UMC to issue a press release or newsroom story. UMC will provide justification to the dean, department chair, unit supervisor, or designee if the request is denied. If the department or college receives a press inquiry about the deceased faculty member or retiree, please refer them to the Director of Media Relations and News.

Last updated 11/18/25
Revised by Provost’s Council 2/25/21
Approved by Provost’s and Deans’ Council 8/25/16