Minors on Campus

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Updated: May, 2025

Purpose:

New York Institute of Technology values the health, safety, and well-being of minors and is committed to providing a safe environment for minors on campus and those who participate in its programs. In keeping with this value and to fulfill this commitment, New York Tech has adopted a Minors on Campus Policy ("Policy"). This policy applies to all members of the New York Tech community and all offices, departments, and units of New York Tech. Failure to comply may lead to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal, and revocation of the opportunity to use New York Tech property or facilities.

Programs:

All camps, events, programs, activities, and services that are intended for minors and that take place on campus, or under the supervision of New York Tech, whether on or off campus, ("Programs") are subject to this policy. For purposes of this policy, a minor is a person, other than a student in a degree program, who is less than 18 years of age.

Procedures for Program Approval

Submission of Program Details

The Office of General Counsel has created a Program Plan Approval Form that contains all of the required information for Minors on Campus programs. This form is to be completed and submitted by the individual that is responsible for a Program ("Program Director"), or his or her designee, to compliance@nyit.edu as soon in the planning process as possible, but at least 60 days before the start of the Program. This form requires details about proposed programs as well as development of operational plans for the security and safety of all minor participants. Incomplete submissions may result in denial or delays in approval. The office will follow up with Program Directors regarding the form.

Completion of Background Checks

Program Directors must ensure that all applicable faculty, staff, students, volunteers, or other personnel who could conceivably be alone with minors have been subject to a criminal background check or sex offender registry check within the last three years. Program Directors shall budget the appropriate amount of funds in their programs for the cost of criminal background checks for staff and faculty. For students and volunteers, Program Directors are responsible for verifying those individuals against the National Sex Offender Public Website.

Program Directors may not allow the participation in the program of any faculty, staff, hourly employee, student, volunteer or other personnel whose criminal background check and/or sex offender registry check includes a record of sexually based offenses or crimes against children. The Program Director shall consult with the Office of General Counsel in the event that the Registry indicates a match with an individual on the submission, or if a criminal background checks include a record of other offenses to determine if those offenses should preclude participation. In the event that there are no matches, the Program Director shall maintain the search results in his or her file for seven years.

In the event that there are programs for which complete criminal background checks are infeasible, Program Directors must still perform National Registry checks on all volunteers and adopt other measures to prevent child abuse and facilitate the reporting of abuse. The measures adopted must include requirements that the volunteers be working in public places, not alone with children, and be supervised by a background-checked person. These alternate measures, if proposed, should be noted in the Program form.

Training

All New York Tech personnel are required to complete training through New York Tech's Vector LMS platform prior to programming. The required course, Protecting Youth: Abuse and Neglect Prevention, is approximately 90 minutes long and will be assigned by Risk Management upon submission of the personnel information in the Program form.

If personnel have previously taken the training in the last three years, this may be noted in the Program Plan Approval Form to waive the requirement. Any additional requested training waivers should also accompany the form's submission.

Third Parties

In the event that third party program operators or vendors are involved, the Office of General Counsel will draft agreements ensuring that the third parties comply with New York Tech's Minors on Campus Policy and all applicable laws and regulations for the Program.

Additionally, New York Tech requires supplemental insurance coverages for third-party groups or entities that are accompanied by minors on New York Tech campuses, or third-party vendors that may be working with minors pursuant to an agreement with New York Tech. These third parties must generally carry sexual abuse and molestation insurance coverage in an amount of no less than $1,000,000.00 per occurrence and $3,000,000.00 in the aggregate. The coverages and amounts may be waived in exceptional circumstances as determined by the Risk Management Director.

Required Participant Forms

The Office of General Counsel will assist in coordinating the appropriate health, permission, and disclosure forms below, which at a minimum must include a media consent form, a behavioral standards from, a medical history (including allergy needs, if any) and a consent to treat form.

Parents/guardians of participating minors must complete the following forms and submit them to the Program Director:

View information and forms specific to minors (high school student interns) assisting with research activities from the Institutional Review Board.

Minors on Campus Program Approval Checklist:

  1. Notify the Office of Risk Management of Your Program/Camp
  2. Confirm and document completion of Background Checks on All Personnel
  3. Confirm and document completion of Training on All Personnel
  4. Complete operational plans for Your Program
  5. Obtain All Necessary Signed Forms from Parents/Guardians
Reporting Responsibilities

Any member of the New York Tech community shall report a concern if he or she knows or reasonably suspects that a child has been abused or maltreated. This applies during approved programs and at all other times where such conduct is suspected.

Although some New York Tech employees, as mandated reporters, are required by New York State law to report suspected child abuse and maltreatment, all of the New York Tech community is expected to adhere to these guidelines to ensure that we protect minors who are on our campus or participating in New York Tech programs and activities.

Mandated reporters who are required to report cases of suspected child abuse and maltreatment under New York State Law include physicians, registered nurses, social workers, and mental health professionals, among others. Mandated reporters should utilize the following hotline: 800-635-1522 to make a report. Reports by mandated reporters should be shared with the Office of Campus Security for internal follow-up.

If a non-mandated reporter suspects or has reason to believe that a child has been abused or neglected, or if a child confides that they have been abused or neglected, they must take the following steps:

Resolution of Reports

In addition to external law enforcement or child services agency actions, complaints or reports under this policy will be addressed by New York Tech in accordance with existing policies and contracts applicable to the individual and/or program at issue. If the complaint includes allegations of sexual misconduct, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking, the matter will be addressed in accordance with New York Tech's Gender Based Misconduct and Title IX Policy (as applicable).

Online Programming Policy Addendum

The Procedures for Program Approval described above are the same for online programs offered to minors. However, there are additional restrictions applicable to online programming: