Adult: Any person 18 years of age or older.
Authorized Adult: All individuals authorized to care for, interact with, supervise, chaperone, or otherwise have access to or contact with a Youth in a Youth Program. This includes University employees (faculty, staff, non-faculty academic employees), students, volunteers, and non-University employees, volunteers, and other individuals.
Child Abuse and Neglect: Physical abuse, physical neglect, medical neglect, sexual abuse, or emotional/mental maltreatment of a child.
Exempt Programs: Non-residential, single-occurrence events, conferences, or other uses of University facilities in which youth may be present, but is not a program offered primarily for youth participants and for which responsibility for the supervision and welfare of those youth rests with parents, guardians, schools, or external organizations.
General Use Facilities: Areas on campus or affiliated facilities where the public is permitted without special permission, such as the Oval and University Center.
Grooming: The testing and manipulation of physical, psychological, and behavioral boundaries over time that may lead to abuse. Examples include attempting to be alone with youth, spending excessive time with youth beyond program norms, demanding secrecy, giving frequent gifts, and failing to respect physical or emotional boundaries.
Guardian: The person legally responsible for a youth, including natural parents, stepparents, legal guardians, or any individual with legal authority to make decisions for the youth.
Guest Speaker: An individual invited to make a presentation or facilitate instruction for a limited and defined time, who is never left alone with youth and does not share personal contact information.
Permission-Granting Unit: An academic or administrative unit responsible for the coordination of space usage and/or for conducting the youth program activity.
Primary Point of Contact (PPC): The individual designated by the Permission Granting Unit who is responsible for communicating and coordinating all program-related requirements with the Youth Safety & Compliance Office.
Program Staff: All Authorized Adults who work with or have responsibility for youth in a Youth Program, including University faculty, staff, students, volunteers, and non-University organizations.
Youth: Any person under the age of 18.
Youth Program: An academic, athletic, or recreational activity offered primarily for youth participants, including summer camps, sports camps, workshops, conferences, competitions, and other enrichment programs. May be residential or non-residential. Programs are classified as in one of three program tiers. Additional information can be found on page 3.
- Tier I Youth Program: A youth program conducted and managed by an external entity utilizing University facilities, which may include overnight use. The external organization retains full responsibility for the supervision, welfare, and compliance obligations regarding youth participants. The University's role is limited to providing access to facilities. The University does not conduct, host, or sponsor the program or activity. As a condition of facility use, external entities must certify that they maintain youth protection policies, background check requirements, and supervision standards consistent with or equivalent to those required by the University.
- Tier II Youth Program: A non-residential, low physical activity program for non-matriculated youth, conducted, hosted, or sponsored by a University academic or administrative unit, on or off University property. In such programs, an authorized adult other than a parent or legal guardian assumes custodial care and responsibility for participants from drop-off (check-in) through release (check-out).
- Tier III Youth Program: A residential or non-residential high physical activity program for non-matriculated youth, conducted, hosted, or sponsored by a University academic or administrative unit, on or off University property. In such programs, an authorized adult other than a parent or legal guardian assumes custodial care and responsibility for participants from drop-off (check-in) through release (check-out).
Youth Safety & Compliance Office (YSCO): Housed within the Office of Educational Initiatives & Innovation and serves as the central resource for oversight and compliance of all youth programs.