Published in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Statistics Act (hereinafter referred to as the Campus Security Act).
The Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act
The Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act was signed into law in November 1990. Title II of this Act was known as the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act which was amended and renamed in 1998 as the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Statistics Act, then amended by the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA) effective July 1, 2015.
This law mandates that institutions receiving Title IV federal funds disseminate crime statistics for certain serious offenses that occurred on campus and in adjacent areas for the current and previous two calendar years. The purpose of this report is to provide current and prospective faculty, staff, and students with campus safety information including crime statistics and procedures to follow to report a crime. This document was compiled by the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs.
This reporting responsibility goes beyond “official” reports and must include incidents reported to identified staff even if a victim or student who reports a crime does not want to pursue action and wishes to remain anonymous. All college officials with “significant responsibility for student and campus activities” are required to report crimes. These officials include administrative staff, academic deans, Residence Life and Housing staff (including all residence hall directors and all residence hall student staff), the Student Conduct Office, University Police, Athletics (including all full- and part-time coaches), the Title IX Coordinator, and all advisors and coaches to student clubs and organizations. Visit the University Police website, Crime Statistics/Reports/Forms page for the suggested reporting format. See Reporting Crimes for options and contact information.
Reporting Locations
This law requires that campus report specific criminal activities that occur on campus property and specific areas around those properties. Note that crimes occur in the community beyond what is required to be reported in this document. Students, employees and community members are advised to exercise caution in ALL locations.
On Campus is defined as any building or property owned or controlled by the institution within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area and used by the institution in direct support of, or in a manner related to, the institution’s educational purposes, including residence halls; and any building or property that is within or reasonably contiguous to the area identified in this definition that is owned by the institution but controlled by another person and supports institutional purposes (such as a food or other retail vendor). At Cortland, this includes the main campus property, the McDonald Building, Main Street SUNY Cortland (through May 2017), and the Lynne Parks ’68 SUNY Cortland Alumni House.
Non Campus is defined as any building or property owned or controlled by a student organization that is officially recognized by the institution; or any building or property owned or controlled by an institution that is used in direct support of, or in relation to, the institution’s educational purposes, is frequently used by students, and is not within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the institution. Note that in 2017 we were informed that the student organization Alpha Phi controlled the sorority house at 39 Tompkins St., Cortland, NY making it a non-campus property. The campus owns/operates property at the Outdoor Education Center at Raquette Lake in the Adirondacks, Brauer Field Station on the Helderberg Escarpment near Albany, Hoxie Gorge Nature Preserve outside of Cortland, and the Mohawk Valley Graduate Center.
Public Property is defined as all public property, including thoroughfares, streets, sidewalks and parking facilities, within the campus or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus.
Related Websites
Missing Students
If a member of the university community has reason to believe that a student is missing, they should immediately notify the University Police at 607-753-2111. Do not wait if you believe a student is missing. In addition to registering a general emergency contact, students have the option to confidentially identify an individual to be contacted in the event the student is determined to be missing. A student who wishes to identify a confidential contact can do so through the myRedDragon portal, select the Student tab, then Related Links and select Update/Edit/View Emergency Contacts and designate the person in the “Relationship” drop down as their missing student contact. A student’s confidential “Missing Student” contact information will be accessible only by authorized campus officials and law enforcement in the course of the investigation.
On-campus students: University Police will generate a missing person report and initiate an investigation. University Police will notify all local police agencies pursuant to the Memorandums of Understanding. University Police will notify the student’s “Missing Student” emergency contact and the student’s parents/guardian if the student is under 18 years of age (and not considered emancipated) within 24 hours of the University Police determination that the student is officially “missing.”
Off-campus students: The investigation will be referred to the proper local law enforcement agency and the University Police will assist said agency.
Reporting Crimes
In an effort to encourage accurate and prompt reporting, all members of the campus community are urged to report criminal incidents, emergencies and suspicious activity. The campus emergency number is 607-753-2111 or 911. These numbers should be used for all fire, medical, and police emergencies.
All reports are classified, logged and responded to thoroughly. The off-campus emergency number is 911. Crimes in progress and any other emergency on campus can be reported directly by any student or employee to University Police who can also be reached by using the campus emergency blue light phones or the residence hall door phones that have a “red” campus police emergency button. University Police officers are dispatched immediately to the site of the report. Incident reports are prepared and kept on file.
SUNY Cortland has the authority to pursue student conduct action for incidents occurring off campus that violate College policy including federal, state and/or local laws, statutes, and ordinances.
SUNY Cortland's Silent Witness Program
The University will not retaliate or allow any retaliation toward a person(s) who reports alleged violations of the Clery Act.
These offices and departments allow victims and witnesses to report crimes:
- University Police Emergency: 607-753-2111
- University Police Non-Emergency: 607-753-2112, Whitaker Hall, Room 110
- Vice President for Student Affairs: 607-753-4721, Corey Union, Room 407-A
- Student Conduct Office: 607-753-4725, Corey Union, Room 409
- Student Health Service: 607-753-4811, Van Hoesen Hall, Room B-26
- Residence Life and Housing Office: 607-753-5570, Van Hoesen Hall, Room B-57
- Athletics Department: 607-753-4953, Park Center, Room E-302
- Counseling Center: 607-753-4728, Van Hoesen Hall, Room B-44
- Campus Activities and Corey Union Office: 607-753-2321, Corey Union, Room 406
- Recreational Sports: 607-753-5585, Student Life Center, Room 1201
- Student Support Services: 607-753-2066, Van Hoesen Hall, Room B-1
- Title IX Coordinator: 607-753-4550 (direct) or 607-753-2263 (office) Miller Building, Room 404
- William H. Parks Family Center for Environmental and Outdoor Education: 607-753-5488 Professional Studies Building, Room 1131 at Raquette Lake: 315-354-4784
Campus personnel will assist victims with the on- and off-campus reporting process and provide support.
Different employees on campus have different abilities to maintain a victim's confidentiality. Our mental health counselors and health care providers acting in their professional capacities can maintain confidentiality. They may, however, encourage (when appropriate) reporting the crime on a voluntary basis for inclusion in the annual disclosure of crime statistics. Other reporting agents can treat information as private, but are required to communicate certain information to appropriate authorities.
Crime statistics are distributed monthly and yearly through email and posted on the University Police website.
No matter how safe our community is, the potential for crime exists everywhere, including college campuses. Everyone in the community must do their part to minimize risk whenever possible.
SUNY Cortland will, upon written request, disclose to the alleged victim of a crime of violence (as that term is defined in Section 16 of Title 18, U.S. Code), or a non-forcible sex offense, the report on the results of any disciplinary proceeding against a student who is the alleged perpetrator of said crime or offense. If the alleged victim is deceased as a result of said crime or offense, the next of kin of the victim shall be treated as the alleged victim for the purposes of this paragraph.
Unfounded Crimes
A crime can only be unfounded if the report is found to be false or baseless. A crime is not considered unfounded if someone is found not guilty, not arrested, or not charged. Unfounding is an extreme and rare measure to be used when, using a reasonable investigative standard, sworn law enforcement determine that the reported crime did not happen. Only sworn/commissioned law enforcement can "unfound” a crime. This does not include a district attorney.