PJC Procedures

PJC Procedures for Handling Sexual Assault Cases Including Procedures for Assisting Victims of Sexual Assault (PJC Procedure 129, PJC Policy 6Hx20-1.028)

1. The campus Public Safety/College Police Department shall be notified of any sexual offense occurring on any PJC campus, in any building rented by PJC, and/or at any College sponsored function whether on campus or off-campus as per Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990. In the case of an on-going assault, 911 should be dialed. In the case of an employee, the supervisor of that employee should also be notified as soon as possible.

2. In the event of sexual misconduct by a male against a female, generally a female police officer on the campus police force will be sent to the scene to handle the investigation and provide assistance to the victim. Appropriate staff and members of the Board of Trustees will be notified of the incident.

3. If the alleged offender is a student, the Director of Student Life will be notified and the process as described in the Student Code of Conduct will be initiated.

4. If the alleged offender is a faculty or staff member, the procedures presented in the faculty and staff disciplinary procedures will be followed.

5. The Director, Public Safety/Chief of College Police will direct the investigation at the campus and provide continuous up-dates to campus officials as allowed by law.

6. After an offense has occurred, the Vice President for Student Affairs will coordinate victim assistance for students and their families. The Associate Vice President, Institutional Diversity will coordinate follow-up assistance for employees and their families. Each office will serve as a designated victim's advocate to assist the victim and ensure that the victim's rights are protected.

7. Victims of sexual assault will have the following rights during College disciplinary procedures involving an accused student or employee:
a. The right to choose a person to accompany him or her throughout the disciplinary procedure.
b. The right to the assistance and advice of College staff.
c. The right to submit a list of questions related to the alleged incident that the accused should be asked during the hearing process.
d. The right not to have past conduct including sexual history discussed during a preliminary hearing.
e. The right to make a victim impact statement and to suggest an appropriate penalty if the accused is found in violation of this administrative procedure.
f. The right to learn the outcome of the disciplinary proceeding upon request.
g. The right to have the accused removed from any class(es) in which both the accused and the victim are attending.

8. Acts of sexual assault by students and/or employees occurring off campus in all buildings rented by PJC or at College sponsored functions shall be reported to the PJC Public Safety/College Police Department. Sexual assaults by students and/or employees that occur off campus in any other circumstance will be investigated by the local law enforcement agency having jurisdiction. The internal investigation will be implemented by the PJC Public Safety/College Police Department. The PJC police officer assigned will coordinate with the appropriate department head/director according to the Student Code of Conduct or the Employee Disciplinary Procedure.

Procedures for a Comprehensive Education Program to Assure Awareness of the Problem of Sexual Misconduct, to Discourage Assaults and to Encourage Reporting

1. Employees and students will receive a sexual misconduct booklet with information on policies, procedures, prevention and available victim's assistance. These booklets will be distributed along with student and employee orientation materials.

2. Periodically, the College will communicate with students and employees regarding sexual misconduct through the employee and student newspaper, bulletin boards, and other communication resources.

3. At the beginning of each academic year, athletic teams will receive special information through the coaching staffs regarding sexual misconduct.

4. A video (either purchased or produced by the College) will be available for play in the Student Centers or other student facilities in game areas, and in classes for group discussion when appropriate.

5. The Associate Vice President, Institutional Diversity will schedule awareness programs and speakers periodically through the year to promote awareness of sexual misconduct offenses and the reporting of the incidents that occur. Additionally, the Associate Vice President, Institutional Diversity, in conjunction with the Inservice and Staff Development Director, will schedule training sessions with faculty and staff regarding awareness and reporting sexual misconduct offenses.

Procedures to Enhance Campus Security

Campus security should be reviewed and increased as is necessary to minimize the threat of sexual assault on campus. The following will be important in this regard:

1. Lighting-All lighting on campus meets 6A.2 requirements. Initially, police personnel will survey areas that appear to need larger output of existing lighting or that require new lighting in order to provide a safer environment. Recommendation will be forwarded to the Vice President for Planning and Administration. Maintenance crews will check lighting on a regular basis to monitor status. Burned out bulbs will be replaced as soon as possible after being identified.

2. Landscaping-Landscaping patterns will be reviewed around parking lots and buildings to determine the existence of possible hiding places. Those found to be deficient will be altered to provide additional visibility. Thereafter, checks will be made on a recurring basis.

3. Class Scheduling-The Registrar's Office will be contacted each term to furnish a list of evening classes and locations prior to publishing a schedule. If isolated classes are scheduled, attempts will be made to relocate to a more central location. This will be more difficult in the case of laboratories.

4. Rape prevention and sensitivity training for Pensacola Junior College police officers-Each full-time police officer at Pensacola Junior College will receive rape prevention training and sensitivity training to deal with victims of sexual battery. This training is available through a Florida Department of Law Enforcement approved trainer.

5. PJC Police Student Services Officer Program-Currently, students are hired to provide services to evening students and faculty who wish to be accompanied from a building to their automobiles. Two students are available for this service on the Pensacola campus, and one each on the Warrington and Milton campuses. This process will be reviewed periodically to determine if the numbers involved are sufficient to perform the service for evening students and faculty.