Campus security and safety is an important feature of postsecondary education. The Department of Education is committed to assisting schools in providing students nationwide a safe environment in which to learn and to keep students, parents and employees well informed about campus security. These goals were advanced by the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990. The Department is committed to ensuring that postsecondary institutions are in full compliance with that Act, and enforcement of the Act is a priority of the Department.
The Handbook for Campus Safety and Security Reporting
The Handbook for Campus Safety and Security Reporting PDF (2.56 MB) (February 2011)
This handbook was developed by the U.S. Department of Education to present step-by-step procedures, examples, and references for higher education institutions to follow in meeting the campus safety and security requirements of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. This handbook replaces The Handbook for Campus Crime Reporting.
Campus Safety and Security Reporting Training
The U.S. Department of Education’s newly revised online tutorial is an audio/visual companion to The Handbook for Campus Safety and Security Reporting. It is designed to be used after reading the handbook to help you apply the HEA safety- and security-related reporting requirements to your institution. Within the training you’ll find examples, scenarios, questions and answers, and references to specific parts of the handbook.
Campus Safety and Security Reporting Training (captions off by default)
Campus Safety and Security Reporting Training (captions on by default)
Title 20--Education; Chapter 28--Higher Education Resources and Student Assistance; Subchapter IV--Student Assistance; Section 1092.
See Section 1092(a) and Section 1092(f)
RegulationsThese regulations govern the consumer disclosure requirements for institutions that participate in the Federal student financial assistance programs.
Data on Campus Crime
Campus Crime Statistics Online. Parents and students can now use the Internet to review campus crime statistics for colleges and university campuses online.
Summary Crime Statistics for 2007-09 are now available. Parents and students can now review the summary national crime statistics for colleges and universities online. These data are presented in four parts:
Suggested Resources: A list of Web sites that support the sharing of resources postsecondary institutions may use to inform and tailor their campus sexual assault training and prevention efforts.
The Emergency Management for Higher Education (EMHE) grant program supports institutions of higher education (IHE) projects designed to develop, or review and improve, and fully integrate campus-based all-hazards emergency management planning efforts.
The Action Guide for Emergency Management at Institutions of Higher Education (PDF) can help personnel from higher education institutions and their partners better understand the field of emergency management within a higher education context, develop and implement an institution's emergency management plan, and/or serve as a reference and resource to improve an institution's existing plans. The revised Action Guide is not meant to serve as a prescriptive document but, rather, is intended to provide a number of resources and references to facilitate the emergency management planning process for institutions at all levels of knowledge and development.
The Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center supports K-12 schools, colleges, and universities in providing emergency management resources, training, and publications with improving and strengthening their emergency management plans through the provision of resources, responses to technical assistance requests, and facilitation of Emergency Management for Schools Training events.
Family Policy Compliance Office. This office within the U.S. Department of Education implements the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA). Parents and eligible students who need assistance or wish to file a complaint under FERPA or PPRA should do so in writing to the Family Policy Compliance Office.
College Drinking Prevention. College Drinking: Changing the Culture, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Travel Warnings and Consular Information Sheets. Should a student consider studying in a foreign country, the U.S. Department of Education suggests that he or she visit this Department of State Web site prior to making a final decision.
FBI Crime Reporting Systems. Information on crime in the United States can be obtained at the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Web site.
U.S. Department of Justice -- Office on Violence Against Women. Information and resources are available from the Department of Justice's Violence Against Women Office to stop domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Includes Grants to Reduce Violent Crimes Against Women on Campus.
U.S. Department of Justice -- COPS Program. The Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant program makes funds available for a number of purposes. Postsecondary institutions can use funds to strengthen security.
FSA Handbook. The FSA Handbook describes the consumer information, including the campus security, requirements that an institution must provide to students, the Department, and others.