The Health and Safety of Minors Program at Mount Holyoke College is jointly administered by the College and Five College Risk Management. The program was established to help understand and comply with the College’s policy on the Health and Safety of Minors.
Health and Safety of Minors at Mount Holyoke College
Policy summary
All Mount Holyoke College sponsored programs or programs operating on college property that are specifically designed for minors are required to adhere to the Mount Holyoke College Health and Safety of Minors Policy. The Policy establishes minimum requirements for these programs and lays out a code of conduct for the adults who work or volunteer in them.
The Policy applies to all members of the College community, including all employees, interns, and students, and also to all volunteers, contractors, vendors, authorized adults, and other individuals who use College property.
Some important definitions as they relate to the policy:
- Minor or Child: a person under 18 years of age, who is not an enrolled Mount Holyoke student.
- Program Manager: the member of the Mount Holyoke community responsible for a Program, service or activity.
- Authorized Adult: a person 18 years of age or older who supervises, teaches, counsels, volunteers or otherwise works with Minors participating in a Program. The term Authorized Adult does not include a person whose only role is to make a presentation to a group of Minors who are under the supervision of another adult at the time of the presentation.
- College Sponsored Program (“Program”): any activity, event, recital, lesson, class, camp, or other interaction intended for Minors, including, but not limited to Programs paid for, organized by, or operated in whole or in part by the College, on or off campus.
The importance of the Safety of Minors policy
We understand the value in giving children early exposure to higher education and these programs have a great impact on the youth and communities that they serve. But, it is important to remember:
- Parents, children and administrators expect that schools and other institutions of learning are safe havens and we need to meet and exceed that expectation.
- Keeping children safe should always be the number one concern for programs that serve minors.
- Mount Holyoke College serves approximately 2,500 minors every year.
- 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be abused sometime before they turn 18.
- Unintentional injuries and abuse can occur in even the safest of environments.
The impact that incidents of violence or sexual abuse has on the victim, the organization, and the community are so severe that it is important to do everything possible to try to prevent it.
Coverage guidelines and considerations
Is my program covered under the policy?
It is not within the discretion of a Program Manager to determine whether a program is covered under the policy. However, there are some things to consider when seeking determination of whether your program is covered. Please contact Five College Risk Management with specific questions.
A program is not considered a sponsored program if any of the following are true:
- The program is not explicitly designed for children and does not include participants under the age of 18
- The program is not paid for, organized by, or operated in whole or in part by the college
- If the college does not have supervisory responsibility for the minor participants (full care, custody, and control)
A sponsored program meets all of the following criteria:
- The program is either explicitly designed for children or will include participants under the age of 18 for which the college will have supervisory responsibility
- The program is paid for, organized by, or operated in whole or in part by the college
If you have questions, call 413-538-2344 or email riskmgmt@mtholyoke.edu.
Frequently asked questions
Here are the answers to some common questions about the policy as it relates to Recognized Student Groups at Mount Holyoke College.
Student groups should email studentinvolvement@mtholyoke.edu with any further questions.
Who is considered a minor under this policy?
A minor is a person under 18 years of age, who is not an enrolled Mount Holyoke student. Currently enrolled Mount Holyoke students do not activate the policy.
Does this policy apply to student group events?
This Policy applies to:
- any Program, activity or service involving Minors that occurs on College property,
- at off campus Mount Holyoke events and activities,
and at any Mount Holyoke College-sponsored Program, activity, or service involving Minors, wherever it occurs.
What if there are parents supervising?
My student group is hosting an activity where minors will be present and It is expected that parents will be supervising their children at all times during the program, do we still have to comply with the policy?
Yes. If minors are present — even if there is parental supervision — Mount Holyoke (and student groups) are still responsible for creating a community that protects the children participating in our programs. Your student group should make sure to review the policy, including prohibited conduct, with all event planners and event staff.
What if minors exhibit or perform at an event?
Our student group is inviting minors on campus to exhibit or perform at an event designed for adults (not designed for children). They will be chaperoned. Do we have to be compliant with the policy?
Because the function of the program is not designed for minors, you do not have to register the program and ensure all adults are certified. However, you are required to comply with the prohibited interactions and reporting.
- An example of this would be a student group hosting a cultural show and inviting an external group to perform.
How can we plan an event that includes minors?
My student group is planning a program, activity, or event whose intended purpose is organized around interacting with minors. What does my group need to do?
Prior to the occurrence of any College (student group) Sponsored Program, the Program Manager or the Program Manager’s designee (student group event lead/planner or their designee) must:
- Register the Program through the Five College Portal by completing a registration form at least 21 calendar days prior to the start of the Program.
- This form is separate and different from the event registration form required by the Office of Student Involvement. An ERF must still be submitted at minimum 14 days prior to Student Involvement.
- If a student group fails to submit a registration form, their event date will be moved or their event will be canceled.
- Screen and select Authorized Adults who will participate in the Program; and
- All screening will be coordinated by the College in collaboration with your student group. For more information see the full policy.
- Verify that all Authorized Adults who will participate in the Program have completed the required training.
- All training will be coordinated by the College in collaboration with your student group. For more information see the full policy.
Examples of types of programs (this is not an exhaustive list) include collaborations with local Girl Scout troops, hiking trips, mentorship programs, tutoring programs, one-off training campus, etc.
What if we are not the primary sponsors?
Our student group is planning a program, activity, or event whose intended purpose is organized around interacting with minors but we are not the primary sponsors and or the ones paying for the program. Does the policy still apply?
Yes. Any activity, event, recital, lesson, class, camp, or other interaction intended for Minors, including, but not limited to Programs paid for, organized by, or operated in whole or in part by the College, on or off campus are covered by the policy. Your student group should follow all of the steps outlined under “How can we plan an event that includes minors?”