Clery Act
What is the Clery Act?
The Clery Act is a federal consumer protection law that impacts colleges and universities that participate in the Federal student financial assistance programs.
The Clery Act provides parents, current and prospective students and employees with important disclosures about the university’s security and fire safety policies and the impact of crimes in and around the campus. The goal of the Clery Act is to provide information for the consumer.
For a better understanding of the background and importance of the Clery Act, please read the story of Jeanne Clery.
How do I report a violation of the Clery Act?
In general, all crimes should be reported immediately to the university campus safety department. When calling campus safety, if there is a life threatening emergency, someone should be immediately directed to call 911 in order to start a response from the Sheriff’s Department or Fire Department.
Mandatory Reporters under the Clery Act have additional reporting responsibilities and receive annual training and forms for these purposes.
Annual Security and Fire Safety Report
The university publishes and distributes an annual security and fire safety report by Oct. 01 to all enrolled students and employees.
The annual report for the university is available, here:2021 Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report
The Clery Act requires the university to include four general categories of crime statistics in the annual security report that occur on campus “Clery Geography.” These categories include certain criminal offenses, hate crimes, VAWA offenses, and arrests and disciplinary actions for violations of law concerning liquor, drugs, or weapons.
The Clery categories are defined within the Clery handbook published by ED, here:The Handbook for Campus Safety and Security Report (June 2016).
Clery geography is defined by ED, as: On campus property, in or on noncampus buildings or property, and on public property immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus.
Parents and prospective students can compare crime and fire statistics for all colleges and universities at: Campus Crime Statistics.
Daily Crime & Fire Log
The Daily Crime & Fire Log is a separate requirement of the Clery Act and is meant to provide timely information on reports of all crimes, alleged crimes, and housing facility fires reported to the university campus safety department.
Students and employees are encouraged to report ALL crimes and fires that occur on or around the campus to the campus safety department, to ensure the university responds appropriately and also is able to meet our Clery Act responsibilities.
The most recent 60 days of reported crimes is available electronically on the university web page for campus safety.
Timely Warning / Emergency Notifications
When a life threatening situation or significant emergency occurs, the university alerts registered users via MUSTANG ALERT. The alert will be sent via text messages to cell phones and a desktop alert to employee computers.
Students and employees must opt-in to MUSTANG Alert to receive text messages by navigating to Self-Service / My Profile/ Phone Numbers to add or update a cell phone number.
Campus Security Authorities (CSAs) Training and Report Forms
All individuals of the university designated as “Campus Security Authorities” or “CSAs” are mandatory reporters under the Clery Act and must report when notified of violations occurring on university Clery geography (see above). Please note, there are instances where an off campus academic program or activity may be considered “Clery geography” by ED, so it is important to report on all violations connected with university programs or activities. Clery officials will receive the report and make a determination if the incident must be counted.
In accordance with the Clery Act, the university has identified certain roles on campus as CSAs, which include: campus safety staff; deans; resident directors; resident assistants; athletics and coaching staff; and faculty and staff who have “significant responsibility” for student or campus activities outside the classroom such as a faculty advisor to a student club.
Clerical staff, support staff (plant operations, cafeteria workers), faculty who only have responsibility for teaching in the classroom and certain pastoral or professional counselors are not CSAs.
Employees of the university who are not CSAs may still have reporting responsibilities under Title IX as “Official with Authority” related to sexual misconduct occurring both on and off campus. Please refer to the university Title IX web page for more information, here.
CSAs must annually view the university Clery Act training video hosted on the KnowBe4 platform (use TMU credentials).
The university CSA Report Form for the Clery Act is available here. When sending in your report form, please email the report form to the Director of Campus Safety, or enclose it in an envelope marked confidential via on campus mail for the Administrator at Box #34.
Clery Compliance
The following employee has been designated to handle inquiries regarding university compliance with the Clery Act:
Bryan Kortcamp DIRECTOR OF CAMPUS SAFETY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
661.362.2687 | bkortcamp@masters.edu
21726 PLACERITA CANYON ROAD, SANTA CLARITA, CA 91321