The Jeanne Clery Act
The Jeanne Clery Act, a consumer protection law passed in 1990, requires all colleges and universities who receive federal funding to share information about crime on campus and their efforts to improve campus safety as well as inform the public of crime in or around campus. This information is made publicly accessible through the university's annual security report. Under the Act, institutions must provide survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking with options such as changes to academic, transportation, or living, or working situations, and assistance in notifying local law enforcement, if the student or employee chooses to do so. It also provides both parties in a campus disciplinary process certain rights. Colleges and universities must outline specific policies and procedures within their annual security reports, including those related to disseminating timely warnings and emergency notifications, options for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, and campus crime reporting processes.
SAU Tech Campus Crime Reporting
Every crime should be reported to law enforcement officials as soon as possible. This is the most effective way to ensure the well-being of the campus community. If this is not possible for some reason, the crime should be reported to one of the following: Vice Chancellor for Student Services, Director of Enrollment Services, or to a faculty or staff member who the student is comfortable talking to about the crime. SAU Tech Campus Police will investigate every crime and request assistance from other state and local law enforcement agencies when needed. The serial numbers of all vehicles, equipment, and other personal property stolen from the campus are reported to a central dispatch location at the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office for appropriate circulation. SAU Tech Campus Police policies and practices are similar to the practices of local law enforcement agencies in the area.
Local police agencies provide information to the Campus Police Department on matters of criminal activity at off-campus recognized student activities. This includes student organizations recognized by the College.
The primary point of crime reporting should be to SAU Tech Campus Police or Vice Chancellor for Student Services. Students who are victims of a crime who do not want to pursue action within the College system or the criminal justice system, the student may still want to consider making a confidential report.
If a student chooses to file a confidential report through SAU Tech Campus Police, with permission, the Chief of Police or a designee of SAU Tech Campus Police can file a report on the details of the incident without revealing the student identity or utilize the Report A Crime anonymously link on the campus police page of the SAU Tech website. The purpose of a confidential report is to comply with a wish to keep the matter confidential, while taking steps to ensure the future safety of self and others. With such information, the College can keep an accurate record of the number of incidents involving students, employees and visitors; determine where there is a pattern of crime with regard to a particular location, method, or assailant; and alert the campus community to potential danger. Reports filed in this manner are counted and disclosed in the annual crime statistics for the institution. It is the policy of the College to encourage the reporting of crimes even if the victim does not wish to file a complaint. Any information received will be reported to SAU Tech Campus Police for crime reporting notifications, campus crime statistics reporting, and campus education programs.
Annual Disclosure and Distribution
The Chief of Police for the Southern Arkansas University System is responsible for the collection, reporting, and disseminating of the annual crime statistics from the local police agencies and campus security authorities. This information is included in the annual crime report following the guidelines of the code of federal regulations.
By October 1 of each year, notification of the new annual disclosure report is provided to students and to employees by electronic mail with one-click hyperlinks to the report on the College’s website. A hard copy of the report is available at SAU Tech Campus Police, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Services, and the Admissions Office. The availability of the annual security report to prospective students and employees is provided upon request to the departments mentioned above. The crime statistics are also submitted to the U.S. Department of Education every year as prescribed by the department.
Geography Definitions from the Clery Act
On Campus: Defined as (1) Any building or property owned or controlled by an institution within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area and used by the institution in direct support of or in a manner related to the institution’s educational purposes, including residence halls; and (2) Any building or property that is within or reasonably contiguous to the identified in paragraph (1), that is owned by the institution but controlled by another person, is frequently used by students and supports institutional purposes (such as a food or retail vendor).
Non-campus building or property: Defined as (1) Any building or property owned or controlled by a student organization that is officially recognized by the institution; or (2) Any building or property owned or controlled by an institution that is used in direct support of or in relation to the institution’s educational purposes, is frequently used by students, and is not within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the institution.