Clery Act Compliance
The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, or Clery Act, is a federal statute requiring all colleges and universities that participate in federal financial aid programs to keep and disclose information about crime on and near their respective campuses. Compliance is monitored by the United States Department of Education, which can impose civil penalties, up to $67,544 per violation, against institutions for each infraction and can suspend institutions from participating in federal student financial aid programs.
The law is named for Jeanne Clery, a 19-year-old Lehigh University freshman who was raped and murdered in her campus residence hall in 1986. The backlash against unreported crimes on numerous campuses across the country led to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.
Campus Security Authorities
Using criteria the US Department of Education has outlined under the Clery Act, Reed College has classified individuals in the following roles as Campus Security Authorities (CSAs):
- President
- All Deans, Associate Deans, and Assistant Deans
- All Community Safety staff (including student employees)
- Title IX Coordinator and Deputy Coordinator(s)
- Sexual Misconduct Board members
- Advisors to the Judicial Board
- Advisors to the Honor Council
- All professional staff in the following areas:
- Nuclear Reactor staff (including student employees)
- President’s Office
- Dean of Students’ Office
- Residence Life
- Office for Student Engagement
- Physical Education (including all outdoor programs instructors, sport team coaches, other instructors, Odyssey and other trip leaders, or similar)
- Gray Fund trip leaders
- Ski Cabin Manager
- Admissions staff responsible for overseeing events involving prospective students
- Study Abroad Coordinator
- All Human Resources Staff
- Any other staff or faculty members who directly oversee student groups
- Students in the following roles:
- Judicial Board Members
- Honor Council Members
- Sports Center employees responsible for controlling entry
- Community Safety staff
- Dorm hosts
- Night Bus Drivers
- Night Owls
- Nuclear Reactor staff
- House Advisors
- Orientation Coordinators
Excerpted from The Handbook for Campus Safety and Security Reporting
To see a complete list of Reed College's current preferred CSAs click here.
What does a CSA do?
The function of a CSA is to report to the official or office designated by the institution to collect crime report information, such as the campus police or security department, those allegations of Clery Act crimes that they conclude were made in good faith.
What shouldn’t a CSA do?
A CSA is not responsible for determining authoritatively whether a crime took place - that is the function of law enforcement personnel. A campus security authority should not try to apprehend the alleged perpetrator of the crime. That too is the responsibility of law enforcement. It’s also not a CSA’s responsibility to try and convince a victim to contact law enforcement if the victim chooses not to do so.
What crimes must be reported?
- Criminal Homicide
- Sex Offense
- Rape
- Fondling
- Robbery
- Aggravated Assault
- Burglary
- Motor Vehicle Theft
- Arson
- Hate Crimes
- Arrests and Referrals for Disciplinary Action for the following:
- Weapon Law Violations
- Drug Law violations
- Liquor law violations
- Domestic Violence
- Dating Violence
- Stalking
Violence Against Women Act
The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 or VAWA is a United States federal law. The Act provides $1.6 billion toward investigation and prosecution of violent crimes against women, imposes automatic and mandatory restitution on those convicted, and allows civil redress in cases prosecutors choose to leave un-prosecuted. The Act also establishes the Office on Violence Against Women within the Department of Justice. The VAWA act was reauthorized in 2013 and its language updated. VAWA expired February 15, 2019, and is awaiting a vote in the Senate for reauthorization (as of August 15, 2019).
Despite the Act's name the language is in fact gender neutral and provides protection for individuals of all genders.