This information is being provided as part of Rock Valley College’s commitment to safety and security on campus. At RVC the safety and well-being of students, faculty, and staff is important. A truly safe campus can only be achieved through the cooperation of everyone at Rock Valley College. We hope that this information will be read carefully to help foster a safe environment for everyone at RVC.
The RVC campus
RVC is situated on 217 acres in the city of Rockford and maintains a current population of 14,500 students, faculty, and staff. RVC also maintains off-campus facilities: the Bell School Road Center located at 3350 Bell School Road, the Stenstrom Center for Career Education (SCCE) located at 4151 Samuelson Road, and the Falcon Road Center (FRC) located at 6349 Falcon Road. RVC also offers various classes at multiple locations owned by other companies throughout and beyond the RVC district.
RVC does not have dormitories on any of the five campuses.
Reporting of criminal activities or emergencies
The Department of Public Safety (DPS) is responsible for law enforcement, security, and emergency response at RVC. The DPS office is located in the Support Services Building of the main campus and can be contacted by dialing (815) 654-4357 (H.E.L.P.) in emergency situations or (815) 921-4350 for non-emergency situations. DPS officers provide 24-hour-a-day patrol protection to the main campus and Bell Center. The Department of Public Safety makes daily patrols of the Stenstrom Center for Career Education and Falcon Road Center. The SCCE and FRC are also patrolled by the Rockford Police Department. Pay telephones are located throughout the campus both inside and outside of the buildings. These pay phones can be used to report criminal activity, fire, or other emergencies by dialing 9-1-1. The 9-1-1 dispatcher will notify the Department of Public Safety of the incident reported. RVC also has numerous emergency call boxes in place on the main campus and off-campus facilities. These call boxes can be used to contact the Department of Public Safety in emergencies or whenever assistance is needed. Call boxes are also available at the Bell Center, Stenstrom Center for Career Education, and Falcon Road Center. All fulltime DPS officers are certified police officers with training through the Illinois Police Training Institute or Illinois State Police Academy. The Department of Public Safety enforces all the laws of the State of Illinois, City of Rockford, and regulations of the college. Officers are responsible for a full range of public safety services, including all criminal reports, investigations, medical emergencies, fire emergencies, traffic accidents, enforcement of laws regulating alcohol use on campus, the use of controlled substances, weapons and all other incidents requiring police assistance. The Department of Public Safety maintains a daily open campus police log. The log is a listing of all crimes reported to campus police and is available for viewing at the Department of Public Safety office.
Maintenance and security of campus facilities
Plant Operations and Maintenance (POM) maintains the campus buildings and grounds with a concern for safety and security. The Department of Public Safety inspects campus facilities regularly and reports all potential security and safety hazards to POM for repairs. Students, faculty, and staff may also call POM at (815) 921-4300 to report any security or safety hazards.
Access to campus facilities
Campus buildings and facilities are accessible during normal hours of operation: 6:30 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. daily. Please contact the switchboard (815-921-7821) or the Department of Public Safety (815-921-4350) for weekend and holiday hours. The campus is closed to the public from 11:00 p.m. until 6:30 a.m.
Investigations/crime prevention
There is an ongoing effort at RVC to prevent crimes from occurring rather than react to them after the fact. A primary vehicle for accomplishing this goal is the college’s crime prevention program. The college’s crime prevention program is based upon the elimination of criminal opportunities and the encouragement of students, faculty, and staff to be responsible for the security and safety of all members of the campus community. The following is a listing of the crime prevention programs and projects employed by RVC.
* Escort Program... provides an escort service, particularly during hours of darkness, for persons walking on campus. Call (815) 921-4350 or use a call box to request an escort.
* New Student Orientation…crime prevention material is made available to new and returning students during the fall. Crime prevention material is also available throughout the year at several brochure kiosks located in buildings on campus.
* Emergency Call Boxes…an emergency call box phone system is in place on campus. Located inside and outside of buildings, these call boxes can be used 24 hours a day to contact college police.
* Emergency Telephones…both interior and exterior pay phones can be used to dial 9-1-1 free of charge in the event of an emergency situation. Campus NBX phones have an emergency speed dial button that connects to the campus police office.
* Electronic Monitoring Systems…a sophisticated electronic alarm system monitors a network of intrusion and duress alarm systems in campus facilities. A series of closed circuit security cameras are also utilized.
* Facilities Surveys…comprehensive surveys of exterior lighting, exterior doors and grounds are conducted by the Department of Public Safety each year.
* Special Alerts…if circumstances warrant it, special crime alerts are printed and distributed throughout campus.
Drug and alcohol policies
* Alcoholic beverages: No person shall possess, consume, distribute or manufacture any alcoholic beverages on the campus of RVC or any property that the College may lease.
* The Department of Public Safety enforces Illinois underage drinking laws.
* Controlled Substances: No person shall possess, consume, distribute, purchase or manufacture any controlled or illegal substance on the campus of RVC or any property that the college may lease.
The Department of Public Safety enforces Federal and State drug laws.
Treatment
RVC provides a complete listing of counseling and treatment programs available in the Winnebago/Boone counties area. This listing is available in the counseling center, the library, financial aid and placement offices, the Bell School Road Center, Stenstrom Center for Career Education, the Falcon Road Center, and at the office of the Dean of Student Support Services. In addition, students and employees may seek assistance from the counselor designated to assist with drug education on the campus who is located at the RVC counseling center in the Student Center. If you are aware of problems with friends or family members, we encourage you to act responsibly by consulting with counseling services. Remaining silent or waiting until a situation has escalated is neither respectful nor responsible. The college supports the notion of students helping one another to cooperatively solve alcohol and substance abuse problems as they occur.
Sexual assault program
In accordance with the 1992 Amendments to The Higher Education Act, Rock Valley College has formulated the following policy statement regarding the sexual assault program on campus. This policy statement is directed at preventing sex offenses and setting procedures to follow should a sex offense occur on campus or any site owned or leased by the college.
Any violation of RVC General Rules and Regulations Number 17, Sexual Assault, should be reported immediately to the RVC Department of Public Safety. The director of the Department of Public Safety or his/her designee will complete a campus report and explain to the students their options for pursuing the complaint through the legal system. As requested, the Department of Public Safety will assist with needed hospital treatment (or other appropriate law enforcement agency) and investigation of the complaint.
The RVC Department of Public Safety will notify, as necessary, college officials and will refer the complaint to the dean of student support services for determination of the need for campus adjudication to take place regardless of prosecution through the legal system.
Any case of sexual assault referred to the campus disciplinary system will follow the stated procedures. In cases of sexual assault, victims may, through the hearing offices, determine witnesses and question any witnesses presented. Sanctions for students found guilty of sexual assault may range from disciplinary warning or probation to suspension or expulsion from the college. Additionally, students may be required to complete community service, counseling or other appropriate projects.
In cases of sexual assault, the accuser and accused shall have the right to have others present in support or advisory roles, during campus disciplinary hearings. Both parties will be informed of the outcome of any disciplinary hearing involving sexual assault. The dean of student support services shall assist in the changing of academic situations after an alleged sexual assault if requested by the victim and if such changes are reasonably available.
Rock Valley College provides referral and counseling assistance and will also arrange campus situations for victims of sexual assault through the dean of student support services office, the RVC counseling center and the PALS (Prevention and Awareness through Learning and Support) program. Educational programs regarding sexual assault are available through the RVC Rape Prevention brochure, the Student Center literature distribution center, the PALS program and the Student Commission speaker series.
Questions regarding sexual assault on campus should be directed to the dean of student support services or the RVC Department of Public Safety.
Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act
Effective Monday October 28, 2002, a new Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act is in effect. This is in conjunction with the federal law enacted on October 28, 2000 that provides for the tracking of convicted sex offenders enrolled at or employed by institutions of higher education.
The act amends the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children Act and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act to require sex offenders already required to register in a state to provide notice, as required under state law, of each institution of higher education in that state at which the person is employed, carries on a vocation, or is a student. Sex offenders who fail to register their status as a student or employee at an institution of higher education are in violation of the registration act and face arrest.
This act also amends the Jeanne Clery Act to require institutions of higher education to issue a statement, in addition to other disclosures required under that act, advising the campus community where law enforcement agency information provided by a state concerning registered sex offenders may be obtained.
The Illinois State Police provide a listing of sex offenders required to register in the state of Illinois. The database is updated daily and can be found at the following Web site: www.isp.state.il.us/sor/frames.htm.
The Rock Valley College Police department also maintains a sex offender list that lists all known sex offenders that are students, contractors, and/or employees at Rock Valley College. This sex offender list is available for viewing at the Rock Valley College Police department office on the main campus. You may call (815) 921-4350 for more information.
Lastly, the act amends the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) to clarify that nothing in the act may be construed to prohibit an educational institution from disclosing information provided to the institution concerning registered sex offenders; and requires the Secretary of Education to take appropriate steps to notify educational institutions that disclosure of this information is permitted.
Accumulation of crime statistics
Crime statistics are gathered throughout the year utilizing campus police dispatch and report records. The Department of Public Safety also contacts several college departments and determines where RVC is holding off-campus classes and activities. The police agencies who have jurisdiction over the off-campus locations are then contacted and any crime statistics concerning crimes committed during RVC classes or activities at these off-campus locations are requested. All crimes occurring at off-campus RVC classes or activities which the Jeanne Clery Act requires in the Annual Security Report are included in our annual report. Campus security authorities as defined by the Clery Act (i.e. director of student center, coaches, club advisors, etc.) are also contacted several times during the year to report crimes that may have been reported to them but not to campus police. If the incident is believed to be founded it is included in the Annual Security Report.
This report meets all reporting requirements as set forth in the Jeanne Clery Act.
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