Campus Public Safety and Security

In addition to the information below, information about and statements regarding the College’s safety and security policies are provided in the College’s Annual Security Report, which is available on the Campus Public Safety Office web site, at: http://www.champlain.edu/current-students/campus-services/campus-safety.

The Campus Public Safety Office receives crime information from, and shares it with, other local higher education institutions, police departments, and law enforcement agencies. Security Alert bulletin boards inform members of the Champlain College community of recently reported crimes on or near the campus. The alerts are posted for multiple consecutive days and are then removed or updated. The alert boards are in prominent locations in campus buildings. Alerts are also placed on bulletin boards in student residence halls. (Each alert describes the nature of the incident, agencies to which information should be reported and prevention advice to students.) The College will also use the Campus Alert Emergency Notification System described below and on the Campus Public Safety Web site to immediately notify the campus community upon the confirmation of a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or employees occurring on the campus, unless issuing a notification will compromise efforts to contain the emergency or situation. Champlain College residence halls are staffed from 9:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m. every day. Additionally, the Campus Public Safety staff or the Residential Life staff are available by phone 24 hours per day for emergencies. Campus Public Safety staff can provide walking safety escorts to and from all campus buildings. Dial (802) 865-6465 from any telephone or 6465 from a College phone.

Residential students are oriented to campus safety procedures and devices during meetings conducted by members of Campus Public Safety and the Residential Life staff. These meetings occur during Freshman Orientation and the first weeks of the fall semester and are designed to familiarize students with residence hall life and one another. Procedures for all types of medical, police and fire emergencies are reviewed. All residential students are made aware that Campus Public Safety may be reached 24/7 by dialing (802) 865-6465, or by dialing 3333 on any residence hall or campus phone, or by using any of the emergency yellow call boxes located around campus. Ongoing meetings throughout the year aim to familiarize students with all campus services and include a repetition of the residence hall procedures as well as additional campus safety information. All students are encouraged and reminded to lock both their room doors and the exterior door of the residence hall. Students should never prop open exterior doors in residence halls, as this could allow strangers access to the residence.

Champlain College strives to create a safe and secure environment for its employees and students. To help achieve that goal, the College uses strategically- placed closed-circuit video cameras for remote observation. Only overt, as opposed to covert, methods are used. Overt is defined as “in plain sight,” whereas covert is defined as “hidden” or “concealed.”

Our cameras are installed in plain sight in such common areas as hallways, courtyards, parking lots or building exteriors. It is the policy of Champlain College not to install video cameras in places where employees or students may have a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as bathroom facilities, showers, locker rooms and bedrooms (please note that as to student bedrooms, this policy does not affect the College’s right to conduct entries into and inspection of student rooms by non-video means, as described above).

If Champlain College suspects illegal activity is occurring on property under its control, appropriate local law enforcement and/or legal counsel will be consulted prior to authorization of covert surveillance. The only Champlain College officials with the authority to approve covert surveillance at the College are the President and the Vice President of Administration. Unauthorized covert surveillance conducted at the College will be considered a serious violation of this policy. Anyone engaging in unauthorized covert surveillance shall be the subject of judicial action that could include loss of student status.

Campus Alert Emergency Notification System

Like many colleges and universities nationwide, Champlain College has implemented a campus emergency alert mass notification system as a tool to warn students when danger is present on or near the College campus. In cooperation with MIR3 CampusAlert®, all Champlain College residential and commuter students are now able to receive emergency alert notifications if a situation arises that requires mass notification of a crisis, imminent danger, evacuation or other urgent situation. If an alert is sent, students will be given instructions about the danger and where to go for more information.

For students to participate in the alert system, they must log in to Champlain College’s portal at http://www.champlain.edu/current-students. Once there, students have access to detailed instructions explaining how to register multiple devices to be notified of an emergency. Students are strongly encouraged to register at least three of the possible 10 devices (e.g., mobile phone, SMS device [to receive text messages], room telephone, e-mail). This alert system is only for notifying campus affiliates of emergencies; it is not a notification registry for parents.

Campus Emergency Preparedness

Champlain College takes emergency planning and preparedness seriously. We are committed to a goal of minimizing the educational and social disruption for our students, faculty and staff. Champlain College has a committee representing all aspects of Champlain College, the members of which work together regularly to enhance the College’s preparedness for a range of emergencies. For the most up- to-date emergency information please visit http://www.champlain.edu/Public- Safety. All students are required to complete an emergency contact form located in Webadvisor.

How to Use Emergency Call Boxes

Emergency yellow telephones are available at several locations around campus for the immediate reporting of security emergencies. A blue light situated above each telephone identifies the phone location. The height of the phones makes them accessible to students or staff in wheelchairs. These telephones are unable to complete any other campus, local or long distance connections, to ensure that the phones are available when needed. They are strictly for emergency use.

Emergency Call Box Locations:

• Alumni Auditorium, north entrance
• Cushing Hall East, east entrance
• Cushing Hall West, front walkway
• Foster Hall, front walkway
• Hauke Center, north entrance
• Joyce Hall, northwest entrance
• Lakeview & Adirondack Halls, courtyard
• Main Street Suites, garage and north entrance
• Perry Hall, north entrance
• S.D. Ireland Center for Global Business & Technology, south entrance
• Skiff Hall, west walkway
• Whiting Hall, west end walkway

How to Use Yellow Call Boxes:

Depress and release the button on the upper right marked “PUSH.” No dialing is necessary; the call will automatically be connected to Campus Public Safety.

What to Tell Campus Public Safety When Calling:

1.        Your name

2.        Your location

3.        The nature of the emergency

Campus Public Safety will then issue further instructions and respond immediately to the emergency location.

How to Report Campus Emergencies and Crimes

 Campus Public Safety personnel are on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will respond immediately to any reported emergency. Since prevention of crime is very much dependent upon the reporting of crime, it is to the benefit of the campus community for you to report crimes and other emergencies as you become aware of them. Champlain College Campus Public Safety, the Burlington, South Burlington and Winooski Police Departments, and the Burlington, South Burlington and Winooski Fire Departments stand ready to serve the Champlain College community by responding immediately to and assisting at all reported emergencies and crime occurrences.

Students looking for information or those who want to discuss crime prevention should contact Campus Public Safety during office hours, 7:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Procedures for emergency situations are outlined above. This office will assist the student in reporting the incident or suspicion to campus officials and to the appropriate community agency or service.

Questions regarding personal safety, loss, theft, or damage of personal property should be addressed to the Campus Public Safety Office, located in the basement of Skiff Hall, at (802) 865-6465. Because the College does not carry insurance on students’ personal property, it cannot assume responsibility for any of your personal possessions that may be lost, stolen or damaged. You are responsible for insuring your personal property, and you may be able to do so under your family’s homeowner’s policy. If you suspect that any of your belongings has been stolen, please notify the Campus Public Safety Office.

The College recommends that all students, faculty and staff familiarize themselves with the following information. This will assist you if any emergencies arise.

Campus Sexual Violence Reporting Procedures and Support Services

As an educational institution, Champlain College is committed to promoting, through education and awareness-raising activities, a campus environment where sexual assault and exploitation are recognized as serious violations of the Standard of Conduct and where survivors of sexual violence are provided support and avenues of redress as appropriate. All first-year students are strongly encouraged to attend an orientation program during the first week of school that focuses on sexual violence, non-stranger sexual assault and the role of alcohol as a risk factor. Programs in personal safety with an emphasis on sexual violence prevention and bystander intervention strategies are offered throughout the year.

Sexual violence, including rape, sexual assault (whether committed by strangers or non-strangers), sexual battery, and sexual coercion, is a form of violence and sexual harassment used to exert power and control over another person. Sexual violence is defined as including participating in a sexual act with another person by:

• Compelling the other person to participate in the sexual act without consent; or
• Threatening or coercing the other person; or
• Placing the other person in fear that any person will suffer imminent bodily injury; or
• Impairing substantially the ability of the other person to appraise or control conduct by administering or employing drugs or intoxicants without the knowledge of or against the will of the other person; or
• Engaging in the sexual act with another person who is mentally incapable of understanding, or, for any reason, including intoxication, is unaware of the sexual act; or
• Participating in situations when the other person is physically incapable of resisting or of communicating an unwillingness to participate; or
• Participating in situations when the other participant is under the age of 16.  

If you feel that you may have been subject to an incident of sexual violence, you should:

1.     Contact appropriate College offices or local agencies immediately. Counseling staff, Campus Public Safety staff, residential staff and administrative staff are available to assist students. Confidentiality is strictly observed by Counseling staff. Students can contact Campus Public Safety at (802) 865-6465 or any emergency call box (blue light phone), a Residential Life staff member, the Burlington Police (911), or a College counselor (RAs and Campus Public Safety Officers can contact the counselor on call). In addition, students may go directly to the emergency services department at Fletcher Allen Health Care. We encourage you to utilize the on-campus resources, as those are likely to be most readily available and can help you access other services both inside and outside the College community.

2.     Seek medical and counseling help immediately. Prompt medical and counseling attention will help begin the healing process and will also assist in preservation of evidence. Your health and safety are of utmost importance. More detailed information regarding preservation of evidence and related issues, including information about how showering or changing clothes may destroy valuable evidence, is available here: http://www.champlain.edu/Documents/security/annsecreport2010.pdf.  You can also call one of the offices listed immediately above with questions about how to best preserve evidence.

3.     Consider reporting the incident to campus public safety and local law enforcement authorities.  It is recommended that you take advantage of the opportunity to report any incident of sexual violence to campus public safety and local law enforcement authorities.  Your well-being is paramount; you will not be forced to make a report. We can support you in the decision of whether to report the offense to authorities or not, except where there appears to be an imminent safety risk. Contact information is listed above.

4.     In cases where there appears to be an imminent safety risk, the College may be required to pursue an internal investigation or disciplinary proceeding, and/or to involve local law enforcement authorities as necessary.  In assessing such situations the College will consider factors such as, but not limited to, the seriousness of the alleged conduct, the complainant’s age, and whether there have been other complaints about the same alleged perpetrator(s).

On-campus counseling services are available 24 hours a day to all students. Students are encouraged to work with College counselors, who will provide confidential counseling or refer students to local police, mental health agencies and other off-campus agencies if appropriate and/or as requested by the student.

Every reasonable attempt will be made to support your continued educational experience within a safe and comfortable environment on campus, including opportunities for assistance in changing your academic and living situations after an alleged sexual violence incident, if you request such changes and if such changes are reasonably available. The College does not tolerate retaliation against individuals who have made a good faith report of sexual violence.

Campus disciplinary procedures and sanctions in cases of alleged sexual violence and other offenses can be found under the sections of this handbook titled “Discrimination, Harassment, and Hazing Prevention Policy and Complaint Procedure” and “Conduct Review Process”. Gender-based harassment/sexual harassment/sexual violence-specific features of that process include, but are not limited to, assurances that the accused and accuser are entitled to equal opportunities to have others present during any disciplinary proceeding, and to be informed of the outcome of a disciplinary proceeding brought alleging a sexual assault, to the extent permitted by law.

The College will cooperate fully with any investigation of a sex offense being conducted by a law enforcement agency, while fulfilling its obligation to respond to alleged incidents of sexual violence.

Gender-based discrimination and harassment, sexual harassment and sexual violence are prohibited by a federal law known as Title IX. The College’s Vice President for Student Life serves as the College’s Title IX Coordinator. In that role, the Title IX Coordinator has oversight responsibility for Title IX-related complaints and identifying and addressing any patterns or systemic problems that arise during the review of such complaints. Inquiries concerning the application of Title IX may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, or to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”). The Vice President for Student Life’s contact information is: Leslie Averill, Student Life, (802) 651-5907, averill@champlain.edu. OCR’s contact information is: United States Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 33 Arch Street, Suite 900, Boston, MA 02110-1491, (617) 289-0111 (voice).

Dating and Domestic Violence Prevention and Response

It is an essential goal of Champlain College to provide and maintain a safe campus for all members of its community, free from violence and threats of violence. Domestic abuse and violence will not be tolerated on campus, including in residential halls, offices and other facilities owned or leased by the College. Champlain College students who engage in domestic abuse or violence on campus or who use campus facilities, property, vehicles, communications media (such as phones, fax, e-mail, texting or social networking sites) or other resources to engage in such activity are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including suspension or dismissal from the College and criminal prosecution.

Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior used by someone to establish and maintain power and control over an intimate partner or family member. Domestic violence has many forms, including, but not limited to, physical aggression or threats thereof, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and or threats thereof, stalking, isolation from friends and family, controlling or domineering behavior, intimidation, and economic deprivation.

The following procedures are set forth to assist students should a situation of domestic or dating violence occur:

1. Students can contact Campus Public Safety at (802) 865-6465 or any emergency call box (blue light phone), a Residential Life staff member, the Burlington Police (911), or a College counselor (RAs and Campus Public Safety Officers can contact the counselor on call). In addition, students may go directly to the emergency services department at Fletcher Allen Health Care. We encourage you to utilize the on-campus resources, because they are likely to be most readily available and can help you access other services.

2. If necessary, prompt medical and counseling attention will be available and will also assist in the preservation of evidence. A survivor’s health and safety are of the utmost importance.

3. The opportunity to report any situation involving dating or domestic violence to campus and local law enforcement authorities is available. Student well-being is paramount. The Counseling Center and Accommodations Services staff can support students in making the decision of whether to report an incident to authorities or not.

4. On-campus counseling services are available 24 hours a day to all students. Students are encouraged to work with College counselors, who will provide confidential counseling or refer students to local police, domestic violence agencies, mental health agencies and other off-campus agencies if appropriate.

Every reasonable attempt will be made to support a survivor’s continued educational experience within a safe and comfortable environment on campus. Campus disciplinary procedures and sanctions in cases of alleged dating or domestic violence and other offenses can be found under the section of this handbook titled Conduct Review Process. The accused and accuser are entitled to the opportunity to have others present during any disciplinary proceeding and to request changes in academic and/or residential settings. In addition, the College will cooperate fully with any investigation of a dating or domestic violence incident being conducted by a law enforcement agency.

Emergencies in Residence Halls

When an emergency of any type occurs in a residence hall, students should notify a Residential Life staff member or Campus Public Safety immediately. Other services will be called upon by Campus Public Safety or Residential Life staff.

In all cases of emergency, Campus Public Safety should also be notified if it was not the first agency contacted.

In the event of fire, a Residential Life staff member will see that the residence hall alarm is activated; the building is evacuated and students are counted; and the fire department is called from a neighboring residence hall, office or cell phone. Fire alarm pull boxes in the residence halls are accessible to students with physical disabilities. All the residence halls are directly connected to the fire department via radio fire alarms; when an alarm sounds, the building should be evacuated and a Residential Life staff member will coordinate taking of attendance.

Access to and Security of Campus Facilities

Campus Public Safety staff routinely check campus facilities while on foot patrol. Methods are described below.

Residence Halls: Nonemergency access to and egress from all College residence halls are confined to centralized entrances. Emergency exits are tagged or alarmed to deter unauthorized use. Entrance doors and individual rooms have separate locks, and residents are issued keys or access cards for each. Public Safety officers conduct interior and outer perimeter checks of each residence hall daily and at random times. When doing so, they do the following:

• Physically check exterior ground floor doors to ensure they are secure.
• Visually check lounge screens and windows to be sure that they are down and that there are no signs of forced entry.
• Visually check remaining building exterior for secured fire escape doors and to ensure that forced entry has not been gained via   upper windows.
• Patrol residence hall parking lots to assist students and deter vehicle vandalism.
• Physically perform fire safety checks of each residence hall interior with appropriate frequency.

Administrative and Classroom Buildings: Campus administrative office facilities are open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; some departments may have extended special hours. The Hauke Family Campus Center remains open during evening hours to accommodate night classes. The IDX Student Life Center remains open during evening hours to accommodate the student lounge and the Student Life Office. Classroom facilities remain open as needed for evening classes and special events. The library maintains a diverse schedule to serve the students. Campus Public Safety staff patrol the campus buildings and grounds continuously and secure buildings, as each schedule allows.

Campus Public Safety Office: The Campus Public Safety Office is located in the basement of Skiff Hall.

Campus Law Enforcement

Law Enforcement Authority of Campus Public Safety: Campus Pubic Safety personnel are official College representatives. As such, they are available to assist students, faculty and staff with all aspects of campus public safety and are required to report all violations of College regulations through appropriate College channels. Campus Public Safety personnel are not law enforcement officers. However, they can detain an individual until police officers arrive on campus, to the extent permitted by law (such as, for example, to protect students, employees or College property from imminent physical harm). Campus Public Safety maintains a good working relationship with Chittenden County law enforcement, and Campus Public Safety officers do not hesitate to call for assistance should a situation require it. Local police departments routinely share information with Champlain College regarding student violations of local, state and federal laws occurring on- or off-campus.

Off-Campus Events and Emergencies/Crimes: College regulations apply to all areas owned or leased by the College, as well as to any location where a student is engaged in a College activity. Such occasions include, but are not limited to, travel as a member of an athletic team or student club and any College-sponsored activity held off-campus, such as a field experience, a work-study assignment or a student dance. Off-campus, College-sponsored activities, such as recreational ski trips or dances, require the presence of a member of College faculty or staff. If the rules of leased space require it, a Public Safety officer is hired or assigned for large, off-campus events, such as dances or indoor athletic competitions.

Student Right-to-Know Act and Safety & Security Information, and Other Important Information

The Student Right-to-Know Act was signed into law in 1990. The legislation requires that institutions produce and make readily available persistence and/or graduation rates to current and prospective students.

Specific information on the persistence and/or graduation rates is available through the Registrar’s Office (802-865-6425).

Champlain College strives to create a physical and intellectual environment in which students, faculty and staff can depend upon mutual trust and integrity. Academic settings require free movement and access, and personal safety is therefore paramount.

The following information and references are provided to all members of the Champlain College community to help increase awareness of campus safety efforts and campus crime issues, and to comply with Title II of the Student Right- to-Know and Campus Security Act, the security-related provisions of which are now known as the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. If you would like to discuss security matters with a staff member, please contact Champlain’s Director of Campus Public Safety at (802) 860-2755.

Further information about the College’s campus security operations and policies is available in the College’s annual security report, which is available through the Campus Security web site.

Reported crimes occurring on Champlain College’s owned or operated property for the past three years:

• *Aggravated Assault Definition: An unlawful attack by one person upon another wherein the offender uses a weapon or displays it in a threatening manner, or wherein the victim suffers obvious severe or aggravated bodily injury involving apparent broken bones, loss of teeth, possible internal injury, severe laceration or loss of consciousness.
• **Burglary Definition: The unlawful entry into a building or other structure with the intent to commit a felony or a theft. Entry may be forced or acquired via an unlocked door or window.
• The complete Cleary Act crime report, as well as the annual security report and daily crime log, can be found at www.champlain.edu/Public-Safety.html.

Arrests and disciplinary referrals for the following crimes occurring on Champlain College’s owned or operated property for the past three years:

Dangerous or Disruptive Behavior

As an institution of higher learning, Champlain College strives to balance concern for the health and safety of individual students with the interests of the broader campus community. The College believes that all students have responsibility for self-welfare, self-guardianship, and self-care. In addition, students are responsible for conducting themselves in a manner that is not violent or disruptive.

Any behavior that may threaten the well-being of Champlain College students, faculty or staff will be addressed in a sensitive and appropriate manner. The College provides confidential counseling for students through the Counseling Center and Accommodation Service, and encourages students to access that service when needed. Champlain College is concerned about the physical, mental and emotional welfare of its students. When a student’s behavior constitutes a serious disruption or danger to the living and learning environment that the College seeks to create, the College may respond in a number of ways, ranging from providing mental health support to separating the student from the institution, if necessary.

The term dangerous or disruptive behavior includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Any behavior that points to the potential of imminent, foreseeable or existing danger to self, other students or other members of the College community
• Destructive, intimidating, violent or other inappropriate behavior
• Self-inflicted violence
• Abuse of alcohol or other substances that places the individual or others at risk
• Public suicide attempts, suicidal gestures or disruptive statements of suicidal ideation
• Lack of response to multiple attempts at communication to determine student health and safety
• Failure to comply with prescribed medication orders, resulting in dangerous behavior
• Bullying Behavior:  Any verbal, physical, written or electronic communication which is intended to ridicule, humiliate, or intimidate or interferes with access to educational or other College programs, or reasonably has that effect.

This policy does not apply to nonviolent student protest and dissent, or to confidential interactions with a College mental health counselor or medical staff (unless an exception to confidentiality applies). This policy will be administered in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and similar Vermont law.

As part of its commitment to maintaining a safe environment, Champlain has established a Threat Assessment Team, which is empowered to assess risk and, in cooperation with other College teams or offices as appropriate, formulate an appropriate response in situations where an individual’s behavior and/or statements generate concern  that he or she may present a threat to the health or safety of others. The Threat Assessment Team seeks to mitigate potential risks before they result in harm.

Reporting Potential Threats  

All students, faculty and staff should be committed to ensuring the safety and security of the campus and workplace environment. As such, anyone who believes that an individual (student, faculty or staff member) has committed or may commit an act of violence, is engaging in behavior or making statements that generate concern about the potential for violence, or otherwise may pose an imminent threat to the health or safety of any member of the College community (such as, for example, incidents of violence, threatening behavior or statements, unwanted pursuit, stalking, and personal harassment) should call the Office of Public Safety and Security immediately at (802) 865-6465.  In case of an emergency please also call 911.

Where behavior or statements of concern do not appear to present an imminent threat, individuals may also contact one of the following individuals: 

Reports will be evaluated to determine the appropriate response; the response may include, but not be limited to, referral to a mental health counselor or a conduct officer.  In situations where an individual has concerns about someone’s behavior but is unsure whether such behavior constitutes a “threat” to self or others, the individual should report the information to the Department of Public Safety and Security or one of the individuals listed above, as appropriate, to allow the College the opportunity to assess the situation and respond as necessary. 

Retaliation

Champlain College is sensitive to concerns related to retaliation against individuals who in good faith report acts of violence, concerning behavior or statements, or potential threats, or who participate in an investigation under this policy. Retaliating against a person who has made a report under this policy or who has participated in an investigation is prohibited. Retaliation includes, but is not limited to, threatening or ostracizing the person, pressuring the person to drop the report or not participate in the investigation, or taking other adverse action against the person. An individual who engages in retaliation under this policy will be subject to discipline in accordance with the College’s Handbook or Student Life policies, as applicable.

In addition, Champlain College affiliates should be aware that federal civil rights laws make it unlawful for the school to retaliate against an individual for bringing possible civil rights violations to their attention. This includes intimidating, threatening, coercing, or in any way discriminating against an individual because he/she complained or participated in an investigation.