Protection of Minors FAQ
Equity and Access Services (EAS) officially interprets and administers the Safety and Protection of Minors on Campus policy. If you have any further questions, email EAS at youth@vcu.edu or call (804) 828-2841.
All Programs involving Minors must register with the Protection of Minors Office, Equity and Access Services. EAS will assist you in determining whether the other requirements of the policy apply to your Program and, if not, provide recommended guidance. Good practices for activities with Minors are that they be 1) conducted in the presence of two or more university employees or adult Volunteers who are trained and authorized to interact with Minors, 2) in open and public environments, and 3) age and developmentally appropriate. Additional factors to consider in determining supervision requirements include the type of activity and age/experience of staff members. The American Camp Association Guidelines also provide good practices, including ratios of staff to Minor participants. The wide variety of University and Non-University Programs involving Minors may necessitate Safety and Protection plans that go beyond the policy requirements in order to cater to the specific needs of a Program.
See section 2(i) of the Safety and Protection of Minors on Campus policy.
The VCU Integrity and Compliance Office provides a list of locations where reports can be made. Please visit their website to view options for reporting concerns.
Additional procedures concerning medical treatment, administration of medicines, emergency services, media photos & video releases and liability releases are available for consultation from Equity and Access Services upon request (email youth@vcu.edu). Some resources include the Center for Community Engagement and Impact’s Youth Programs Manual and this Program-Specific Safety & Protection Checklist. For additional resources related specifically to medical forms/procedures, consider the UVA Office of Youth Protection Resource Library (click on Health and Wellness in Youth Programs).
Yes, if you ever have One-on-One interaction with a Minor, then the policy applies to you. You must satisfy the requirements of the policy for a Tier I or Tier II Individual. Whether you are acting as a solo mentor with a Minor or as part of a group providing mentorships to Minors, the policy applies to you. If you are providing mentorships to Minors, register your activity with the Protection of Minors Office, Equity and Access Services.
You must register under the policy. However, you are exempt from the additional requirements of the policy if all of the following are true:
- You host shadowing more than once or for longer than a single eight-hour period;
- You and the Minor remain within the sight and sound of other adults at all times.
If you provide more than one eight (8) hour shadowing opportunity, even to different Minors, then you will need to meet the requirements for a University Program, including registering with the Protection of Minors Office, Equity and Access Services. Those faculty/staff allowing shadowing will be identified as Tier I Individuals.
Yes. If your Program involves Minors, and does not fit into one of the exceptions noted in the policy section, then the policy applies to you.
If Minors are eligible to participate in the Program, then you must prepare for the presence of Minors in compliance with the policy. Please consult with Equity and Access Services for further information regarding how to best proceed.
If you will be interacting with Minors outside of the presence of their parents, legal guardians, or Chaperones then you must either be under the Direct Supervision of a Tier I or Tier II Individual or be appropriately screened and trained as a Tier I or Tier II Individual.
Contact Equity and Access Services via email at youth@vcu.edu.
Contact VCU Student Commons and Activities via email at uscaevent@vcu.edu or call (804) 828-9502. For Residential Life and Housing Conference Services, email conferences@vcu.edu or call 804-828-7666. For RecWell, contact recsportevent@vcu.edu or call 804-827-0321. Individual departments can be reached using the contact information on their respective websites.
Information on conducting background checks is available through Equity and Access Services.
Complaints or concerns may be reported to the Program Supervisor, Equity and Access Services, or VCU Helpline at http://www.vcuhelpline.com or by calling 1-888-242-6022.
If the Program is not being conducted by a VCU department or unit, student organizations must contact the Division of Student Affairs to provide a Point Person, and this activity should comply with the policy as a Non-University Program, where the Program Supervisor is an officer of the student organization.
VCUHS is not a part of the university, but if the university hosts a Program operated by VCUHS, the policy applies. Similarly, if university employees or dual university-VCUHS employees are responsible for the Program or the Program is on university property, the policy applies. Youth Programs run by VCUHS employees who are not also university employees and are not on university property do not fall under this policy.
Yes. Any facility or property leased by VCU is university property for the purpose of the policy, and compliance with the policy is required for youth Programs at these locations.
Tier I Individuals who are VCU employees and have worked for the university for more than two years will need to undergo a biennial screening process. The Tier I Individual’s immediate supervisor is responsible for conducting these screenings.
Tier I Individuals not affiliated with VCU should consult with their organization’s human resources professionals or legal counsel for advice on conducting biennial screenings related to the policy. VCU does not have a role or responsibility in reviewing or interpreting background check results for outside entities.
Yes.
The policy does not apply to non-degree seeking students when they are in the course for which they have been admitted.