-
Jeanne Clery's Death
Jeanne Clery was asleep in her dorm when a fellow student raped and murdered her. In the three years prior to her death, 38 violent crimes had been committed on campus. Jeanne's parents became committed to improving student safety on campus (Jee & Good, 2017). -
Congress Passes Act
Jeanne's parents urged congress to pass a law to ensure that students are aware of crimes on campus. Congress passed the Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act of 1990, requiring all schools receiving federal funding to report campus crimes to the Department of Education (Lee, 2017). -
Amended
In 1992, the Clery Act was amended to include requirements regarding sexual offenses. The new requirements were put into place to ensure basic rights to students who were victims of sexual assault (Lee, 2017). -
Amended
The title of the act was amended to the Clery Act in memory of Jeanne Clery (Lee, 2017). -
Amended
In 2000, the Clery Act was amended to require schools to provide students with information on registered sex offenders (Lee, 2017). -
Amended
In 2008, the Clery Act was amended to requires colleges and universities to report emergency response procedures. Schools were now also required to alert students of any emergency situations occurring on campus (Jee & Good, 2017). -
Amended
In 2013, the act was amended to include dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and violence as reportable offenses (Clery Act Policy, n.d.). -
Impact on Higher Education
While the Clery Act has increased the security of students on campus, the act has challenged college and university personnel. Properly reporting all campus crimes is a cumbersome task but schools face large fines if they fail to comply. In 2016, Penn State was fined $2.4 million in relation to crimes committed by Jerry Sandusky (New, 2016). -
Predictions for the Future
Incidences of sexual assault and dating violence continue to increase on college campuses. However, due to the societal stigma attached to these kinds of crimes, many students are reluctant to report (Lee, 2017). In order for the Clery Act to continue to be successful, schools must seek ways to support students and encourage them to report crimes. -
References
Jee, J. M., & Good, D. W. (2017). The Clery Act: Student Awareness and Perceptions of Effectiveness at a Public University and a Private College in East Tennessee. Journal Of Academic Administration In Higher Education,13(2), 1-8. Lee, E. S. (2017). The Clery Act on Campus: Status Update and Gender Implications. New Directions For Community Colleges, 2017(179), 59-66. -
References (Continued)
New, J. (2016, November 4). Education Department's historic sanction against Penn State for Clery violations, Sandusky's abuse. Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/11/04/educationdepartm ents- historic-sanction-against-penn-state-clery-violations Clery Act Policy. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://clerycenter.org/policy-resources/