5 Important Things to Know About the Clery Act

5 Important Things to Know About the Clery Act

Content Warning: This article includes references to sexual assault and interpersonal violence.

The following information is being provided so that you can make informed decisions about your safety. We encourage all community members to care for their needs and well-being while reading this article, especially those who have been impacted by similar forms of violence.

CARE provides free and confidential support and advocacy to students, staff, and faculty who have experienced sexual violence, including sexual assault, relationship violence, and stalking. Please call the 24/7 confidential phone line (805) 893-4613 any time to explore your rights, options, and support. CARE website: care.ucsb.edu

Information about UCSB’s policies and support resources for sexual violence can be found at: titleix-dhp.ucsb.edu

Understanding the Clery Act:

The Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act is named for first-year student Jeanne Clery who was sexually assaulted and murdered in her residence hall at Lehigh University. The law named to honor her is designed with transparency and accountability in mind. Here are 5 important things you should know about the Clery Act and how to stay informed about campus safety:

1. The Clery Act is a consumer protection law that requires colleges and universities to make information about reported crimes and campus safety policies readily available to the public. After Jeanne's death, her parents learned there had been 38 violent crimes in and around Lehigh in the previous three years, and had they known that they may have made a different choice about where Jeanne went to school. Since standards for campus crime reporting did not exist at the time, they lobbied Congress to pass the Clery Act to make that kind of information available to students and families. The Clery Act is meant to help both current and prospective students and employees make informed decisions about where they study, live, and work.
2. Each year, in compliance with the Clery Act, colleges and universities publish their Annual Security Report (ASR) by October 1^st. Campuses with on-campus student housing also publish an Annual Fire Safety Report (AFSR). These reports contain important information about campus policies concerning crime prevention, crime reporting, alcohol and drug use, sexual and interpersonal violence, student discipline, campus evacuation, fire safety systems, and much more. It is intended to be a one-stop resource guide for information about campus safety and security. UC Santa Barbara’s combined Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (ASFSR) can be found here: https://www.police.ucsb.edu/asfsr
3. The ASFSR includes statistics for the previous three calendar years concerning crimes that are reported to have occurred on campus, in certain off-campus buildings or property, and on public property adjacent to and accessible from campus. These numbers reflect reports of sexual assaults, hate crimes, alcohol violations, motor vehicle thefts, and dating violence, among other crimes. In addition to crimes reported via police reports, statistics include crimes reported to Campus Security Authorities (CSAs) such as RAs, Student Conduct staff, Title IX/ DHP staff, coaches in Athletics, and other staff responsible for student activities on campus. We know that not all crimes are reported to police. By including reports from CSAs we ensure UC Santa Barbara's statistics are as accurate as possible, so people know what crimes are being reported on and around campus. (Keep in mind that higher statistics do not necessarily mean the campus is less safe. It may be an indicator that people are more open and comfortable reporting when a crime occurs.)
4. Under the Clery Act, colleges and universities must have a system in place to notify the campus community in the event of an emergency or threat to campus. That system on our campus is known as UCSB Alert and we send two types of messages to all students and employees:
   1. Emergency Notifications: sent by text and email when there is an emergency or dangerous situation on campus that involves an immediate threat to health or safety (i.e., hostile intruder, bomb threat, natural disaster, etc.). The purpose is to provide life-saving information and instructions during an active emergency. NOTE: Text messages must be opted into by registering a phone number (see “UCSB Alert” below).
   2. Timely Warnings: sent by email when a Clery crime that occurs on Clery geography represents a serious or ongoing threat to the campus community. In addition to warning community members, these messages are meant to aid in crime prevention and provide important resources and safety tips. 
   3. All students and employees are automatically registered for UCSB Alert with their UCSBnetID@ucsb.edu email address. To add a cell phone number to receive text messages, or to add additional email addresses, login in to alert.ucsb.edu with your UCSBnetID and password. UCSB employees and students may add family members if they wish. 
5. Another way to stay informed about safety on and around campus is through the Daily Crime & Fire Log (DCFL) maintained by UCPD. The DCFL is typically updated every business day and includes all crimes reported to UCPD that occur in UCPD’s patrol jurisdiction. It also includes a record of fires reported to have occurred in on-campus student housing facilities. The DCFL provides data for the most recent 60 day period, thereby offering updated information.

We all play an important role in campus safety and security and we encourage you to use this information about the Clery Act to keep yourself informed. Together we can all maintain a healthy, safe, and positive environment at UC Santa Barbara.

For any questions about the Clery Act please contact:

Clery Act Coordinator Lorraine Madden at (805) 893-4001 or lmadden@ucsb.edu

Manager of Accreditation and Clery Act Compliance Jessica Fougere (805) 893-2324 or jfougere@ucsb.edu