Violence Prevention Plan

Policy Number: OPR-4600-001

Policy Title: Violence Prevention Planning

Vice Chancellor/Associate Chancellor: Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services

Unit Responsible for Policy: Office of Preparedness and Response

Effective Date: February 7, 2022

Contact: Assistant Vice Chancellor

Policy Statement: The University of Illinois Chicago is committed to the welfare, health, and safety of its students, faculty, staff, patients, and visitors. In this regard, the university will take reasonable action to provide an environment free from acts or threats of violence and other aberrant, dangerous, or threatening behavior.

The university will not tolerate acts or threats of violence, and other aberrant, dangerous, or threatening behavior whether by students, employees, visitors, or other third parties on university-owned, -controlled, or -leased properties; at off-campus locations administered by the university; or in its programs or while using university-owned or administered systems such as email.

Individuals who violate this policy may be subject to sanctions including, but not limited to, removal from the premises, exclusion from the premises, criminal prosecution, corrective and/or disciplinary action, civil remedies under Illinois law, suspension and/or expulsion, and/or employee discipline up to and including discharge, in accordance with relevant investigatory procedures.

In service of its commitment to the welfare, health, and safety of the campus community, the university will develop, annually review, update, implement, and exercise a comprehensive Violence Prevention Plan (VPP or “the Plan”) that specifically addresses the university’s position on the prevention, reduction, and response to campus violence.

The university will have established a multi-disciplinary Behavioral Threat Assessment Team for Students and a Behavioral Threat Assessment Team for Employees that include trained personnel from faculty, campus administration, student affairs, law enforcement, access and equity, human resources, counseling services, residence life, local, county, or major municipal emergency managers, and other disciplines as necessary. The university will also form a Campus Violence Prevention Committee charged with implementing the Plan and determining the individuals responsible for education and prevention of violence on campus. The Campus Violence Prevention Committee also provides oversight to the Behavioral Threat Assessment Team(s).

All areas of the campus community are required to cooperate with requests from the chairs of the Campus Violence Prevention Committee and Behavioral Threat Assessment Teams relative to successfully monitoring any aberrant, dangerous, or threatening behavior and responding to acts or threats of violence on campus.

As part of the campus community, all students, faculty, staff, visitors, and other third parties are responsible for reporting threats or acts of violence, and other aberrant, dangerous, or threatening behavior experienced or witnessed to university officials, as specified in the UIC Violence Prevention Plan. UIC prohibits retaliation in accordance with the UIC Prohibition of Retaliation Following Claims of Unlawful Discrimination Policy (OAE-1100-003) and the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act (5 ILCS 430/15-5 et seq.).

Reason for Policy: To ensure compliance with the Illinois Campus Security Enhancement Act of 2008 (110 ILCS 12/1 et seq.) by stating the campus community’s responsibility to prevent, reduce, and respond to threats or acts of violence and other aberrant, dangerous, or threatening behavior.

Minority Impact Statement: The policy does not have a disproportionate or unique effect on UIC’s minority students, faculty, or staff.

Who Should Read the Policy: All students and employees at all UIC campuses.

Definitions:

• Behavioral Threat Assessment Team(s): Team to conduct threat assessments, address aberrant, dangerous, or threatening behavior on campus, and provide guidance and best practices for preventing violence and providing support services.
• Behavioral Threat Assessment Team for Employees: Multi-disciplinary team comprised of representatives from campus administration, employee health services, campus law enforcement, and other areas of employee engagement and affairs who coordinate the intake of reported concerns and the threat assessment and management process for employees of concern.
• Behavioral Threat Assessment Team for Students: Multi-disciplinary team comprised of representatives from student affairs, student counseling, campus law enforcement, and other areas of student engagement and affairs who coordinate the intake of reported concerns and the threat assessment and management process for students of concern.
• Campus Violence Prevention Committee: Committee tasked with implementing the Violence Prevention Plan, determines the committee structure and the individuals responsible for education and prevention of violence on campus, and includes participants from faculty, campus administration, student affairs, law enforcement, human resources, counseling services, residence life, county, or major municipal emergency managers and others deemed appropriate.
• Threat Assessment: A process of evaluating the actions and conduct of individuals, and the circumstances surrounding those actions and conduct, to uncover any facts or evidence that indicate that violence is likely to be carried out. A threat assessment should occur when a person (or persons) threatens or induces others to commit a violent act or engages in behavior that appears to threaten "targeted violence."
• Targeted Violence: An incident of physical violence in which both the perpetrator and targets are identified or identifiable before the incident.
• Violence Prevention Plan (VPP): A comprehensive framework for each phase of violence prevention, designed to facilitate a timely, effective, efficient, and coordinated university response in dealing with issues related to violence that could affect the campus. It sets forth the responsibilities of campus administrative and operational units, and provides guidance to students, faculty, and staff about how to recognize, address, and report aberrant and threatening behavior.

Procedures: The Violence Prevention Plan can be found on the UIC Ready website.

Related Laws, Regulations, Statutes, and Policies:

Federal

• Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), 20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.
• The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, 20 U.S.C. 1092(f); 34 C.F.R. 668.46
• Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, 20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.
• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq.

State

• Campus Security Enhancement Act of 2008, 110 ILCS 12/1et seq.

University

• UIC Faculty Affairs Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines, Section FPP 800 et seq.
• UIC Faculty Handbook, Section XI, Health and Safety
• UIC Fitness for Duty, HR-4103-001
• UIC Nondiscrimination Policy Statement, OAE-1100-004
• UIC Policy on Open Expression, DOS-8100-002
• UIC Prohibition of Sex Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct Policy, OAE-1100-001
• UIC Student Disciplinary Policy
• University Operations Under Emergency Conditions (Emergency Operations Management) Policy, AS-4000-002
• University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics, Management Policy and Procedure, No. EC 3.13 (Workplace Violence Prevention and Response)

Document History:

Approval date: February 7, 2022
Approved as: New Policy