Report 2015-032 Recommendation 20 Responses

Report 2015-032: California's Postsecondary Educational Institutions: More Guidance Is Needed to Increase Compliance With Federal Crime Reporting Requirements (Release Date: July 2015)

Recommendation #20 To: Community Colleges Chancellor's Office

To ensure that its respective institutions comply with the Clery Act, the Community Colleges Chancellor's Office should develop written policies and procedures to provide guidance to its institutions on how to report accurate Clery Act crime statistics and ensure that all required disclosures are included in its respective institutions' annual security reports. The Community Colleges Chancellor's Office should then annually revisit the written policies and procedures to ensure that they are up to date.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From February 2018

The California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office has developed written policies and procedures and will offer ongoing training to the community college system on how to accurately report Clery Act crime statistics and publish required disclosures in annual security reports.

The guidance includes policies and procedures, roles and responsibilities, and specific Clery Act requirements. It also includes links to additional authoritative resources such as the Office of Postsecondary Education's Handbook for Campus Safety and Security Reporting and the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook.

The Chancellor's Office Clery Act policy can be found online at http://extranet.cccco.edu/Divisions/Legal/cleryact.aspx and will be reviewed annually. The policy will also be distributed to all responsible and interested individuals at every college.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented


1-Year Agency Response

The Chancellor's Office of the California Community Colleges will:

1. Develop a written policy for providing guidance to our 113 community colleges on:

A. How to report accurate Clery Act crime statistics.

B. How to ensure that all Clery Act required disclosures are

included in their annual security reports.

2. This policy will be developed in consultation with our Public Safety Educational Advisory Committee and shared with the Board of Governors. Draft policy and guidance has been developed and is being reviewed by the Committee.

3. Once finalized, the policy and the Chancellor's Office guidance to the colleges will be posted on the Chancellor's Office website, and all colleges will be notified. Training resources will be allocated to assist in disseminating guidance across the community college system.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Pending


6-Month Agency Response

The Chancellor's Office of the California Community Colleges will:

1. Develop a written policy for providing guidance to our 113 community colleges on:

A. How to report accurate Clery Act crime statistics.

B. How to ensure that all Clery Act required disclosures are

included in their annual security reports.

2. This policy will be developed in consultation with our Public Safety Educational Advisory Committee and shared with the Board of Governors. Draft policy and guidance has been developed and is being reviewed by the Committee.

3. Once finalized, the policy and the Chancellor's Office guidance to the colleges will be posted on the Chancellor's Office website, and all colleges will be notified. Training resources will be allocated to assist in disseminating guidance across the community college system.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending


60-Day Agency Response

The Chancellor's Office of the California Community Colleges will:

1. Develop a written policy for providing guidance to our 113 community colleges on:

A. How to report accurate Clery Act crime statistics.

B. How to ensure that all Clery Act required disclosures are

included in their annual security reports.

2. This policy will be developed in consultation with our Public Safety Educational Advisory Committee and shared with the Board of Governors.

3. The final policy and the Chancellor's Office guidance to the colleges will be posted on the Chancellor's Office website, and all colleges will be notified. Training resources will be allocated to assist in disseminating guidance across the community college system.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending


All Recommendations in 2015-032

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.