Student Critical Incident Response Procedure

Essential information 

• In the event of an immediate threat to a person's life, call Local Emergency Services (in Australia: 000). 
• All critical incidents involving students should be reported to [Senior Manager, Student Wellbeing and Safety] 

1. The purpose of our procedure

This procedure outlines the operational steps Adelaide University takes to respond to student critical incidents. It details the roles and responsibilities of Adelaide University staff, the immediate actions that must be taken, coordination mechanisms, and post-incident evaluation processes. 

It ensures that incidents affecting student safety and wellbeing are managed in a timely, sensitive, and compliant manner. 

Please read this procedure in conjunction with the Student Critical Incident Policy, Student Safety and Wellbeing Policy, and the University’s [Strategic Crisis Management Framework]. 

2. Who our procedure applies to

2.1 Inclusions 

This procedure applies to: 

• students enrolled across all study modes (on-campus, online, offshore) 
• students studying through third-party or partner organisations.  
• We apply this procedure in conjunction with other Adelaide University policies and procedures, depending on the nature of the critical incident. 

2.2 Exclusions 

This procedure does not apply to: 

• non-critical incidents, which are managed through routine student support services 
• incidents covered under separate policies or reporting mechanisms such as [Gender-Based Violence Policy], Adelaide University Student Code of Conduct, Adelaide University [Work Health and Safety (WHS) Hazard or Incident Reporting Procedure], Adelaide University [Emergency Management Plan] 
• students who are not yet actively enrolled in their primary program at Adelaide University, including pathway provider students and [English Language Centre (ELC)] students. These cohorts are subject to the policies and procedures of their respective providers until formal enrolment at Adelaide University is confirmed. 

3. Our student critical incident procedure

3.1 Immediate response   

When a member of the Adelaide University community becomes aware of a student critical incident, they must: 

• Call 000 for Police, Fire, or Ambulance, if there is an immediate threat or the incident occurs off-campus in Australia.  
• Where incidents are located on campus, following any necessary calls to 000, contact Campus Security at [Campus Security Phone Number] to manage the scene and provide access and support emergency services. 
• Contact Adelaide University [Senior Manager, Student Wellbeing and Safety], who is the designated Critical Incident Response Coordinator (Response Coordinator), responsible for oversight and management of student critical incidents.  

The Response Coordinator will assess and classify the incident, activate the response plan via the Critical Incident Coordinating Team (Coordinating Team), and notify emergency contacts, next of kin, or family as required.  

Where emergency services and/or hospital hold a duty of care and are unable to get this information from the student directly, the Coordinating Team will support access and communication with the next of kin/family.  

Staff assisting in a student critical incident are expected to be familiar with and act in accordance with Adelaide University's Privacy Policy, the Privacy Act 1988 (cth) Schedule 1 - Australian Privacy Principles and relevant legislation. 

For a detailed operational checklist and visual flowchart outlining the critical incident response process, refer to Appendix A.  

3.2 Critical incidents involving international students   

We will provide specific support for international students as required under the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (Cth) (ESOS Act). Critical incidents involving international students who are under 18 years of age that disrupt the student welfare arrangements must be reported to the Australian Government, specifically, the Department of Home Affairs (Home Affairs) by the Response Coordinator (or nominee) within 24 hours.  

3.3 Post-critical incident evaluation and reporting   

We will evaluate the response to each critical incident and make recommendations for improvement.  

Where a critical incident results in a material change to Adelaide University's operations or risk profile, we will report the incident to the relevant regulatory bodies, including the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA).  

Adelaide University Council will receive an annual report that details the number and nature of student critical incidents and recommends improvements for future critical incident management and ongoing safety management.  

Records of critical incidents must be managed in accordance with the State Records Act 1997 (SA).  

In the case of a critical incident involving an international student, records must be maintained for at least two (2) years after the international student ceases to be an accepted student at Adelaide University.  

All documentation must be archived in accordance with the University's recordkeeping policies and applicable privacy legislation. 

4. Who holds a responsibility within this procedure

This procedure does not assign or confer decision-making authority. Refer to the Delegation Policy for all delegations of authority at Adelaide University. 

4.1 The [Response Coordinator] 

The [Response Coordinator] is responsible for

• leading the assessment and classification of the critical incident  
• initiating immediate response actions, including contacting emergency services and Campus Security 
• convening and leading the Critical Incident Coordinating Team 
• notifying relevant internal and external stakeholders 
• ensuring all actions are documented in the Critical Incident Register 
• coordinating follow-up support for affected students 
• overseeing compliance with the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act), the National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018, the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (Cth) (ESOS Act), and other regulatory requirements 
• ensuring Adelaide University’s response is timely, sensitive, and aligned with institutional protocols.  

4.2 Critical Incident Coordinating Team    

The [Response Coordinator] convenes a Critical Incident Coordinating Team for each incident, assembling key staff members whose roles align with the nature of the incident.  

The Critical Incident Coordinating Team is responsible for: 

• supporting the implementation of the response plan developed by the [Response Coordinator] 
• providing specialist advice and services tailored to the nature of the incident 
• ensuring effective communication with students, staff, and families 
• assisting in the delivery of age-appropriate and culturally sensitive support services 
• facilitating access to translation and interpreting services to ensure clear and inclusive communication, particularly for students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds 
• participating in post-incident debriefings and evaluations  
• contributing to the preparation of the post-incident report, including recommendations for procedural improvements. 

5. Definitions used in our procedure 

Please refer to our Adelaide University glossary for a full list of our definitions. 

Adelaide University community refers to a broad range of stakeholders who engage with Adelaide University and includes (but is not limited to) all students, staff, and non-staff members of Adelaide University including alumni, honorary title holders, adjuncts, visiting academics, guest lecturers, volunteers, suppliers and partners who are engaging with and contributing to the work of Adelaide University.  

International Student means a person (whether inside or outside of Australia) who requires a student visa to study in Australia. 

A student is a person enrolled in an Enabling Program, award or non-award coursework study, a research program, or a short course or microcredential at Adelaide University.  

Student Critical Incident is “a traumatic event, or threat of such (within or outside of Australia), which causes extreme stress, fear or injury” as defined in the National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018, Standard 6; for Adelaide University purposes, it involves a student or group of students and requires immediate attention.   

A critical incident involving students may include, but are not limited to: 

• death of a student  
• mental health crisis with risk of harm to self or others  
• other serious injury or threat of harm to student and/or staff  
• sexual assault  
• victim of a crime (i.e. aggravated offences; cybercrime, scams)  
• missing student 
• natural disaster  
• child safety incident involving a student under 18 years.  

Student Non-Critical Incident means any student-related matter that does not meet the threshold of a critical incident in terms of severity, urgency, or impact. These incidents are typically managed through the University’s standard support services and may include issues such as minor property loss or damage, immigration queries, or general welfare concerns. Such matters are addressed as part of the routine operations of Student Support Services. 

6. How our procedure is governed

This procedure is categorised, approved and owned in line with the governance structure of Adelaide University and the offices and officers listed below. 

7. Legislation and other documents related to our procedure 

8. History of changes

Note on structures, positions and position titles:

At the time of writing, Adelaide University’s organisational structure, position titles, and committee names have not been confirmed. Square brackets [ ] indicate placeholders for these details. Brackets are also used to identify policy elements that are subject to further decision-making or confirmation. These will be updated once final decisions are made.