If you are on campus this summer, you will likely see many children and adolescents participating in Vanderbilt summer programming.
Summer 2018 marks the five-year anniversary of Vanderbilt’s institution-wide policy for the protection of minors (POM). Vanderbilt personnel, through university work, programs and service, interact with more than 50,000 minors annually. During the past three years, the POM program registration system has tracked thousands of hosted events, ranging from one minor placed in a departmental research lab to children, youth and adolescents participating in our academic, athletic, arts and admissions programs.
At the end of June, the POM web application used for program and event registration will be duplicated for use by VUMC. To prepare for this change from a shared application, the POM app will be unavailable to users from June 22 to June 24. On June 25, 2018, and going forward, the Vanderbilt POM web app will be available at the same URL for all users with VUnetIDs; however, those with VUMC-issued VUnetIDs will not have access to register programs or be added as personnel in events. VUMC users will access the VUMC POM application at a new web address, which will be communicated by VUMC. Please email protectionofminors@vanderbilt.edu if there are questions about this change.
In Tennessee, all adults, regardless of program affiliation or profession, are mandatory reporters of child abuse, which includes physical abuse, sexual abuse and child neglect. Vanderbilt strives to educate its staff, faculty, students and volunteers regarding not only this legal responsibility, but also the requirement to internally report abuse and behavior that is concerning, inappropriate or in violation of the university’s Protection of Minors Code of Conduct.
Vanderbilt values the safety of all persons in our community and recognizes the impact of abuse and maltreatment of minors. Information and instructions on policy compliance, including program registration and personnel compliance, are on the Protection of Minors homepage. The POM web application for program registration houses information on programs hosting minors across campus. The POM policy requires any program hosting minors to register the activity in the POM application with the Office of Risk and Insurance Management.
VU personnel working with minors are required to be compliant with the policy, including appropriate background clearance and training in abuse prevention, reporting and abiding by the Vanderbilt Code of Conduct when interacting with minors. Minors in programs should be supervised during activities. Third parties renting space on campus for programs for minors are contractually held to these requirements as well.
The protection of minors is more than just a policy at Vanderbilt; it is a reflection of our campus values to promote a culture of safety and respect for all ages and persons. We continuously strive to evaluate our processes to update and improve any deficiencies. National statistics indicate that one in 10 children will be victims of abuse. Education, prevention and immediate response are vital in addressing and stopping maltreatment behaviors.
University resources for the protection of minors include:
- A dedicated office responding to the programming, risk and events occurring with minors.
- A baseline training in Protection of Minors 101 in the Learning Exchange, with annual renewal modules added every July. This training is available to all staff, faculty and students.
- Website resources though the Office of Risk and Insurance Management, Protection of Minors. This includes the Policy, Reporting Abuse, and a Policy Guidelines document ranging from ratio requirements to considerations for emergency preparedness and selection of personnel.
- A personal compliance check page, which individuals can access to view their current status of meeting the compliance requirements for work/service that involves supervision of minors (background clearance-type requirement may vary by program).
- Other resources are available specific to a program or situation or for additional education. Those with questions are encouraged to reach out to the Protection of Minors director at protectionofminors@vanderbilt.edu or (615) 936-5935.
- The Tennessee statewide reporting hotline for child abuse is 877-237-0004.