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LU Policy Number: SA.041
Effective Date: 09/26/2021
Approval Date: 10/31/2021
Revised Date: N/A
Purpose: The purpose of this policy is to promote the well-being and security of minors entrusted to the University’s care during their participation in university sponsored programs and activities, or those sponsored by third-party entities using university facilities. This policy also establishes guidelines for the guest policy as it pertains to individuals under 18 years of age.
Additional Authority: N/A
Scope: The policy applies to all members of the Life University community, including, but not limited to, faculty, staff, students, administrators, third-party vendors, contractors, occupants of University housing or facilities, and volunteers. This policy applies broadly to all University programs and/or activities serving one or more minors whether conducted on or off campus including those conducted in person or in an online or virtual format.
Exclusions/Exceptions: The policy does not apply to:
- Programs and/or activities on campus which are open to the general public and which minors attend at the sole discretion of their parents or guardians (e.g., athletic events, concerts, plays, etc.).
- Programs and/or activities, including experiential programs, for minors who are enrolled university students.
- Non-residential field trips to Life University supervised by a minor’s school or organization.
- Student recruitment activities, including open housing and admissions visits/tours, that are scheduled to last no longer than one day and do not include an overnight stay.
- National tests offered by Life University.
Approval Authority: President
Responsible Authority: Executive Office, Division of Student Affairs, Division of Academic Affairs, Athletics, Enrollment, Campus Recreation and Wellness, Housing and Residence Life
Recipients: Executive Office, Division of Student Affairs, Division of Academic Affairs, Athletics, Enrollment, Campus Recreation and Wellness, Housing and Residence Life
Publications: N/A
Definitions:
Adult: An individual 18 years of age or older.
Authorized Individual: Individuals, paid or unpaid, who are authorized by Life University officials to have direct contact with minors, including the supervision of minors. This includes, but is not limited to, faculty, staff, volunteers, students, interns, third-party entities/organizations, and independent contractors/consultants.
Background Investigation: A report including an individual’s criminal history and sex offender registry.
Campus: For purposes of this policy, “campus” includes all buildings, properties, facilities, and areas that are owned, leased, managed, operated, or controlled by Life University.
Child Abuse: Includes physical injury or death inflicted upon a child by an Authorized Individual by other than accidental means provided, however, physical forms of discipline may be used as long as there is no physical injury to the child.
Child Neglect: Child neglect includes neglect or exploitation of a child by an Authorized Individual if said neglect or exploitation consists of a lack of supervision, abandonment, or intentional or unintentional disregard by an Authorized Individual of a child’s basic needs for food, shelter, medical care, or education as evidenced by repeated incidents or a single incident which places the child at substantial risk of harm.
Classroom: Refers to all University facilities or campus locations where academic instruction is occurring.
Contact/Interaction with Minor(s): In the context of this policy, contact or interaction with minors is contact that is direct and reasonably anticipated. The term does not include interaction that is merely incidental.
Direct Contact: Interacting with, supervising, chaperoning, or otherwise overseeing minors in program activities or in recreational and/or residential facilities on behalf of the University or as part of a third-party program sponsor.
Minor: A person under the age of eighteen (18). This policy does not apply to enrolled Life University students under the age of 18.
Program: Any program and/or activity operated by any University unit, or by third party organizations. This includes, but is not limited to, any sports camp, academic camp, workshops, mentoring activity, internships, conferences, and research projects. Excluded from this definition are:
a. Programs and/or activities on campus which are open to the general public and which minors attend at the sole discretion of their parents or guardians (e.g., athletic events, concerts, plays).
b. Programs and/or activities, including experiential programs, designed for enrolled University students.
c. Non-residential field trips to Life University supervised by a minor’s school or organization.
d. Student recruitment activities, including open houses and admissions visits and tours, that are scheduled to last no longer than one day and do not include an overnight stay:
e. National tests offered by Life University.
Program Sponsor: The primary Life University employee acting on behalf of the Sponsoring Unit who is responsible for the organization and execution of the program, including adherence to this policy. The Program Sponsor is also considered an Authorized Individual for the purposes of this policy.
Sponsoring Unit: The academic, administrative, or athletic unit of the University that offers a program or facilitates the use of university facilities.
Third Party Activity: Non-affiliated third-party organizations or agencies that utilize Life University resources to host any programs serving minors.
University-Affiliated Activity: Any program or activity (including any single camp, workshop, mentoring activity, research project, or internship) operated by a Life University sponsoring unit in which minors participating in the program or activity are supervised by Life University Authorized Individuals.
Visitor/Guest: An individual, regardless of age, in a university facility or residential complex who is not affiliated with the university as an employee, enrolled student, vendor, or contractor.
Volunteer: An individual, regardless of age, who provides services to, or on behalf of, the University or third-party entity and,
- Has no legal duty to do so.
- Has no personal interest or gain from the activity.
- Receives no compensation or consideration for the services provided.
Workplace: Refers to all University facilities that may be used as laboratories, studios, classrooms, hospitals and clinics, or offices, as well as any other spaces used in carrying out University business including, but not limited to, conference/meeting rooms, examination rooms, university-owned vehicles, and vehicles owned by a vendor or third-party contract.
Policy Title
Minors on Campus Policy
Policy Statement
This policy will address the presence of minors on campus in these primary areas:
- As visitors in the Workplace
- As visitors in the Classroom
- As patients in the Clinic
- As visitors in the Residence Halls
- As attendees to residential or commuter camps/conferences held on campus
Minors as Visitors in the Workplace
Any visit involving minors, other than a brief, occasional visit by a family member, requires appropriate supervisory, department administrative, or faculty instructor approval. Minors are not permitted in high-risk nor high-traffic areas except where specifically allowed otherwise by university policy and/or approval.
High-risk areas are defined as areas particularly subject or exposed to a danger likely to result in harm or injury. Examples of high-risk areas include, but are not limited to:
Food preparation areas
Areas containing power tools or machinery with exposed moving parts or rotating equipment (mechanical rooms)
Areas with heavy-duty or other motorized equipment
Laboratories or specialized work areas that include chemical hazards, biological hazards, radioactive hazards, flammables, explosives, compressed gases, sharp objects, lasers, research animals, electrical hazards, hazardous wastes, or other environmental hazards
Other high-risk areas (rooftops, construction zones, etc.)
High-traffic areas are defined as areas where there is a large volume of people, busy areas, heavily frequented areas, or well-trodden areas. Examples of high-traffic areas include, but are not limited to:
Departmental or office front desk areas
Minors as Visitors in the Classroom
Minors are not allowed in the classroom as it may interfere with instruction and be a distraction to other students. Students have the option of participating synchronously, asynchronously, or remotely rather than bring a minor to class.
Minors as Patients in the Clinic
Unsupervised children are not permitted in the clinical facilities at any time. Certain restrictions have been instituted for safety and orderly clinic operations. A child, who is disruptive and behaving poorly, may be asked to leave by the Clinic Director or his/her designee.
Individuals under the age of eighteen (18) may not become patients of the Life University Chiropractic Clinics without the written consent of a parent or legal guardian.
Children age fifteen (15) and under must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian on each visit to the Life Chiropractic Clinics. If it is impossible for a parent or guardian to accompany the child, another individual may be designated by the parent or guardian to accompany the child to the clinic for services other than examinations, re-examinations and report of findings. The designated representative must be eighteen years of age or older and may not be a student in Life University’s College of Chiropractic unless the student is the parent or legal guardian. This individual must present a notarized statement from the parent or guardian so designating him/her as the representative of the parent or legal guardian.
See Life University Campus Center for Health and Optimum Performance (Level 1 Clinics) Intern Handbook for policies related to minors in the clinic.
Minors as Visitors in the Residence Halls
Minor visitors may be allowed, subject to applicable University policies and the exceptions outlined herein, in student residential housing floors or rooms, but must be escorted at all times by their resident host or by their parent/legal guardian.
For visits and/or overnight stays, the resident host is responsible for the minor guest and must accompany them at all times. Residents are not permitted to host minor guests under the age of 16 for visits unless the guests are siblings or children of the resident and are subject to the published overnight guest policy. If the minor guest is unrelated to the resident host and is under age 16, the minor’s parent or guardian must also be present at all times. Residents are not permitted to host overnight guests under the age of 16; requests for exceptions for siblings of the resident may be reviewed and must be approved 24 hours in advance of the stay by the Office of Housing and Residence Life. Residents who violate these policies may be referred to the Office of Conflict Resolution and Accountability.
See Life University Community Living Standards for policies related to resident guests and overnight visitation.
Minors Attending Camps/Conferences on Campus
All programs serving minors held on Life University campus facilities or utilizing Life University’s name or resources in any way must operate under the administrative purview of a Life University sponsoring unit. All programs must be reviewed before the program activities involving minors occur. All sponsoring units must submit compliance and risk management documentation related to the camp/conference to the Senior Director of Student Affairs Auxiliary Services for review prior to the camp/conference start date.
For residential camps, please see Resident Camper Policy SS.023.
Background Investigation for Authorized Individuals
All Authorized Individuals with primary responsibilities involving the direct interaction with minors are required to have a current satisfactory background investigation on record with Life University at the time of hire and/or involvement with minors.
Mandatory Training
Program Sponsors are responsible for ensuring that all Authorized Individuals who will have direct contact with minors complete all required and necessary training prior to having contact with activities involving minors on Life University property. The Program Sponsor is responsible for keeping a certificate of completion on file for all Authorized Individuals.
All Authorized Individuals must complete Life University approved training prior to having contact with minors. The training will include, but is not limited to:
Mandatory reporting requirements
Responsibilities and expectations
Safety and security procedures
Housing policies and protocols (for residential camps)
Third-Party organizations must agree to conduct training for their staff/counselors and inform them of the university notification procedures in the event of an emergency. They must also provide proof that all Authorized Individuals, employees, contractors, or agents charges with the supervision of minors for the event at any Life University facility have passed a background check.
Procedure(s)
University employees, vendors, and contractors who wish to bring minors to the university for extended periods during work hours must submit a request, in writing, to their supervisor seeking approval at least 24 hours prior to bringing the minor to campus.
Students who wish to attend class asynchronously must inform their professor by completing the asynchronous assignment to count toward attendance.
Written authorization by the parent or legal guardian must be obtained for minors between 16-18 before undergoing initial procedures in the Clinic, including any portion of the patient’s case history takes place. The parent or legal guardian must be present during the initial examination process and remain present through the completion of the Report of Findings, signing of the informed consent, and first adjustment.
Written consent for minor 15 or under must be obtained from the parent or legal guardian before any services are performed on the minor child. If written consent is not obtained, no Clinic services will be performed on a minor child.
The written consent of the parent or legal guardian must be signed in one of the clinical facilities and must be witnessed by a member of the clerical or professional staff.
Resident hosts must register overnight minor guests at least 48 hours in advance of the stay by completing the guest registration form on StarRez. The resident host must provide the age of the guest and documentation that the minor’s parent or guardian approves the visit.
The minor’s parent/guardian must complete a Minor Guest Registration Form which will need to be validated to the Residence Life Staff at least 48 hours prior to the minor’s visit. Resident host must contact the Office of Housing and Residence Life to obtain the form.
During operational office hours, minor guests should be registered at the Office of Housing and Residence Life by calling the main office number. Outside of office hours, residents need to call the Resident Assistant on duty to register their guest.
It is the responsibility of residents hosting a minor to ensure that their guest(s) are registered and escorted at all times.
Other Notes
N/A
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