CRIME AWARENESS AND CAMPUS SECURITY

The Board of Trustees of Western Wyoming Community College intends to comply fully with the letter and spirit of the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990 (Public Law 102-542), renamed the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act in 1998, referred to as the Clery Act.

Procedure 3910L.1

CRIME AWARENESS AND CAMPUS SECURITY

Effective November 8, 1990, Congress enacted the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990 which has since been amended by the Clery Act. Since the Board of Trustees of Western Wyoming Community College intends to comply with the requirements of the Clery Act, the Board hereby directs the administration to prepare, publish and distribute administrative policy statements that comply with the letter and spirit of the Clery Act.
Policy statements shall be issued covering the following areas:
1) Procedures for students to report criminal activities;
2) Security at campus facilities;
3) Availability and authority of campus law enforcement;
4) Programs available to inform students about security and the prevention of crime;
5) Recording of crime through local police agencies; and;
6) Possession, use and sale of alcohol and drugs.

Furthermore, the administration shall prepare, publish and distribute statistical reports that identify referrals for disciplinary action, the occurrence of campus crimes, and the number of campus arrests for crimes specified in the Clery Act.  These policy statements and statistical reports should be published in publications or mailings that are available to students and employees, as well as prospective students and the higher education community, upon request.

Adopted February 25, 1993
Revised December 12, 2002
Reformatted April 29, 2010

Procedure 3910L.2

BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION TEAM

Reference:  Policy 1310F: Grievances Under the American with Disabilities Act; Policy 3910l:  Crime Awareness and Campus Security; Policy 5110C: FERPA;

Western Wyoming Community College (the College) is committed to fostering an environment that promotes safe learning and employment opportunities. The College has developed a Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) that is authorized and equipped to assess, intervene and monitor potentially disruptive student behaviors that may pose a threat to the individual, or others.

Definitions:

Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) is a centralized, representative group, which meets regularly to support its target audience via an established protocol. The team receives reports of student or visitor behaviors of concern.  Reports can be submitted by employees, community members, friends, colleagues, students, etc..  The team gathers additional information as required, and participates in recommending appropriate mechanisms for support, intervention, warning/notification and response. The team tracks risk factors and trends in behavior, and provides feedback to constituents on larger issues of concern within the community.

Behaviors of concern are incidents that are disruptive, concerning, and/or threatening, and indicate that individuals represent a potential risk to themselves or the campus community. Such incidents are necessarily subjective; however, as a guide to the types of behavior the BIT should review, and the factors to be considered, refer to the National Behavioral Intervention Team Association (NaBITA) 2009 Whitepaper, “Threat Assessment in the Campus Setting.” (Sokolow, Brett A., et al)  https://nabita.org/docs/2009NABITAwhitepaper.pdf

The College’s BIT will:

1. Gather information to assess reports of behaviors of concern;
2. Assist faculty, students, and staff in identifying and reporting behaviors of concern;
3. Connect individuals displaying behaviors of concern with appropriate campus and community resources;
4. Recommend appropriate intervention strategies for individuals displaying behaviors of concern;
5. Provide ongoing support to faculty and staff in working with individuals displaying behaviors of concern; and
6. Monitor ongoing behavior of individuals who have displayed behaviors of concern.
   1. BIT members may provide each other with information about a student or employee being monitored by the BIT to protect the health, safety, and privacy of the student or other persons to generate a recommended course of action in accordance with applicable legal and professional standards of confidentiality, including the release of information pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).
   2. Confidentiality of information and records considered by the BIT shall be maintained in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws, and Board policies.
7. Prohibiting retaliation against any person who, in good faith, reports acts or threats of violence pursuant to this or any other applicable law or policy. Note: Every reasonable effort will be made to protect the safety and anonymity of anyone who comes forward with concerns about a threat or act of violence.
8. Creation and publication of procedures for reporting incidents to the BIT.

BIT is not punitive and shall not serve as a disciplinary board.  It shall serve as the central point of contact for threat assessments involving students.

At the discretion of the College President, the BIT may include representatives from the Dean of Students office, Protective Services department, representatives from Student Learning, and representatives from Student Support Services.  Whenever necessary, legal advice will be sought from the College attorney.

The BIT shall meet, at a minimum, once per semester and thereafter as needed.  This team will also attend relevant annual training. The training shall include information regarding the role of the BIT on campus, reporting procedures, confidentiality requirements, and the threat assessment model utilized by the institution. 

Training to the College community shall occur annually, preferably at the beginning of the academic school year, and will include, at a minimum:

• The mechanisms to alert College leadership to the possibility of campus disruptions, particularly acts of violence. Note: Anonymous mechanisms shall be in place for those that may not report for fear of “getting involved.”
• Confidentiality of information shall be released only on a need-to-know basis within the campus community and in accordance with federal and state laws and regulations.

The BIT shall create an annual report of incidents and College leadership shall utilize information gleaned to assess future threats, prioritize action and resources in order to meet its mission. 

Approved: April 26, 2022