I. General Policy

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act of 1998 (“Clery Act”), as amended, requires institutions of higher education receiving federal financial aid to report specified crime statistics on college campuses and other specified locations, and to provide other safety and crime information to members of the campus community.

The purpose of this policy is to establish the parameters for compliance with the Clery Act at all Rice University locations, and to establish the appropriate and necessary roles and responsibilities.

II. Roles and Responsibilities

All Rice University Faculty, Staff, Students, Contractors and Visitors on any Rice University facilities or property or on Rice University sponsored travel must promptly report any activity that is perceived as criminal, potentially dangerous or suspicious to a Campus Security Authority (CSA) or the Rice University Police Department (RUPD).

Rice University Police Department will administer the University’s Clery Act Compliance Program, which includes receiving CSA reports, maintaining a daily crime log, and preparing and making available an annual report (using the Clery Handbook and other Department of Education materials as guidance). Additionally RUPD will provide appropriate educational programs, including regular, mandatory training for all CSAs.

Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) will maintain a daily fire log of all fire-related incidents reported.

The Office of Public Affairs will assist RUPD in issuing “timely warning" alerts to the campus and surrounding community about Clery Crimes, and "emergency notifications" to the campus and surrounding community, when deemed by RUPD as necessary and appropriate.

Campus Security Authorities (CSAs), as defined below, will record and report to RUPD information of alleged crimes that are reported to them in good faith by others, or report alleged crimes that they may personally witness. Additionally, CSAs must complete an annual report and take appropriate training (as mandated by RUPD).

Student Judicial Programs will work with students to promote adherence to the Student Code of Conduct in order to address behavior that may be inconsistent with the values of the University community as expressed through the Student Code of Conduct. Additionally, this office will promptly report any potential Clery Act related crimes of which it receives notice to RUPD.

III. Roles and Responsibilities

Campus Security Authority (CSA) – employees of the University who, because of their responsibilities for the University, have an obligation under the Clery Act to notify the University of alleged Clery Crimes that are reported to them in good faith, or alleged Clery Crimes that they may personally witness.

Clery Act Crimes ("Clery Crimes") - crimes required by the Clery Act to be reported annually to the University community, including: criminal offenses such as, criminal homicide (murder and negligent/non-negligent manslaughter); sex offenses (rape, fondling, statutory rape, and incest); robbery; aggravated assault; burglary; motor vehicle theft; arson; hate crimes (including larceny-theft, simple assault, intimidation, or destruction/damage/vandalism of property that are motivated by bias); VAWA Offenses (including dating violence; domestic violence; stalking); and arrests and referrals for disciplinary action for any of the following: (a) liquor law violations, (b) drug law violations, and (c) carrying and possessing illegal weapons.

Emergency Notification - an announcement to inform the campus community about a “significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or employees occurring on the campus." An emergency response expands upon the definition of "timely warning" (see below), as it includes both Clery Act crimes and other types of emergencies (examples: a fire, infectious disease outbreak, terrorist attack, natural disaster, weather emergency).

Missing Student Notification - the University has provided a list of titles of persons and offices to which students, employees, or others, can contact if they have reason to believe a student who lives in on-campus student housing has been missing for 24 hours. The intent of this notification process is to direct others who believe a Rice University student is missing to immediately notify specific staff in the University administration, RUPD, and local law enforcement. The notification process may be found at Policy on Notification Regarding a Missing Residential Student.

Timely Warning - an announcement made to alert the campus community about Clery Crimes and other serious incidents in the event that a reported crime may pose a serious or continuing threat to the campus and surrounding community.

IV. Elaboration of Policy

Campus Security Authorities (CSAs), by virtue of their position or due to their job duties, ad hoc responsibilities, or volunteer engagements, are required by federal law to "report" crime on campus or other University property or on university sponsored travel when it has been observed by, or reported to them by another individual.

These individuals typically fall under one of the following categories:

1. Employees having significant responsibility for student and campus activities, including but not limited to, athletics, student housing, student discipline and campus judicial proceedings.
2. A member of a campus police/security department.
3. Individuals having responsibility for campus security in some capacity, but are not members of a campus police/security department.
4. People or offices that are not members of a campus police/security department, but where policy directs individuals to report criminal offenses to them or their office.
5. Common examples of CSAs include (but are not limited to):
   • Police and Security personnel
   • An administrator of students
   • Athletic Directors and Coaches
   • Faculty advisors to student organizations
   • Magisters/Resident Assistants/Advisors
   • Title IX Coordinators

The following individuals, when acting within the scope of their official responsibilities, are not Campus Security Authorities, and as such, are exempt from the mandates of this policy:

• Pastoral Counselors
• Licensed Professional Counselors
• Unlicensed Counselors when acting under the supervision of a licensed counselor

See Appendix 1 for further elaboration on some of the specifics of the Clery Act.

VI. Responsible Official and Key Offices to Contact Regarding the Policy and its Implementation

Responsible Official: Executive Vice President for Operations, Finance, & Support

Key Offices: Rice University Police Department; Dean of Undergraduates; Title IX Coordinator; Public Affairs

VII. Procedures and Forms

Signatures

Reginald DesRoches, President

Policy History

Issued

August 9, 2017

Clerical Changes

January 13, 2023

February 6, 2024

March 4, 2024

Appendix 1. Overview of Specific Clery Act Requirements

In accordance with the requirements of the Clery Act, the University shall do the following:**

- Annually disclose/provide access to the campus community and the public, the Annual Security Report, which provides:

• Crime data (by type);
• Fire incident data;
• Security policies and procedures in place to protect the community; and
• Information on the handling of threats, emergencies and dangerous situations.

- Identify CSAs on a regular, ongoing basis, and notify these individuals of their obligations under the Clery Act to report any and all Clery Crimes that they witness, or are reported to them.

- Provide regular, mandatory training for all CSAs.

- Via issuance of timely warnings, alert the campus community of Clery Crimes that pose a serious or continuing threat to the campus and surrounding community. Timely warnings will be disseminated throughout the community as soon as pertinent information is available and will provide information that will allow the community to take precautions to protect themselves and prevent similar crimes from occurring.

- Via issuance of emergency notifications, alert and inform the campus community about a “significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or employees occurring on the campus."

- Maintain a daily crime log of all crimes reported. This log will be available for public inspection, upon request.

- Maintain a daily fire log of all fire-related incidents reported. This log will be available for public inspection, upon request.

- Compile and disclose statistics of reports on the types of Clery Crimes reported for the University's campuses, the immediately adjacent public areas and public areas running through the campuses, remote classroom facilities and certain non-campus facilities.

- Collect reports of Clery Crimes made to University Police, local law enforcement, University officials and other associated with the University who have significant responsibility for student and campus activities.

- Create and publish an annual report to the Department of Education disclosing statistics of Clery Crimes reported over the past three years, as well as University policies and procedures addressing campus security and safety.

- Work with the University Police and other appropriate departments to create, establish and conduct programs at all University campus locations to educate the campus and surrounding community about the Clery Act and Clery Act obligations, and to promote general awareness of all crime and safety-related issues at all University locations.

- In the event that a person is reported as missing, contact the appropriate University offices, notify local law enforcement that has jurisdiction in the geographical area around the specific campus location, and utilize the emergency contact information available for the missing person to notify those listed as emergency contacts for the alleged missing person.

**This is a partial listing. For further details, you may access the latest version of the Department of Educations Handbook at The Handbook for Campus Safety and Security Reporting (2016 Edition).