Campus Security Authority (CSA) Responsibilities and Resources
Introduction
The Jeanne Clery Campus Security Policy & Crime Statistics Disclosure Act and what you need to know if you are a Campus Security Authority ( CSA ) at Randolph College.
The Clery Act, what’s that? Jeanne Clery, a 19-year-old Lehigh University freshman, was assaulted and murdered in her dorm room in 1986. In 1998 the “Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act” was renamed in her memory. The Clery Act was enacted in the belief that crime awareness can prevent campus victimization.
The law requires colleges and universities receiving federal funding to prepare, publish, and distribute, by October 1 of each year, campus security / safety policies and crime statistics in the form or an Annual Security Report. Randolph community members are notified, annually in September, of the availability of and how and where to access the Report. A Fire Safety Compliance Report (which is a requirement for campuses with College controlled residential facilities) is also published simultaneously. The Department of Education is responsible for Clery Act compliance and enforcement.
What you need to know if you are a Campus Security Authority (CSA)
The intent of including non-security personnel in the Campus Security Authorities ( CSA ) role is to acknowledge that some community members and students in particular may be hesitant about reporting crimes to campus security or the police, but may be more inclined to report incidents to other campus-affiliated individuals.
What makes you a CSA?
The law defines four categories of CSAs: College or University Police; Non-police security staff responsible for monitoring College property; People/offices designated under our policy as those to whom/which crimes should be reported; and “Officials with significant responsibility for student and campus activities”.
What is the role of a CSA?
CSAs are obligated to report crimes reported to them which occurred on campus, in public areas bordering campus and in certain non-campus buildings owned or controlled (leased) by the College. CSAs should only report those crimes that have not been previously reported to Campus Safety or another College CSA . The intent of including non-law enforcement personnel in the CSA role is to acknowledge that some community members and students in particular, may be hesitant about reporting crimes to security or the police, but may be more inclined to report incidents to other campus-affiliated individuals.
Who are CSAs?
1) Randolph College Campus Safety personnel.
2) People or offices responsible for campus safety – campus contract security personnel, personnel providing access control and/or security at campus facilities, athletic events or other special events, safety escort staff, resident directors and assistants and other similar positions.
3) The Officials with significant responsibility for student and campus activities category is defined broadly to ensure complete coverage and thorough reporting of crimes. To determine which individuals or organizations are CSAs consider job functions that involve relationships with students. Look for Officials (i.e., not support staff) whose functions involve relationships with students. An Official is defined as any person who has the authority and the duty to take action or respond to particular issues on behalf of the College. If someone has significant responsibility for student and campus activities, she/he is a CSA.
Some examples of CSAs in this category include, but are not limited to: academic deans; student affairs / residential life officials; coordinator of Greek affairs (or related positions; athletic administrators including director, assistant directors and coaches; student activities coordinators and staff; student judicial officials; faculty and staff advisors to student organizations; student center building staff; student peer education advisors; and administrators at branch campuses.
4) Any individual or organization specified in an institution’s statement of campus safety policy as an individual or organization to which students and employees should report criminal offenses – Campus Safety.
On the Randolph College campus, the following departments, offices, or individuals are identified as CSAs:
Campus Safety Department – primary receiver of campus incident reports
Campus Safety Officers
Communications Operators
Dean of Students
Executive Assistant to the Dean of Students
Assistant Dean of Students
Title IX Coordinator, Deputy Title IX Coordinator, and Title IX Investigator
Human Resources Office
Residence Life Staff
Resident Assistants (RAs)
Head Residents (HRs)
Director of Residence Life & Conduct
Director of Student Engagement
Esports Head Coach
Director of the Health Center
Director of the Counseling Center*
Chief Diversity Officer
Diversity, Identity, Culture, and Inclusion Coordinator
Judiciary Chair and Vice-Chair
Athletics:
Director of Athletics
Coordinator of Athletics Operations & Sr. Women Administrator
Associate Athletic Director
Head Coaches
Assistant Coaches
All part-time and volunteer coaches
Faculty and Staff advisors to student organizations
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Associate Provost
Director of Student Success
Program Coordinator (Student Success)
Director of the Academic Services
Coordinator of Access Services
CSAs are obligated to report crimes reported to them which occurred on campus, in public areas bordering campus and in certain non-campus buildings owned or controlled (leased) by the College. CSAs must immediately notify the Director of Campus Safety/Clery Compliance Officer (434) 947-8000 that a Clery Act Crime has been reported to them. The Director of Campus Safety/Clery Compliance Officer will determine if a timely warning needs to be issued to the campus community. The College must provide timely warnings about Clery Act Crimes that occur in a Clery Reportable Location that pose a serious or ongoing threat to the campus community. Because the nature of criminal threats is often not limited to a single location, timely warnings must be issued in a manner likely to reach the entire campus community. The intent of including non-law enforcement personnel in the CSA role is to acknowledge that some community members and students, may be hesitant about reporting crimes to Campus Safety or the police, but may be more inclined to report incidents to other campus-affiliated individuals.
*College professional and pastoral counselors, when acting in such capacities, are not considered to be campus security authorities and are not required to report crimes for inclusion into the Annual Security Report. However, they are encouraged to inform persons being counseled of the procedures to report crimes on a voluntary basis for inclusion into the annual crime statistics.
Who is not a CSA?
The following non-CSA positions / functions include but are not limited to: faculty member without responsibility for student and campus activity beyond the classroom; medical physicians, professional mental health counselor, clerical or administrative support staff, cafeteria staff, facilities maintenance staff, information technology staff, licensed mental pastoral counselor, when acting within the scope of their license or certificate; and other like functions.
Only those CSAs who are designated confidential resources for students, such as professional mental health counselor or medical physician, are exempt from the requirement to report, and only if they learn of the Clery Act incident while acting as a professional mental health counselor or pastoral counselor, respectively. If an individual designated as a confidential resource is told by an employee that they are being stalked on their way to work by a former partner, the individual must report the incident to the Director of Campus Safety/Clery Compliance Officer. If the individual designated as a confidential resource hears a student say that a picnic table in front of the Cheatham Dining Hall was set on fire, then the CSA would report an arson to the Director of Campus Safety/Clery Compliance Officer.
CSA Crime Reporting
When a Campus Security Authority (CSA) becomes aware of conduct or behavior that reasonably appears to constitute a Clery Act crime that occurred on our Clery Act geography, they must immediately report the incident to the Director of Campus Safety/Clery Compliance Officer via telephone 434-947-8144 or in person and complete a CSA Crime Report Form.
An employee may become aware of a criminal incident by witnessing an incident involving criminal behavior or by being told about such an incident. The Campus Security Authority (CSA) should not attempt to decide as to whether there is adequate evidence of a crime or whether the alleged incident occurred. The Campus Security Authority may not wait for criminal charges to be brought, arrests to be made, or determinations of guilt to be made.
A Campus Security Authority (CSA) must report the incident as soon as possible unless they (1) have good reason to doubt the validity of the information or (2) are certain that the incident has already been reported to the Director of Campus Safety/Clery Compliance Officer.
The Campus Security Authority (CSA) must report even if the information regarding the incident was shared with them in confidence (confidentially). If a victim does not want their identity revealed, the Campus Security Authority (CSA) may withhold the identity of the victim when making the report, except for incidents of sexual violence or sexual harassment.
CSA Resources
In addition to this document, for information on qualifying Clery Act crimes and geographical reporting boundaries, please refer to the Clery Act Compliance Policy and Clery Compliance Guidance & FAQs. If you have further questions, contact the Director of Campus Safety/Clery Compliance Officer at (434) 947-8144.
What is done with CSA Report Forms?
The Director of Campus Safety/Clery Compliance Officer reviews Report Forms and makes a determination if an incident qualifies as a Clery Act reportable crime and as such, is reportable in the Annual Security Report. The Director of Campus Safety/Clery Compliance Officer will consolidate crime data from multiple sources, report the data to the federal Department of Education, publish the campus Annual Security Report and inform the campus community when and where crime data is available. Randolph College Annual Security Report data are posted on the Campus Safety web site; gu9y.dbctl.com/campussafety. Hard copies of this report are also available, upon request, from Campus Safety.
Crime / Emergency and Non-Emergency Reporting
Regardless of your status ( CSA or non-CSA ), all community members are encouraged to promptly report all campus related criminal incidents and other public safety related emergencies to Campus Safety. For incidents requiring immediate attention, dial ‘0’ or 911, or use one of the “Blue Light” Emergency Phones /call boxes located throughout the campus. Non-emergency incidents can be reported by dialing ‘0’ from any campus phone; by calling (434) 947-8000 or in person at the Campus Information/Reception Desk in the Main Hall lobby (2500 Rivermont Avenue, Lynchburg, VA 24503).
