Campus Security Act of 1990

In accordance with the Campus Security Act of 1990 and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act of 1998 (referred to as the “Clery Act”), MCC publishes a Campus Security Report in October of each year. This report includes statistics for the previous three years concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus, in off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by MCC and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. This report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning sexual assault, and other matters. The Security Report is available online and a hard copy is available at the front desk in Building 1 on the Williamston Campus.

Counseling

The chief function of counseling at MCC is to assist students who may have a personal or social concern in adapting to the College environment. Necessary resources and referrals are provided when appropriate. Individual counseling sessions are available. Students are encouraged to contact the Office of Admissions, Counseling, and Student Support Services as a need arises.

On-Campus Emergency/Health

Martin Community College does not provide any direct health services. Information for area health care providers and support agencies is provided as necessary.

Health and medical needs are referred to local health care providers, and, when appropriate, local emergency agencies. For non-emergency medical needs, first-aid kits are maintained in each College building and every laboratory area.

Students are encouraged to report any health condition which may affect their ability to participate in classes or may pose a risk to other individuals. The College encourages students to voluntarily share that information with the appropriate College employee, such as an instructor, advisor, or to the Office of Admissions, Counseling, and Student Support Services.

Accident Insurance

All full and part-time curriculum students are provided accident insurance. The accident insurance covers students during the hours they are in school and while going to and from school. (Note: To be eligible to file a claim for damages or losses resulting from an automobile accident under the policy, a student must be traveling on the most direct route to or from school. Any interruption of travel while en route to or from school may disqualify the student from receiving any compensation or benefits for losses suffered, including the loss of a life.)

Americans with Disabilities Act and Disability Services

Martin Community College supports the Americans with Disabilities Act and is sensitive to the needs of students with documented disabilities. Students who wish to request accommodations should contact the Office of Admissions, Counseling, and Student Support Services.

Safety Precautions

For reasons of safety, students are reminded to enter and leave buildings through the main and side doors and not through labs and shops. Students enrolled in lab or shop classes are reminded that they must wear goggles and/or other types of personal protective equipment (PPE), as required by law, while working on shop projects or performing lab experiments.

Inclement Weather

In cases of inclement weather, Martin Community College will announce by 6:15 a.m. the status of opening or closing the College through appropriate local media outlets; via text, email, or phone call; and/or through an announcement on the College’s website. The College shall make a concerted effort to make up any college closing or hours of instruction which are missed due to inclement weather or unexpected conditions. A variety of approaches shall be utilized for this purpose including the following:

• Extending the length of the class session meeting times remaining in the semester.
• Conducting classes on Friday nights.
• Conducting classes on Saturdays.
• Extending the length of the semester.
• Special arrangements with instructors of individual classes as approved by the Chief Academic Officer.
• Extra assignments through Moodle.

Other arrangements may be presented to the appropriate Chair for his/her consideration. Exceptions may be made if the request does not appear to diminish the quality of the College’s operation.

The college must maintain documentation of how instruction was rescheduled or otherwise made up until released from all compliance reviews.

Reporting Emergencies

In the event of an emergency, such as a fire, campus violence, etc., follow the instructions of the Building Coordinator or other staff/faculty member. If you discover a fire and a staff/faculty member is not immediately available, pull the nearest fire alarm and exit the building.

If there is a need for immediate medical/first aid attention, notify the switchboard operator by picking up any red emergency phone or dial “0” on any in-house telephone or (252) 792-1521 from a cell phone or outside line. When calling, stay calm and explain the nature and location of the emergency.

Campus Security and Crime Awareness

Martin Community College (MCC or College) shall comply with the requirements of the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Title II of Public Law 101-542, amended 1998), also known as the Clery Act. The Security Report is available online, and a hard copy is located at the front desk in Building 1.

Reporting Crimes

It is the policy of Martin Community College to require all persons to report all known and suspected criminal activities and other emergencies that occur on campus to the Vice President of Operations/Business and Industry Services. The MCC switchboard operator shall be available during normal business hours so that reports of an urgent nature may be reported. The Vice President of Operations/Business and Industry Services, having been notified of an incident, shall notify appropriate personnel, including law enforcement personnel, and investigate and document the incident.

Martin Community College encourages anyone who is the victim of or witness to criminal incidents that occur at MCC sponsored off-campus activities to report them to the appropriate law enforcement agency having jurisdiction. If a victim or witness does not wish to pursue action under the MCC system or the criminal justice system, he/she may file a report on the details of the incident with the Vice President of Operations/Business and Industry Services without revealing his/ her identity. The purpose of a confidential report is to comply with one’s wish to keep the matter confidential, while taking steps to ensure the future safety of the campus community. Reports filed in this manner shall be included in the Annual Crime Report.

All criminal activities that occur on any MCC campus or at MCC-sponsored activities, including off-campus activities, shall be reported by the College President, or his/her designee, to the appropriate law enforcement agency.

Security of and Access to Campus Facilities

Access to MCC facilities (e.g., buildings) shall be provided to the public Monday-Thursday, 7:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. and Friday, 7:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., except for scheduled holidays or announced periods of closure. Access at other times shall be controlled by the assignment of keys and alarm system access codes.

Access to private offices shall be controlled by the assignment of keys to individuals.

Access to classrooms or sensitive areas (e.g., Maintenance facilities, network server rooms, etc.) shall be controlled by assignment of keys to responsible faculty and/or staff members.

Lockdown

If there is a campus intruder who is armed, the campus will go on lockdown. Students who are on campus should seek cover in a classroom and follow the instructor’s directions while the campus is on lockdown. If students are outside, they should seek concealment behind cars, dumpsters, or other large objects, using extreme caution to prevent being a visible target. Cell phones should be put on vibrate immediately. Students who are off campus will be notified by email to remain off campus until the emergency is resolved.

Campus Law Enforcement

The College receives support from local and State agencies having jurisdiction. These security personnel have complete police authority to apprehend and arrest anyone involved in illegal acts, either on or off campus.

Alcohol and Illegal Drugs

See Drug and Alcohol Policy.

Title IX Policy: Discrimination on the Basis of Sex & Sexual Misconduct

Martin Community College is committed to providing a learning and working environment that promotes personal integrity, civility and mutual respect in an environment free of discrimination on the basis of sex, which includes all forms of sexual misconduct. Sex discrimination violates an individual’s fundamental rights and personal dignity. Martin Community College considers sex discrimination in all its forms to be a serious offense. This policy refers to all forms of sex discrimination, including but not limited to: sexual harassment, sexual assault, and sexual violence by employees, students, or third parties. See the complete MCC Title IX Policy and procedures on the MCC website.

Firearms and Other Weapons on Campus

Martin Community College endorses North Carolina General Statute 14-269.2 ”Firearms and Other Weapons on Campus.” It is therefore prohibited to possess or carry weapons as defined by GS 14-269.2 or powerful explosives as defined by GS 14-284.1 on College premises or to a curricular or extra-curricular activity sponsored by the College. This includes hunting rifles left in vehicles in parking lots.

Students who possess (openly or concealed) or use a Class I Felony Weapon of any kind or powerful explosive (see definitions) on campus or at a campus-related activity sponsored by the College will be suspended from enrollment for a period of not less than one year. For a second offense, the student will be expelled.

Employees who possess (openly or concealed) or use a Class I Felony Weapon of any kind or powerful explosive on campus or at a campus-related activity sponsored by the College will be terminated from employment at the College.

Students who possess (openly or concealed) or use a Class I Misdemeanor Weapon (see definitions) will be suspended from enrollment for a minimum period of at least one semester. For a second offense, the student will be expelled.

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Certain exceptions are made in GS 14-269.2(g) for weapons used solely for educational purposes or a College approved program conducted under the supervision of an adult whose supervision has been approved by the College (e.g., BLET).

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Records Collection and Retention (Clery Act)

The College shall establish and maintain records of crimes reported to the Vice President of Operations/Business and Industry Services. Records to be kept include, but are not limited to, copies of crime reports; Daily Crime Logs; records of arrests made on College property and referrals for disciplinary action related to criminal activity; Timely Warning reports; and documentation such as letters to and from local police having to do with Clery Act compliance.

The College shall establish and maintain a Daily Crime Log and ensure that it is open to public inspection. This Crime Log shall include all reported crimes, not just Clery Act crimes. The Daily Crime Log shall be kept for three years following the publication of the last Annual Crime Report to which they apply (in effect, seven years).

The College shall also make a reasonable good-faith effort to obtain crime statistics from appropriate law enforcement agencies to include in the Annual Crime Report and the web-based report to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE). If local law enforcement agencies having jurisdiction cannot provide a breakdown of statistics specific to Clery Act geographic areas, these statistics may be omitted from the Annual Crime Report and OPE data. In this situation, the College shall provide a statement explaining that local law enforcement could not provide a statistical breakdown appropriate for Clery Act reporting.

Information Dissemination

To provide campus community members with the information necessary to make informed decisions about their safety, the College shall disseminate information in the following ways:

Timely Warning

In order to keep the campus community informed about safety and security issues on an ongoing basis, the Vice President of Operations/Business and Industry Services shall alert the campus community of any Clery Act crimes that are

• reported to campus security authorities or local police agencies; and
• considered by the College to represent a serious or continuing threat to students, employees, or visitors.

(See definitions of Clery Act crimes in The Handbook for Campus Crime Reporting, published by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education.)

These alerts shall be issued by the Vice President of Operations/Business and Industry Services (or his/her designee) to students, faculty, staff, and, where appropriate, visitors by means of the College email system, bulletin boards, including electronic bulletin boards, or circulars. These warnings shall include the nature of the threat, when and where it occurred, and what, if any, action one should take to mitigate the threat to themselves.

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The College is not required to provide a timely warning for crimes reported to a professional counselor. There are no other exceptions.

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Access to the Daily Crime Log

The Daily Crime Log for the most recent 60-day period shall be accessible to the public at MCC’s main campus, upon request, during normal business hours. Any portion of the log that is older than 60 days shall be made available within two business days of a request for public inspection.

Annual Crime Report

The Vice President of Operations/Business and Industry Services (or designee) shall prepare an Annual Crime Report and distribute it to all current students and employees. The categories of crimes so reported shall comply with the definitions given in the Clery Act.

The Annual Crime Report shall be distributed to all current students and employees by giving a copy to individuals via the US Post Office, campus mail, email, or a combination of these methods. This distribution shall take place no later than October 1 of each year. In addition, the Annual Crime Report shall be posted on the MCC web site. The report shall also be provided free of charge to prospective students and employees upon request. The Annual Crime Report shall be made available at the offices of Student Services and Administrative Services.

Security [Crime] Awareness and Prevention Programs

Crime awareness shall be addressed periodically through appropriate media.

Information about Registered Sex Offenders

The College shall inform the campus community that an SBI registration list of sex offenders is maintained and available on the N.C. Sex Offender and Public Protection Registry website.

Submission of Crime Statistics to the OPE (ED.gov)

The Vice President of Operations/Business and Industry Services (or his/her designee) shall participate in the Campus Crime and Security at Postsecondary Education Institutions Survey, conducted by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE). This will be accomplished by entering crime data included in the Annual Crime Report into a database at the URL:

Access to Pertinent Regulations, Laws, and Statutes

Copies of or access to regulations, laws, and statutes pertinent to the Clery Act, including G.S. 14-269.2 Firearms and Other Weapons on Campus, G.S. 14-2841, and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Title II of Public Law 101-542, amended 1998) shall be made available at the offices of Administrative Services and Student Services.

Definitions

• Class I Felony Weapon: per GS 14-269.2(b) any gun, rifle, pistol, or other firearm of any kind. (Does not apply to BB guns, stun guns, air rifles, or air pistols).
• Class I Misdemeanor Weapon: per GS 14-269.2(d) any BB gun, stun gun, air rifle, air pistol, bowie knife, dirk, dagger, slingshot, leaded cane, switchblade knife, blackjack, metallic knuckles, razors and razor blades (except for personal shaving), firework, or any sharp-pointed or edged instrument except instructional supplies, unaltered nail files and clips and tools used solely for the preparation of food, instruction, and maintenance.
• Expelled: a student who has been expelled is cut off from membership or relations with the College. Expelled students are barred from registering and/or attending classes and official College functions. Appearance on College premises should be limited to official business with the College, such as attendance at a Grievance Hearing or reinstatement proceedings.
• Powerful Explosive: per GS 14-284.1 includes but is not limited to nitroglycerin, trinitrotoluene, and blasting caps, detonators, and fuses for the explosion thereof.
• Professional Counselor: a person whose official responsibilities include providing mental health counseling to members of the College’s community and who is functioning within the scope of his or her license or certification. This definition applies even to professional counselors who are not employees of the institution, but are under contract to provide counseling at the institution.
• Prospective Employee: an individual who has contacted the College requesting information concerning employment with the College.
• Prospective Student: an individual who has contacted the College requesting information about admission to the College.