UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State Office of Ethics and Compliance is recognizing National Corporate Ethics and Compliance Week by highlighting various areas of compliance across the University. “Timely Warning” texts, campus security authorities, and the release of campus security crime statistics are all necessary elements of Penn State’s compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, commonly known as the Clery Act -- a federal consumer protection act designed to help students and employees be proactive about their own safety.
Penn State keeps the campus community informed of crimes on campus by publishing crime statistics and issuing timely warnings and emergency notifications about certain crimes and emergency situations on campus. Other steps to keep the University community informed included the maintenance of a daily crime log on the University Police and Public Safety website and publishing an annual security report.
Penn State has an institutional obligation to comply with Clery Act requirements, and because of the law’s scope, compliance requires cooperation across dozens of University offices and extends outside campus borders to include other partners, such as local law enforcement. Documenting the location of a crime, for instance, might involve the Office of Physical Plant, University Police and Public Safety and the Office of General Counsel. Depending on the type of incident, the Office of Student Affairs, the Office Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response, University Athletics and Human Resources may also be involved.
Penn State’s compliance with the Clery Act also depends upon thousands of individuals across the University who are designated as “campus security authorities.” These individuals are selected because of their role at Penn State, and are required to report crimes occurring on or around campus that they witness or that are reported to them in good faith. Campus security authorities include public safety employees, deans, athletic coaches, victim advocates and Residence Life staff, among others. To report a crime, campus security authorities should visit https://www.absecom.psu.edu/CAMPUS_SECURITY/security-incident-form.cfm.
The U.S. Department of Education enforces the Clery Act, and the current penalty for non-compliance includes fines of over $58,00 for each violation, and loss of eligibility to participate in Title IV federal funding. The Clery Compliance Office, within University Police and Public Safety, coordinates the Clery Act compliance process for Penn State’s campuses and assists with the interpretation of unique elements of the regulatory requirements.
For more information about the Clery Act, please visit https://www.police.psu.edu/clery.