This publication describes the policies and programs the College has developed to foster a safe and secure environment conducive to the pursuit of education and personal growth. Please review this information carefully. If you have any questions concerning safety and security, contact the Security department at 574-284-5000.
Saint Mary’s College provides on-campus housing for approximately 1,300 students. The director of residence life and community standards coordinates the department. Staff includes residence hall directors, resident advisors, night assistants and student desk workers. The staff of full-time employees and student workers supports the safety and security programs in residence halls. Each resident hall has a front desk staffed 24 hours a day. A card access system restricts access to the private living areas of campus residents. In addition security officers make checks of all residence halls and administrative and academic facilities. Each year during staff orientation, all residence life staff are provided with appropriate instructions and training concerning safety, security, policies and procedures. This includes training of the resident assistants by Sex Offense Services (S.O.S.) personnel.
Additional information concerning residence life policies and procedure is available online or from the director of residence life and community standards.
Environmental and lighting concerns are monitored continually by the security department staff. Building services and maintenance department staff provide all services dealing with safety and security hazards that are structural or mechanical in nature.
The campus compliance officer and student government leaders conduct an annual safety survey of the campus in the fall semester. Safety improvement concerns and recommendations are then shared with the President’s Cabinet.
To report a crime in progress or a medical emergency dial 9-1-1 from any campus phone or if outside you may use a campus (blue light) phone, by simply pushing the emergency button or dialing 9-1-1 to ring directly in to the 911 center. For non-emergencies dial 5000 to contact campus security.
Emergency telephones, signified by blue lights, are available at various locations on campus. These phones are equipped with a 911 emergency button along with a keypad to dial non-emergency numbers. If calling from another source (cell phone or non campus phone) dial 574-284-5000.
The security department encourages students, faculty staff and guests to report all criminal/suspicious activity to the department immediately at (574-284-5000. An officer will be dispatched to your location to take a report and to follow up on the incident. You may report crimes or suspicious activity anonymously online. If an incident occurs off campus, a report will need to be filed with the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction. The Saint Mary’s College security department will assist you in notifying the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction.
The security department under the administration of the vice president for student affairs, is responsible for campus security. The department, by Indiana Law and the board of trustees action may employ sworn security officer, but normally relies on state and local agencies for polices services. The department employs security officers that provide security services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The department has a collaborative working relationship with the Saint Joseph County Sheriff’s police (primary police responder), the Indiana State, South Bend, Roseland, Mishawaka and the University of Notre Dame Police Departments, which are called upon occasionally to assist the College with investigations on reported crimes.
Local law enforcement:
In an effort to provide timely notification to the Saint Mary’s College community and provide information concerning any serious incident or event that poses an on-going threat, a blast email Crime Alert message is sent to all. The alerts are generally written by the Director of Security or his/her designee and are approved by the Vice President of Student Affairs. The Crime Alerts may be additionally posted on the Crime Alert page of the Security website or on flyers posted in residence hall locations and common areas of the campus identified in bold print to be Crime Alerts on colorful paper.
The College, in compliance with the Clery Act publishes this brochure yearly to provide students, faculty, staff and others with an overview of campus security, fire safety, emergency response and notification ( both timely warnings and immediate danger) as well as other available services, procedures and resources. The security department uses the FBI Uniform Crime Report (UCR) program, Hate Crime Data Collection and the National Incident-Based Reporting System guidelines and queries local law enforcement agencies to gather statistical information on crime occurring on and immediately adjacent to the campus. The statistical information is included in this crime awareness brochure. Additional information pertaining to campus safety and security programs can be obtained by contacting the director of security, the director of residence life and community standards, or the director of human resources. Disclosure of information regarding registered sex offenders can be obtained from the Indiana Sex and Violent Crime Registry at http://www.icrimewatch.net/indiana.php or through the Department of Corrections at Dept. of Corrections inmate locator
Copies of the employee manual are available for review in the human resources office.
The Saint Mary’s College “All Hazards Response Plan” (condensed version) can be viewed at the Security Web site. The full version of the "All Hazards Response plan" which includes emergency action plans, plus evacuation and shelter in place procedures, can be viewed on the Saint Mary's College intranet home site. You can find the full plan in downloadable PDF. form by clicking on the orange Emergency Crisis Procedures link. A printed version of the plan distributed to college departments is also available for viewing. The College conducts numerous emergency response exercises each year which may include tabletop exercises, emergency notification system tests and drills. These tests are designed to assess and evaluate the emergency plans and capabilities of the institution.
Campus Security under the direction of the Vice President of Student Affairs is the first responding agency to campus emergencies. Incidents involving the need for emergency notification such as Tornado Warnings are issued by the security dispatch through the Blackboard-Connect-Ed time sensitive mass notification system. Other types of emergency are assessed and the Director of Security is contacted. In incidents where it is determined that a dangerous or emergency situation exists in which there is an immediate threat to the health or safety of some or all members of the SMC community an alert message will be sent by the Director of Security, the Vice President of Student Affairs or the Crisis Communications Team as identified in the “All Hazards Plan”. Depending on the severity of the incident other local, state or federal agencies may be called to assist.
Campus security and fire safety procedures are discussed during new student and new employee orientation programs. Campus security, Women’s Health, Residence Life, and others from both on and off-campus partners coordinate and present numerous programs each year to students in residence halls on a variety of campus safety, crime prevention, fire safety, women’s health issues, alcohol and drug awareness programs and dating dangers to name some. Other programs of interest are encouraged and may be requested through hall directors. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to become familiar with policies, procedures, crime tips, crime prevention, fire safety, health safety and incident specific protocols found in the “All Hazards Plan” and to become a safe campus partner responsible for your own personal safety and the safety of others.
As a caring and concerned community Saint Mary’s College strives to provide a safe environment. The College encourages well informed, safe, decision making. We understand the importance of quick action should a student be reported missing.
It is important that you keep the following in mind while conducting your daily routine:
Important: We encourage you to share information with friends, family or hall staff when you are leaving campus. Sharing this information allows us to locate you should we need to.
Missing Student protocol: In the event a student is reported missing, College Security should be notified immediately at 574-284-5000. Security will respond to collect needed information such as when, where and what time the missing student was last seen and a description of her clothing at that time. The Director of security will be contacted and an attempt to locate the missing student will begin.
The Director of Security will contact the Vice President of Student Affairs and the Director of Residence Life and Community Standards. Emergency contact information on file with Student Affairs for the missing student will be given to the Director of Security.
Note: The Director of Security will continue to exhaust all means possible to locate the missing student while continually communicating and coordinating efforts with the investigating agency. Updates will be given to Media Relations as they become available.
It is a fact that rape and sexual assault occur on college campuses across the country. The highest rate of victimization occurs within the 16 to 24 age group. Rape or sexual assault may involve a stranger as the assailant. More frequently, the assailant is an acquaintance. This acquaintance may be a date, a friend or someone you have just met in a class, through a mutual friend or at a party. Rape and sexual assault are unacceptable behaviors on campus, off campus or anywhere in the community.
A danger for all college women is the availability of "date rape" drugs. When added to alcohol or soft drinks, these drugs cannot be detected as they are colorless, odorless and tasteless. These drugs impair their victims and leave them vulnerable. If you feel any of the following, tell someone and get to a safe place immediately: disproportionately intoxicated to the amount of alcohol consumed; inability to stay awake/sudden drowsiness; confusion/impaired judgment; dizziness/poor motor coordination; slowed heart rate. Some individuals have experienced coma or seizures. Death can occur from these drugs. Do not leave your drink unattended and do not accept a drink from another person.
Saint Mary's College is committed to maintaining an environment that provides education, support and timely information related to rape and sexual assault for all students, faculty and staff. The following information discusses prevention, reporting procedures and support services.
Sexual Assault: Attempting or making sexual contact, including but not limited to inappropriate touching or fondling, with another against the person's will or in circumstances where the person is physically, mentally or legally unable to give consent.
Rape: Penetration of the anus/vagina by a male sexual organ against the victim's will or without his/her consent. An individual who is mentally incapacitated, unconscious, or unaware that the rape is occurring is considered unable to give consent.
Remember: Most rapes and sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows! Reporting these crimes will not only help the victim in the healing process, but provide society with accurate statistics of this unfortunate reality.
You can expect to be treated with respect, learn what your options are, and to be supported during this difficult time by all college staff.
If a student (complainant) has been the victim of an act of violence (including sexual offenses) allegedly committed by a Saint Mary's student, the complainant has two options. The report filed internally with the security department will be investigated at the request of the victim. Once the investigation is complete the case will be forwarded to the director of residence life and and community standards. The director of residence life and community standards will ask the complainant if she wishes to have internal disciplinary proceedings brought.
The disciplinary sanctions available, should a student be found to have engaged in an act of violence, are the same as those available for any other violation of college policies, up to and including dismissal from school.
A victim may also seek to file criminal charges through the local police and the St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office. This process is initiated by contacting Saint Mary's College safety and security department. If necessary, the appropriate police agency will be contacted. The safety and security department will provide transportation and assistance to any student wishing to file criminal charges.
Should the alleged assailant be a student at the University of Notre Dame, the victim may file a complaint with the University of Notre Dame Security/Police Department. The Department of Residence Life and Housing at the University of Notre Dame will be notified and will pursue on-campus disciplinary charges through Notre Dame's internal disciplinary process.
To pursue criminal charges, contact should first be made with the Saint Mary's College security department. The department will assist the student to contact the St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office and the appropriate police agency (the St. Joseph County Sheriff's Department, South Bend City Police Department, Roseland Police Department, Mishawaka Police Department, Notre Dame Police Department or the Indiana State Police).
No one should be forced, coerced or manipulated into unwanted sexual activity. Sometimes acquaintance rape is a pattern for the assailant. Victims are always encouraged to report information. In this way, appropriate steps can be taken to determine whether a pattern exists and to deter future assaults. However, the decision to report an incident rests with the victim. No member of administration or faculty can or will force a student into any specific course of action.
If a Saint Mary's student is the victim of a sexual assault and is pursuing disciplinary action through the University of Notre Dame, she may contact the Saint Mary's director of residence life and community standards for assistance. The director will provide the student with information and assistance in following steps involved in the University of Notre Dame judicial process. In addition, a student may also receive assistance from a resource person for victims of sexual assault at the University of Notre Dame. The resource person can be contacted through the Office of Residence Life and Housing at the University of Notre Dame, 631-5551.
Should a Saint Mary's student be the victim of rape or sexual assault, the following several steps are important in beginning the process of recovery:
Campus Ministry - The trauma of rape or sexual assault often causes a student to doubt herself, others, and God. Rape or assault calls into question issues of trust and heightens her feelings of fear. The members of Campus Ministry are available to provide a safe place to listen and discuss the incident, to offer referrals and accompany the victim if she wishes, and to provide the opportunity for spiritual healing during this very difficult time. The Campus Ministry staff respects confidentiality.
Women's Health/Counselors - Because the experience of rape and sexual assault involves a sense of powerlessness, loss of control, and traumatic violence, licensed professional counselors work to provide each student with a safe, calm and confidential environment. The victim can expect the counselor to listen, be understanding, be patient, and help the student to know it was not her fault. Adequate time will be provided for talking through her experience and concerns. The student will be encouraged to set her own pace in this process. Some students wait a long time before they tell any one about their assault. Students will receive the same care and support whether the assault happened yesterday or last year.
The need for medical attention is important. Counselors will discuss the importance of physical well-being and the benefit of immediate medical care for sexual assault. The victim will receive assistance in arranging these services and in accessing transportation, and will be encouraged to have a friend or counseling staff member accompany her.
A counselor will support the victim's need to regain control of her life by letting her make medical, reporting and notification decisions. Because working through options takes time, continued support will be available through ongoing meetings with the victim's counselor. Decision-making and recovery are a process. The timetable is different for each person. Throughout the process, students will be encouraged to develop and use personal sources of emotional support via trusted friends and family as well as Saint Mary's offices of Campus Ministry, Residence Life and other individuals she selects.
All students are encouraged to report incidents to the Saint Mary's College security department. A counselor offers assistance in making arrangements to file a report and will accompany the student to the meeting if she wishes. The Women's Health staff does not file a formal detailed report with the College at the time of the event. Rather, the counselor maintains the student's communication as confidential, as required by Indiana state statute, and encourages the student to report the incident directly.
Women's Health Center - As has been stated before, medical attention is imperative in cases of rape or sexual assault. Even if you elect not to pursue internal disciplinary proceedings, file a criminal charge, or file a formal report, it is important to seek treatment for potential sexually transmitted diseases or injuries that may not be outwardly apparent.
The medical staff of Women's Health is available to provide a student with the medical testing and treatment of minor injuries within their scope of responsibility. The staff will assist in facilitating treatment of other medical needs arising from an assault. The staff is also available for follow-up services. The Women's Health staff respects confidentiality.
The staff will file the appropriate mandated incident report without providing any identifying information as required by the Clery Act for those crimes including rape and sexual assault which are committed on property owned or controlled by or immediately adjacent to Saint Mary's College.
Residence Life - The RL hall directors are on-call through a pager system from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 a.m. Monday through Thursday and 5:00 p.m. Friday through 8:00 a.m. Monday. The resident advisors and the front desk staff in each hall are aware which hall director is on-call. In the event a resident advisor or front desk staff member at a residence hall is told or becomes aware of an act of violence, she will page the on-call hall director immediately.
In the instance of a sexual assault or other emergency situation, the hall director will request an ambulance if needed. It is the policy of Saint Mary's security to dispatch an ambulance whenever one is requested. If it is not an emergency, the hall director can contact security to provide transportation to the hospital. The hall director does not necessarily have to be on the scene to authorize such transport. Security will also bring the student back to campus if requested to do so by the student or hall director.
The hall director or resident advisor is available to accompany a student to the hospital at the request of the student.
| Emergency (Police, Fire, Medical) | 9-1-1 |
| Security (24 hours) | 574-284-5000 |
| Student Affairs | 574-284-4571 |
| Residence Life | 574-284-4522 |
| Women’s Health | 574-284-4805 |
| Campus Ministry | 574-284-5391 |
| Human Resources | 574-284-4542 |
| Sex Offense Services (S.O.S.) Crisis Line | 574-289-HELP |
| S.O.S. Office line (Open 8 a.m.- 5 p.m.) | 574-283-1308 |
| Saint Joseph Medical Center | 574-237-7264 |
The Higher Education Act 120(A) - (D) requires that institutions of higher education adopt and implement programs to prevent the use of illicit drugs and the abuse of alcohol by students and employees.
Indiana state law prohibits those who are under 21 years of age from buying, consuming or possessing alcoholic beverages. Only those students who are 21 years of age or older are permitted to possess or consume alcohol on the campus.
The College prohibits the unlawful manufacture, distribution, possession, sale or use of illegal drugs or controlled substances without a prescription on campus. Violation of this policy is handled according to guidelines set forth in the student code of conduct or employee handbooks and will result in disciplinary action as well as possible legal consequences.
Students or employees seeking information or assistance with an alcohol or drug-related problems may consult staff members of Women's Health services, Residence Life, or Campus Ministry. College employees can receive assistance through the College's Employee Assistance Program with complete assurance of confidentiality and concern.
The possession, carrying, and use of firearms, ammunition or other dangerous weapons or explosives is prohibited on College-owned or controlled property. The only exception is for safety and security department officers authorized by the College. Failure to comply with the College's policy will result in disciplinary action up to expulsion and termination as set forth in the student and employee handbook, as well as possible legal recourse.
The security department maintains a "Together for a Safe Campus" program. To make our campus as safe as possible, the entire campus community's cooperation and involvement in this program is absolutely necessary. Students, faculty, and staff must assume responsibility for their own safety and for the security of their personal belongings:
