St. Olaf College is committed to promoting the safety and well-being of students, youth and others who are entrusted to our care. The College has adopted the St. Olaf Policy for the Protection of Minors to describe requirements placed on administrators, faculty, staff, students, volunteers and all others working with minors. This policy is intended to promote their protection, fulfill our obligation as mandated by law, and to provide the best possible experience for any minor visiting or in college-related programs.
- St. Olaf Policy for the Protection of Minors
Title: Protection of Minors Policy
Effective Date: 04-1-15
Issuing Authority: Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Contact: Mike Berthelsen at mikeb@stolaf.edu or 507-786-3018
Last Updated: 08-03-2023
St. Olaf is committed to promoting the safety and well-being of students, youth and others who are entrusted to our care. The purpose of this policy is to describe requirements placed on administrators, faculty, staff, students, volunteers, and others working with minors—to promote their protection, to fulfill our obligations as mandated by law, and to provide the best possible experience for any minor visiting our campus or in college-related programs. For the purposes of this policy, the terms “child,” “children,” “minor,” and “minors” refer to or describe individuals under the age of 18.
Policy Statement
It is the policy of St. Olaf College that the behavior of all faculty, staff and students is expected to align, at all times, with the college’s mission and appropriate documents that guide our community life. Unless an event does not fit the parameters of this policy, as noted below, any St. Olaf event which involve minors must be pre-approved in accordance with this policy. One-on-one contact with minors is highly discouraged and will only be approved in special circumstances. Any employees or students participating in events with minors must complete Sexual Abuse Awareness Training. Any individuals with potential to have one-on-one contact with minors must successfully pass a background check performed by Human Resources prior to the event occurring.
This policy does not apply to the following:
- Activities designed for students enrolled at the College (e.g., PSEO students, Orientation week).
- Admissions one-time informational interviews or tours held entirely in public locations.
- Activities that are open to the general public where minors are only incidentally present, generally with an adult. Typical examples are public lectures, athletic events, museums, nature centers, and theaters.
Procedures
All employees, students or departments must receive approval before hosting minors on campus or participating in a St. Olaf event off-campus with minors. The approval can be requested by submitting a Request to Host Minors Form. The request should be submitted at least two weeks prior to the event. If the event is approved, the following steps must be completed:
- All employees with assumed authority or students with assumed authority at the event must complete the online Sexual Abuse Awareness Training prior to the event occurring. Assumed authority is when one person’s position over another person is such that, based on the totality of the circumstances, they have the power or right to direct, control, give orders to, or make decisions for that person. This would include any student or employee volunteering or working at an event with minors entrusted to our care. Training is not required for events open to the public where minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian that are not being left in the care of St. Olaf employees or students. Completion of this training is required, at a minimum, every three years.
- Any individuals with potential to have one-on-one contact with minors must have a background check performed by Human Resources with satisfactory results prior to the event occurring. Cost of the background check must be paid for by the department hosting the event. Background checks should be completed every five years or re-checked if an employee separated employment for more than one year, unless they are working consecutive short-term or temporary assignments, in which case the five-year rule applies.
- The program director/instructor is responsible for collecting the Parent Permission and Registration Form and Child Behavior Agreement for every minor left in St. Olaf’s care for their program. If the minors are coming from a group, such as a school, the Group Guest Policies & Behavioral Expectation Agreement should be completed by the group instead of filling out a form for each child. If the minors are attending an event and will be under the care of their parent or guardian, neither form needs to be completed. The complete forms should be turned in to the Office of Student Activities (if the event is hosted by a student group) or the Finance Office (for all other events).
- An appropriate number of adult supervisors will be at each event based upon the activity. Whenever possible, allow for two individuals to be present for circumstances such as taking a minor to the restroom or taking a minor aside if they get hurt.
Outside groups holding events on campus are responsible and liable for ensuring the protection of minors. If a St. Olaf Department is waiving the facilities fee for an outside group, the department must contact the Camps, Conferences, and Events (CCE) group at 507-783-3031. If the waiver is approved, the outside group will be required to sign a contract assuming liability, and provide proof of insurance.
Residential Camps, Conferences and Events
- Residential staff must successfully complete an approved background check.
- Residential staff must fully complete online training for preventing sexual molestation.
- Staff with access to room keys must complete an approved background check.
- Residences will be staffed at a ratio determined by St. Olaf College.
High school and middle school: 15 to 1
Elementary school and younger: 10 to 1 - Posted signs in each residential room will give clear direction on how to contact staff or Public Safety if a guest feels unsafe.
- Residence Hall bathrooms will be assigned by age, as well as gender. Staff will not use same bathrooms as youth guests.
- Campers and guests will be directed and expected to lock rooms at night.
- Residential areas will be off limits to anyone who is not a camper/guest or appropriate staff.
- Program leaders must include a safety session during their event orientation meeting.
Prospective Student Admissions Visits
Day Visits:
- Campus tours will take place in public areas or in dorm areas with doors remaining open.
- Admissions interviews will take place in the Admissions Department in rooms with windows or side glass panels.
Overnight Visits:
- All overnight admissions visitors must adhere to and comply with the College’s behavioral expectations and rules.
- All overnight admissions visitors must complete an emergency contact form.
- The Dean of Students Office must approve residential hosts, following a check of College records.
- All overnight admissions visitors will be hosted by residents occupying double or triple occupancy rooms.
- All residential hosts must have completed the online Sexual Abuse Awareness Training prior to serving as a residential host.
One-to-one Instruction or Tutoring or Mentoring of Minors on Campus
- All college employees or students who are giving lessons, instruction or tutoring or mentoring to minors on campus must submit the Request to Host Minors Form for approval prior to starting lessons. If the lessons are approved, the Instructor must complete an approved background check and complete the online Sexual Abuse Awareness Training.
- Rooms or studios used for instruction or tutoring or mentoring must have a window that allows unobstructed views into them. If no window is available, the door must remain open throughout the session.
- Tutoring should be conducted in a public area such as open library areas and should not be conducted in a dorm room, home, or other off-campus location.
- Parents or guardians will not be restricted from attending sessions with their minor children.
Academic Civic Engagement (ACE) / Education Courses
- Raising awareness among St. Olaf students should be done to advise students to avoid one-on-one situations behind closed doors whenever possible. Faculty teaching ACE courses that involved interaction with minors should include discussion of relevant aspects of our Protection of Minors policy as part of the orientation to the ACE project.
- Students in courses that involve an ACE project working with minors will not be required to do the new training or get background checks (except when the sponsoring organization, like Northfield Public Schools, require it) as long as the project they are involved in is part of the course and with any one of the following present: the faculty member, staff from the school, or the children’s parents. After-school activities sponsored by the schools and taught by St. Olaf students as part of a course are the responsibility of the schools to supervise.
- When minors come to campus as part of an ACE course/school field trip, faculty will need to request permission to host minors, but will not need to do background checks or get parent permission slips. School field trips are events sponsored by a school and with teachers accompanying the student to campus.
Locker Room Use for Residential Camps, Day Events and Private Instruction
- If youth are receiving private coaching/instruction, they must use private bathrooms or stalls unless accompanied by a parent.
- If a camp is using a locker room, no other group or individual may use it during their designated time of use.
- Appropriate background-checked staff must supervise the locker room while camps are using the facility.
Oversight
The following individuals are responsible for oversight of minors on campus in their applicable areas, and are pre-approved to host without submitting the Request to Host Minors Form:
- Director of Events: Any events with minors that run through the Conferences Office
- Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid: Admissions events and prospective student visits
- TRiO and SSS Director: Any TRiO/SSS events with minors
All other events with minors covered by this policy are required to fill out the Request to Host Minors Form, where the following individuals are responsible for oversight of minors on campus for the event:
- Director of Student Activities is responsible for oversight for any student organization or student athletic club event with minors. The Request to Host Minors must be approved by the Student Activities Office prior to the event taking place.
- The employee requesting the event is responsible for oversight of minors on campus for the event. The Request to Host Minors form must be approved by the Finance Office prior to the event taking place.
This oversight includes:
- Ensuring that the Request to Host Minors form is completed and approved prior to the event, unless the department itself is pre-approved to host
- Making sure that online training is complete for all required individuals.
- Making sure any necessary background checks are completed and approved through Human Resources.
- Obtaining all required agreements and retaining all documents according to the College’s Record Retention/Destruction Policy (e.g., the Parent Permission and Registration Form and Child Behavior Agreement and/or Group Guest Policies & Behavioral Expectation Agreement).
Reporting of Sexual Abuse or Misconduct
Immediately report any signs of physical abuse, sexual abuse or neglect of a minor if you become knowledgeable of an incident or have reason to believe or suspect that a child has been abused or neglected within the preceding three years. An oral report must be made immediately (no longer than 24 hours), followed by a written report within 72 hours to the local child welfare agency or law enforcement. For more information on reporting requirements or definitions of physical abuse, sexual abuse or neglect, please see the Minnesota Department of Human Services website: http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/idcplg?IdcService=GET_DYNAMIC_CONVERSION&RevisionSelectionMethod=LatestReleased&dDocName=id_000152
Listed below are forms you may need to complete when requesting to host minors on campus.