EDUCATING IN A SAFE & SECURE ENVIRONMENT
In fulfillment of the U. S. Department of
Education's regulations under the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus
Security Policy & Campus Crime Statistics relating to the Student
Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act as set forth in the Higher
Education Opportunity Act [Public Law 110-315]
http://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/campus.html#statute
SWCC provides its students, faculty and staff with the following
information. Each year the U. S. Department of Education collects crime
statistics and publishes data for colleges and universities at its web
site:
SWCC seeks to provide its students, faculty and staff with a safe place to learn and work. The College will prosecute violators of local, state and federal laws in appropriate state and federal courts.
In an emergency a student, faculty member or staff member should use any of the following means to get help:
Call Campus Police by dialing HELP (4357) on any Campus office phone or phone on any elevator. If you are outside a building, special HELP phones are located at:
| Armory (back door), |
| Buchanan Hall (back of building facing parking lot), |
| Buchanan Hall (middle of the parking lot), |
| Charles R. King Community Center (entrance to weight room) |
| Dickenson Hall (front entrance), |
| Dickenson Hall Parking Lot (middle of lot on student side of lot), |
| Davis Hall (front entrance), |
| Davis Hall Parking Lot (middle of lot), |
| Pavilion #4 near the Football Field, |
| Physical Plant (front entrance) |
| Russell Hall (front entrance), |
| Tazewell Hall (entrance facing Buchanan Hall) |
Your call will put you in radio contact with a campus police officer. The Campus Police Office is located in the Physical Plant Building located on the lower level of the campus near the football field. Campus Police are on duty seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day (24/7).
On-Campus Phone Dial HELP 4357
Call 911 (for
emergency, life-threatening situations) On-Campus or Off-Campus
OR contact any uniformed Campus Police officer.
An alternative during the day is to contact the Associate Vice President
of Student Development Services at Ext. 7286 or 7287 during office hours
(8:30 am to 4:30 pm) or visit the office which is located in Tazewell
Hall (T-103). SWCC Counselors are available, if you want to discuss
other options.
When a victim reports a crime to campus police officers, SWCC will seek to honor the victim's request for anonymity to the extent that this is possible and is permitted under law. If you have any doubts whether to report something that has occurred, report it. Students, employees and third parties should report incidents as soon as possible after the incident occurs.
During non-business
hours, campus buildings are locked. Persons needing access during
non-business hours may request access by using the HELP phones outside
the buildings listed above. DIAL HELP (4357), which provides direct
radio contact with Campus Police.
Persons who are not authorized to be on campus (for example people who
disrupt College sponsored/sanctioned activities or loiter on campus)
will be escorted to the edge of the College's property and informed of
the Code of Virginia “TRESPASS ORDINANCE” or they will be taken into
custody if their behavior warrants an arrest.
SWCC Campus Police Officers have:
Full police authority within the jurisdiction of the SWCC campus and
off-campus locations leased for College sponsored events under Virginia
law (Campus Police Act, Title 23, Chapter 17, Sections 23-232 through
23-238 of the Code of VA).
SWCC Campus Police Officers may:
• Stop and question persons suspected of an activity that violates
college, state or federal laws.
• Make arrests and use appropriate force to uphold the law, preserve
life and protect property.
SWCC students, faculty and staff are encouraged to report crimes and
emergencies to Campus Police Officers and the Associate Vice President
of Student Development Services by telephoning them at the above numbers
or contacting them as listed on above.
SWCC seeks to encourage prompt notifications so that its Campus Police
may be proactive to prevent crime as well as reactive to incidents after
they take place.
For Code of Virginia citations relating to Campus Police go to:
http://leg1.state.va.us/000/src.htm
Type “Campus Police” at the search prompt.
SWCC police cooperate on an on-going basis with local and state law enforcement agencies in the service region.
Should an emergency occur in which local authorities respond, DO NOT ASSUME THEY KNOW YOU ARE NOT AT FAULT. Follow ALL instruction of the authorities, responding official(s), as they must quickly identify and contain any emergency situation.
In a medical emergency do no more than your qualifications and experience allows. Give aid, but do not cause harm. First aid kits are located in certain offices, labs, and with Campus Police. Generally, the College is not equipped to provide emergency medical treatment. This will be coordinated with outside professionals.
The college utilizes building wardens in each building to assist with
lockdown and evacuation if either action is required during an
emergency. Building wardens are trained on an annual basis and meet
periodically throughout the year to discuss issues related to campus
safety. If no electronic means of communications (phone or internet) are
available on campus, auxiliary communications will be provided through a
system of Building Wardens. Each Building Warden will be responsible for
communicating information between the Crisis Communication Team and
building inhabitants.
The President of the College, or the Public Relations Coordinator or
other designated representative, will activate the crisis communication
portion of the emergency plan when necessary. However, the college
community should be aware of the plan and of any role in it they may
have. If any member of the SWCC community believes a crisis is pending
or underway, he or she should report it immediately to the Campus
Police; then the President, Public Relations Coordinator, or the
Emergency Coordinating Officer.
The Public Relations Coordinator in conjunction with the President will
decide whether a news conference and/or news release is an appropriate
means of conveying information to the news media and the public after
consultation with local and state authorities. The Public Relations
Coordinator will determine the logistics of the news conference – when,
how the media will be contacted, which media will be contacted, who will
supervise the news conference, who will appear, etc. Other spokespeople
who can provide specific expertise may be called upon to speak to the
media. These likely individuals are the president, the emergency
coordinator and the chief of campus police.
The campus has the following communication methods available: HELP Line,
Campus Radio System, silent alarms, closed circuit TV system; digital
road sign, campus surveillance system, public email, student LISTERV
Email, life line phone, parking lot emergency phones, building access
emergency phones, word of mouth broadcast, King Center Intercom,
malicious call trace, 911, SWCC Emergency Webpage (
http://www.sw.edu/emergency ),
and SWCC alert http://alert.sw.edu .
The college maintains an Emergency Preparedness web page at:
http://www.sw.edu/emergency ,
which provides information on a variety of emergency events. In the
event of an emergency on the SWCC campus or at one of its remote
facilities, this web page will serve as your source for updates and
shared information from the SWCC Administration, along with other news
and print media. Please also review the
Quick Reference Emergency Guide
and other information on this page to become familiar with the College's
security policies and procedures so that you will know how to initially
respond in the event of an emergency.
In case of a health crisis information can be provided to targeted
stakeholders concerning symptoms and treatments. This information will
be coordinated with the Cumberland Plateau Health District and the
county emergency manager.
The College encourages faculty and staff to provide campus security procedures to students in orientation classes and other suitable venues. The Associate Vice President of Student Development Services and the Human Resources Manager will see that information relating to the annual campus security and completion rate report is made available to all students, faculty and staff each year.
So that students, faculty and staff are aware of the level of crime on the SWCC campus, the following statistics were reported to Campus Police or local police for 2008, 2009, and 2010:
SWCC Clery Act Crime Data
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | |
|
Arson |
0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Murder |
0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Manslaughter |
0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Robbery |
3 | 0 | 0 |
|
Burglary |
0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Forcible Sex Offense |
0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Non-forcible Sex Offense |
0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Aggravated Assaults |
0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Motor Vehicle Thefts |
0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Any Other Crime Involving |
0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Bodily Injury |
0 | 0 | 1 |
None of the above incidents [if any were reported] involved situations where those arrested evidenced prejudice based on race, religion, sexual orientation or ethnicity
.
SWCC Campus Police
Officers are in frequent contact with the Sheriff's Departments in
Buchanan County, Dickenson County, Russell County and Tazewell County
well as the Virginia State Police office located in Claypool Hill.
Illegal incidents involving SWCC students, faculty and staff are
transmitted to the Campus Police Officers. SWCC Campus Police
Officers have jurisdiction at off-campus student functions.
None of the following
law enforcement agencies reported receiving any Cleary Act related
incident involving Southwest Virginia Community College personnel or
students:
Virginia State Police
Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department
Dickenson County Sheriff’s Department
Russell County Sheriff’s Department
Tazewell County Sheriff’s Department
Town of Haysi Police Department
Town of Lebanon Police Department
Town of Tazewell Police Department
For assistance Off-Campus in emergency, life threatening situations
Call 911.
Campus Police Officers were involved in the following arrests involving drug, alcohol and weapons violations.
2009 2010 2011
Liquor Law Violations 0 0 0
Drug Abuse Violations 0 0 0
Illegal Weapons Violations 0 0 0
None of the above incidents [if any were reported] involved situations where those arrested evidenced prejudice based on race, religion, sexual orientation or ethnicity
.
The provisions of the Family Education Right to Privacy Act (Amended 1998) allows the College to report substance abuse violations to parents of students under 21, to disclose the results of College disciplinary proceedings in cases of violent crimes, and to release student records to the courts in the case of a parent/student lawsuit against the College.
Federal, state and local laws regulating the possession and use of alcohol on the SWCC campus are enforced by the SWCC Campus Police. SWCC does not permit the possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages on campus.
Federal, state and local laws regulating the possession, distribution, sale and use of illegal drugs are enforced by the SWCC Campus Police. SWCC does not allow the possession, use, sale or distribution of narcotics, stimulants, depressants, mind expanding or other dangerous drugs, except as expressly permitted by federal and/or state law.
SWCC provides information
about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. The College has counselors
available to discuss with students their abuse problems and concerns.
Counselors have working relationships with off-campus private and public
agencies, which deal with alcohol and drug abuse problems.
The Human Resources Office has an ongoing relationship with outside
agencies that provide employee assistance such as mental health and
substance abuse services.
SWCC defines physical and psychological abuse as misconduct, which is
subject to disciplinary action. Allegations of sexual harassment, rape,
acquaintance rape and other forcible and non-forcible sex offenses are
subject to disciplinary action.
Students are given information about how to deal with sex offenses
during their orientation program. The College Counselors are trained to
help students deal with sexual concerns and offenses. College Counselors
may provide students with information about off campus private and
public agencies who can assist them. SWCC's Human Resources Office has a
listing of professionals outside the College who may help employees deal
with sex related offenses.
The College encourages students to use its counselors and campus police
officers when they are involved in a sex offense. The Campus Police are
trained to inform victims of the importance of preserving evidence as
proof of a criminal offense.
State regulations require all SWCC employees to treat seriously any
allegation of a sex offense reported to them or face possible
disciplinary action by the college up to and including discharge.
If an incident occurs which is a violation of Virginia's criminal
statues, prosecution may be undertaken by the Commonwealth Attorney.
Regardless of whether criminal justice authorities choose to prosecute,
the College reserves the right to pursue disciplinary action.
When the College takes action:
If a student is involved in an incident with another student the
Associate Vice President of Student Development Services has
jurisdiction over the incident. SWCC will change a victim's academic
situation after an alleged sex offense occurs if the victim requests
such changes and options are reasonably available. Students found guilty
of misconduct may be penalized with any of the sanctions described in
the College Catalog and Student
Handbook.
If the student is involved in an incident involving a member of the
faculty, a counselor, or others who work for the College or if the
incident involves two college employees the President has jurisdiction
over the incident.
Options for Employees:
Employees may file a complaint with the Human Resources Manager, the
College President, their supervisor(s), or the College’s EEO Officer.
Employees may follow the Commonwealth Employees’ Discrimination
Complaint Procedure, which is administered by the Office of Equal
Employment Services within the Department of Human Resource Management.
Eligible employees may also use the State Employee Grievance Procedure,
which is administered by the Department of Employment Dispute
Resolution, to address harassment.
Also, employees may file a complaint with the federal Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission.
College employees may face suspension or dismissal under the
circumstances described in the Faculty Handbook, Classified Handbook or
the Commonwealth of Virginia's Standards of Conduct.
During any College disciplinary proceedings both the accused and the
accuser will have the same opportunity to have others present during any
session or meeting. Both the accuser and accused shall be informed of
the outcome of any proceeding in which a sex offense is alleged.
2009 2010 2011
Liquor Law Violations 0 0 0
Drug Abuse Violations 0 0 0
Weapons Violations 0 0 0
None of the above incidents [if any were reported] involved situations where those disciplined evidenced prejudice based on race, religion, sexual orientation or ethnicity
.
The College is committed to providing a safe environment for learning. As in our communities, there may be persons enrolled at SWCC as students who appear on Virginia’s Sex Offender Registry. In conjunction with the Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act, Section 1601 of Public Law 106-386 (HR 3244), the Commonwealth of Virginia enacted a sex offender registration act authorizing the Virginia State Police to release sex offender information to the public (Virginia Code 19.2.390.1). A list of registered sex offenders is provided at the following web address:
http://sex-offender.vsp.virginia.gov/sor/
If you desire to file a complaint alleging that SWCC is in noncompliance with the campus security regulations, you should submit your complaint in writing to the U.S. Department of Education, Family Policy Compliance Office; 400 Maryland Avenue, SW; Washington, DC 20202-5901. 1-800-872-5327 (ED Organizational Directory).
Web Address is:
http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/campus.html#resources
Web Address to get information on college:
http://ope.ed.gov/security/
Institutional Research Office, 21 June 2012